“Roma Invicta” “Victory in war does not depend entirely upon numbers and mere courage – only skill and discipline will insure it. We find that the Romans owed the conquest of the world to no other cause than continual training, exact observance of discipline in their camps and unwearied cultivation of the arts of war.” ...Vegitius

We are the Pennsylvania chapter (Leg. IX Penna) of Legio IX Hispana and are part of the overall LEGIO IX HISPANA, USA club. Leg. IX is a group of living historians dedicated to "learning by doing" -- who strive for more than just standing in front of a group talking. Not only do we plan on period marches or "treks " as they're called, we are also among the Roman groups in the United States who are working on a type of mock combat called "Needlefelt" (or NFS) that allows realistic-speed blows without a danger of anyone being hurt!

Why Roman?

Well, for one thing, we're interested in the Roman Empire and its army! For another, it's a challenge to portray an army from so long ago -- so much has been lost or forgotten. Everything must be experimented with, from the colour of the soldier's tunics to how to best carry a shield for comfort on a long march. In doing these things, we better learn about the life of the Roman soldier. Click here for an article about Experimental Archeology.

If think that you may be interested in what we do, by all means, check out our how to join page and then contact us ;-)

As we are kind of away up here by ourselves, we have our own website to recruit with, but we are also linked to the main club by clicking this button:

What's New on the Legio IX Penna Website:

Reenactorfest.com... What is Reenactor Fest? It is a convention for people interested in military history, as well as historical reenactors of all time periods, spanning from the days of the Roman Empire through WWII. It will be completely unique in this regard... a celebration of the hobby of historical reenacting as a whole. A chance to learn about other time periods, as well as your own! Not only is Reenactor Fest going to be held again in February, but plans are also being made for mone on the East Coast!!