After spending a week watching Britannia dragged through the gutter by the new Barbarians, it was ironic that the other story that caught my eye was one of false Romans.
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| A Familiar Sight Outside of The Coliseum |
I love these tales of role players getting carried away.
This latest tale features twenty gladiator impersonators being arrested by Italian police in Rome. All the arrested men came from just seven 'families', and were working with five of the tourist agencies that control the 'guides' at the Colosseum.
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| The 'Families' In Action. |
The families had divided up tourist sites such as the Colosseum, the Piazza Venezia, and St Peter's Basilica, between themselves, and then were defending their 'territory' from any other non family operators by using 'violence'. The rival gladiators, who had been chased away from popular tourist attractions, reported the attacks to the police, as they could no longer make a living dressed as gladiators and centurions at the city's historic sites.(They also get kickbacks from tour organisers for persuading tourists to go on guided trips).
You can't make these stories up ....
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| Some Re-enactor Groups Are Better Organised Than Others |
All the suspects are accused of intimidating and attacking their competitors, in order to win a larger share in the lucrative tourist photograph business. In a manner familiar to every tourist the world over, these men dress as Roman Emperors (Caesar), or as Gladiators, and then charge up to 10 euros (£8.70) for having their photographs taken with the tourists. I can testify that this a scene almost entirely confined to the City of Rome (in Pisa for example, outside the leaning Tower, you can't move for African trinket salesmen).
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| The Arrests Prompted Some Resistance |
The police officers had to dress up as gladiators themselves to infiltrate the gangs, while other officers, disguised themselves as dustbin operators or tourists in order to take part in the raid, and had to come to the rescue of their colleagues, who were attacked by the angry gladiators when the arrests were made.
You can't make these stories up ....
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