The Pax Augusta association is preparing to celebrate the Augustales de Loupian

L'association Pax Augusta sera présente pour les Augustales de Loupian, le 27 et 28 juillet. – Pauline Martinet

During the Augustales de Loupian, the Pax Augusta association will demonstrate gladiator combat on the weekend of July 27 and 28.

On the occasion of the Augustales de Loupian, associations specializing in the reconstruction of civilization in the century of Augustus are invited to the Villa Loupian. Pax Augusta is one of them. "We produce animations to resurrect the Gallo-Roman era between the 1st and 3rd century AD", explains François Gilbert, the president of the association. He insists on one point, "we are not actors, we are reenactors ! ".

"Showing the lives of our ancestors"

"There are around forty of us in the association, all passionate about this rich period of history. It is important to us to show the lives of our ancestors to spectators, especially to the youngest , confides the president. The association specializes in the reconstruction of the Roman legion and gladiators. "It’was obvious for us to participate in the Augustales de Loupian. This event pays homage to Antiquity on a Gallo-Roman archaeological site, the Villa Loupian, filled with historical riches, says François Gilbert.

To be sure to respect the clothing traditions of the time, the association refers to the archives found on this subject. The costumes worn are largely made by hand. hand, by volunteers. "Concerning metallurgy, for example, we have no other choice than to go through specialized craftsmen, particularly for the making of swords which is a very particular art", adds François Gilbert.

"Crushing preconceived ideas"

"There are many clichés about Antiquity, especially in films, like Asterix for example. Our objective is clear: to dispel preconceived ideas and reestablish the truth", says the president of the Pax Augusta association. Gladiator fights are generally the most stereotypical in cinema. To put an end to these beliefs, volunteers train every week to reproduce the gestures of warriors, armed with swords and helmets weighing between four and five kilos. "Finally, the one who wins is the fighter who knows how to best manage his breathing through the small openings", concludes François Gilbert.

A return 2,000 years ago

“Many people believe that a fight always ended with the death of one of the two gladiators. In reality, in ancient times, warriors were not allowed to kill each other. In the 1st century, they had a nine out of ten chance of leaving the arena alive. The objective for each participant was to push for the surrender of their adversary. When a warrior decided to surrender, he had to raise his finger and beg for mercy from the organizer of the fight, called the editor. He took into account the opinion of the public and then issued the sentence" , explains François Gilbert.

In the same way, the Pax Augusta association uses the same codes of gladiator combat and includes the spectators in the publisher's decision. "It is important for us to include the public in our performances. His attention is captured, it’s the best way to do pedagogy", indicates François Gilbert.

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