help with some simple imperatives

[m***@gmail.com]

Marching band I teach is doing a roman show this year. Thought it
would be fun to give some commands in latin. These would all be
imperatives to a group...

march
halt
rest
attention (which of course is not a verb -- suggestions?)

nouns to preface commands above

legion
citizens
guards

thanks for your help

[B. T. Raven]

Post by m***@gmail.com
Marching band I teach is doing a roman show this year. Thought it
would be fun to give some commands in latin. These would all be
imperatives to a group...
march = Ite gradibus militaribus (Ite more militis)
halt = Siste gradum
rest = Otiose cessate (at ease)
*stand at* attention (which of course is not a verb -- suggestions?)

= More solemni praestate
Attention (Achtung) = Attendite

Post by m***@gmail.com
nouns to preface commands above
legion = legio
citizens = cives
guards = custodes
thanks for your help

[mariella]

Just for fun, you could use "Legio expedita!" (Legion: get in order!)
like in Asterix! ;)

[J. W. Love]

Marching band I teach is doing a roman show this year. Thought it
would be fun to give some commands in latin. These would all be
imperatives to a group...

Some guesses for your desiderata (which the experts can correct); I've
inserted accents to help you find the stresses:

march = incédite!
march back ~ off = recédite! ~ regrédere!
march on ~ forward = progrédere!
march in = ingrédere!
march about ~ around = circumgrédere!
march out = egrédere!
halt = resístite!
attention = be attentive = atténdite!

nouns to preface commands above

legion = légio
But a legion (ten companies) is rather larger than a marching
band! How about a diminutive: legiúncula?
How about 'a small number of troops' = copiólae?
citizens = cívites
guards = custódiae
guard (garrison) = praesídium
footguards = satéllites pedéstres
yeomen of the guard = satéllites
captain of the guard = satéllitum praeféctus

[Alan Jones]

Marching band I teach is doing a roman show this year. Thought it
would be fun to give some commands in latin. These would all be
imperatives to a group...

Some guesses for your desiderata (which the experts can correct); I've
inserted accents to help you find the stresses:

march = incédite!
march back ~ off = recédite! ~ regrédere!
march on ~ forward = progrédere!
march in = ingrédere!
march about ~ around = circumgrédere!
march out = egrédere!
halt = resístite!
attention = be attentive = atténdite!

The practical problem with these and other suggestions is that they don't
end on an emphatic syllable. The British style of parade ground has an
attention-getting expression such as "Parade!" or "Platoon!", then a
preliminary rhythmic upbeat into the actual command: so "Platoon! by the
LEFT-- QUI-ICK-- MARCH. I can't see how "incedite" and the rest would work
if a crisp and tidy result were required.

Does anyone know what the actual Roman words of command were?

[...]

Alan Jones

[Robert Eccles]

Post by Alan Jones
Does anyone know what the actual Roman words of command were?
Alan Jones

I found http://www.larp.com/legioxx/drill.html which has a list of drill
commands.

Rob Eccles

[J. W. Love]

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/drill.html.

Interesting! Why are some commands singular and others plural?

[Johannes Patruus]

Post by J. W. Love

http://www.larp.com/legioxx/drill.html.

Interesting! Why are some commands singular and others plural?

The unexplained assortment of singulars and plurals also occurs in other
collections, e.g., -
http://www.legionsix.org/roman_drill.htm
http://legvi.tripod.com/castroromani/id10.html

Johannes

[B. T. Raven]

Post by Robert Eccles

Post by Alan Jones
Does anyone know what the actual Roman words of command were?
Alan Jones

I found http://www.larp.com/legioxx/drill.html which has a list of drill
commands.
Rob Eccles

Some of these seem to be corrupt:

"Ordenem servate Keep your position"
[ordinem: Keep ranks]
"Laxate Rest " [verb or
abverb + abstate?]
"Move March " [move what,
the enemy line? movemini?
"Signo sequute Follow the standard (or
leader)" [signum sequere, sequimini?]

This is interesting:

"Ad gladium, clina To the right, face
Ad scutum, clina To the left, face "

This means that even during drill the sword was drawn since the scabbard
would have been on the left.
Since "miles" is regarded as both singular and plural, both numbers of
the imperative would be appropriate.

Eduardus

[Mike Simaska]

Thanks everyone! Between the web pages and the messages here, we have
plenty to study.

Post by B. T. Raven

Post by Robert Eccles

Post by Alan Jones
Does anyone know what the actual Roman words of command were?
Alan Jones

I found http://www.larp.com/legioxx/drill.html which has a list of

drill

Post by Robert Eccles
commands.
Rob Eccles

"Ordenem servate Keep your position"
[ordinem: Keep ranks]
"Laxate Rest " [verb or
abverb + abstate?]
"Move March " [move what,
the enemy line? movemini?
"Signo sequute Follow the standard (or
leader)" [signum sequere, sequimini?]
"Ad gladium, clina To the right, face
Ad scutum, clina To the left, face "
This means that even during drill the sword was drawn since the scabbard
would have been on the left.
Since "miles" is regarded as both singular and plural, both numbers of
the imperative would be appropriate.
Eduardus