Quote from: Ithoriel on 15 February 2018, 10:19:33 AM
The guys I saw looked more like this than like fsn's "man-in-a-dustbin."



By the time of the Trojan War tower shields hade been replaced by smaller shields, armour was less encumbering and spears shorter.



I'm expecting the Beeb to have troops in something like the "Musketeers"/ "Vikings" style fantasy leather armour rather than anything Late Bronze Age but if it doesn't play too fast and loose with the Homeric epics I'll no doubt watch it.
Looks like Auntie's problem is solved with small shields and colanders. My judgement of Paris is that it is a lovely city to visit, but I prefer to go by train rather than plane.
Heck, I watched Spartacus and enjoyed it ... so clearly I have no aesthetic taste whatsoever

Well that quote seemed to get a bit garbled, probably like the forthcoming dialogue.

Wise man, that Zeus. It's the sort of question there's no good answer for...

Quote from: fsn on 15 February 2018, 08:00:10 AMFrom the clip it seems that tactics consist entirely of the charge and all formations dissolve into single combats - a la "Batley Townwomen's Guild presnets the Battle of Pearl Harbour".

My main gripe about programmes - and movies - like this.

Vikings - and to some extent The Last Kingdom - started off trying to show sheildwalls ad other tactics, but pretty quickly resorted to mass, inter-mingled, single combats.

I guess directors think it's more visually exciting.

Quote from: toxicpixie on 15 February 2018, 04:04:36 PM
I'm enjoying "Britannia" at the moment, it's quite gloriously silly.

Not seen this, but have seen the trailers. Definitely looks like a case of 'trying too hard'.

If you're after a serious look at the historical record, you'll be disappointed. If you want some very pretty, scenery chewing, ham and cheese awesomeness it's quite good.

Assume it bears as much actual reality as Game of Thrones does and it's fun

Quote from: Raider4 on 15 February 2018, 05:08:00 PM
mass, inter-mingled, single combats.

"By the Gods! They outnumber us 3 to 1!"
"Odin/Zeus/Osiris/Big Snakey Thing is with us - Charge!"

Cut to a suspicious number of 1:1 combats. Why aren't there groups of three blokes kicking seven shades out of one Odin/Zeus/Osiris/Big Snakey Thing worshipper?

Did you ever see Mike Loades training novices in how to be a shield wall? He got the mechanics off in just a few days. (bout 24:44)

QuoteOr even slightly before when Zeus, in his wisdom, declined to make the judgement and palmed it off on a silly mortal

That would indeed be the perfect start, I can just imaging Sir Gandalf Mckellen, in the role of Zeus, looking through his beard at the three goddesses and thinking "There is absolutely no way I'm going to be make THAT decision!"   

Not if he knew what was good for him, since one was his wife.

And when did THAT ever stop Zeus!

Good point.

The other two were possibly  his daughters.

My lord, it is the green shield and scarlet griffin of Runcorn!

Quote from: d_Guy on 16 February 2018, 01:03:58 PM
My lord, it is the green shield and scarlet griffin of Runcorn!

That why the Griffin is coughing it's guts up !! 

Quote from: DanJ on 15 February 2018, 04:08:29 PM
By rights the Troy story should start with the Judgement of Paris.

It just might. Blurb for tonight's programme is "Following a fateful encounter with the gods, the life of young herdsman Paris changes forever."