Legion, Life in the Roman Army

The main purpose for this article is to explain and advise on how to present your research through exhibitions. It will provide readers with tips and tricks on how to engage your audience generally and a review on the recent British Museum exhibition: Legion, Life in the Roman Army. Examining how they managed to capture their audience from classicists to the general public alike.

From the 1st February to the 23rd June the British Museum showcased a selection of artefacts from the Roman army including items such as the only surviving Roman long shield that is fully intact. First we are met with the familiar figure of the Emperor Augustus and establishing a beginning like this is vital in ensuring the audience have a base of knowledge to work through the exhibit with, a beginning to the end so to speak. We are guided through the exhibition by a soldier called Terentianus, this repetition of familiarity played well with maintaining a consistent story and create a sense of empathy with the audience in terms of the conditions throughout battles and in camps. Furthermore, there were many items with missing parts that the museum curator chose to complete with replicas to provide the audience with more context. Throughout the exhibition there was an eerie atmosphere with battle sounds like marching, indulging the audience with surround sound helps them to better engage with the storyline and create an immersive experience. Within the exhibit there were points where you could test your strength and check your height to see if you would have been eligible to be a soldier. Another interesting feature was the ability the smell different items throughout camps such as the smell of 'sweaty soldiers'. A fun and immerse experience for children as well as adults with a range of diverse activities. 

Despite the exhibition being particularly dark, they made sure the appropriate areas such as information boards were well lit without disrupting the ambience created. Moreover, to increase the accessibility for children each board had on one side an explanation for the younger viewers to make it easier to comprehend. An important measure to take with exhibitions is to ensure it isn't too overwhelming and not too bombarding with information. 

Overall,the British Museum presented an engaging and atmospheric exhibition suitable for all ages and audiences with all types of knowledge on the subject that they were able to expand throughout. The artefacts featured in the exhibition were from a range of sources which helped put together the whole story.

Organising an exhibition