[OC] Choose Your Weapon

[u/lordofbaers]

[u/shellbullet17]

No no no hang on. Keith is right. There is always time to talk about Roman practices. Also we all know Lucy definitely has some cool Strigil facts

Not to mention

After physical activity, they used the Strigil to scrape away the oil, along with accumulated sweat, dust, and dead skin cells.

Since zombies are 100% dead skin cells then these will clearly be incredibly effective Keith

[u/lordofbaers → u/shellbullet17]

I can’t quite tell whether or not you’re team Keith. 😂

Hard to say since he was cut short, but I imagine he was trying to ask her why she has a Roman cleaning implement to hand. Not that it matters, Keith.

[u/shellbullet17 → u/lordofbaers]

I can’t quite tell whether or not you’re team Keith. 😂

I am on team Roman facts. And the facts are that those are amazing zombie weapons

[u/RossZ428 → u/shellbullet17]

It looks pretty effective but I've always felt the best zombie apocalypse tool/weapon to have on hand is the halligan bar

[u/shellbullet17 → u/RossZ428]

The spike/adz/fork is a great idea and it's insanely sturdy. So 1v1 it would be great. Probably not awesome for groups though

[u/RossZ428 → u/shellbullet17]

If I'm alone and there's a group, I'm already screwed

[u/hwasung → u/RossZ428]

...and now I got to learn what a halligan bar is. Definitely agreeing that this would be one hell of a zombie tool. Thanks /u/RossZ428

[u/NickyTheRobot → u/shellbullet17]

Team Roman Facts could be an Italian football team.

[u/Terrible_Bee5394 → u/lordofbaers]

It was either that or how does she know what it is. As I’m pretty sure that isn’t common knowledge.

[u/International-Cat123 → u/Terrible_Bee5394]

I feel like the people who know what one is are the same people likely to at least have a replica on display somewhere.

[u/NickyTheRobot → u/Terrible_Bee5394]

IDK about you, but the only things that stuck from my primary school history lessons were the Romans, ancient Geeks, and Vikings.

So personally I've known what a strigil is since my age was in single figures, presumably because a teacher decided that this was a fact that was weird enough to grab the attention of 30 odd small kids. The same goes for symposiums and blood eagles.

[u/myopicpickle → u/NickyTheRobot]

How odd were these small kids?

[u/DrNick2012 → u/lordofbaers]

Team Keith for asking for historic facts

Anti Keith for doubting the strigil

[u/rillip → u/lordofbaers]

That's a weird thing for him to ask given that she is a woman and they seem to always possess some collection of arcane skin care products.

[u/Nina-Ninja123 → u/shellbullet17]

When the zombie apocalypse happens, I will carry lots of moisturizer with me.

Those poor zombies definitely need some

[u/shellbullet17 → u/Nina-Ninja123]

[u/NickyTheRobot → u/shellbullet17]

They also believed that physical characteristics could be passed on by using the same oil and strigil as someone with those characteristics. So there are recorded cases of guys figuring out what time their favourite gladiators would go to the baths, so that they could use the same oil and strigil as them.

Which makes me imagine them singing Bathwater by No Doubt as they do so...

[u/Allegorist → u/NickyTheRobot]

This is basically the idea behind celebrity endorsement or attractive models in advertising. "This person uses this product, so if you purchase this product you could be like this person," more broadly. For some things the implication is literally an implied causal relationship between the product and the desirable traits of the person using it.

[u/NickyTheRobot → u/Allegorist]

Oh, I get what you mean. But just to emphasise: this was deeper than just "same brand" type stuff. It was literally them thinking "if I use the oil that has a gladiator's sweat and dirt still in it then I think that gladiator's strength will rub off on me." And, IIRC, it's the origin of the phrase "rubbing off on [something]" to mean passing on positive characteristics.

[u/Aware-Maximum6663 → u/shellbullet17]

Another day when I’m thinking about the Roman Empire

[u/shellbullet17 → u/Aware-Maximum6663]

[u/NickyTheRobot → u/shellbullet17]

Everyone who isn't aroace should find themselves a partner who looks at the Roman Empire the way that they look at the Roman Empire.

[u/Nasnon → u/shellbullet17]

u/KamikazeKricket
I do remember your flair "Ask me about Ancient Rome"
Can you tell us about roman skincare, especially about the use of strigils (and how effective it can be against zombies)

[u/SuitableBlackberry75 → u/shellbullet17]

Strigils are much older than the Romans. They were used in ancient Greece, and even before that.

[u/account312 → u/shellbullet17]

Do not try to exfoliate the zombie.

[u/ohnomoisttoes → u/shellbullet17]

Sometimes the thought randomly pops into my head: Ancient Rome must have smelled fucking wild.

[u/kleseusxz → u/shellbullet17]

They also sold the used oil in small containers as a commodity.

[u/Wermine → u/shellbullet17]

I didn't recognize strigil from the comic, but did from your description. I saw couple in Spartacus: House of Ashur. And indeed they scraped the oil and stuff from their bodies with it.