iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

And I heard him exclaim, as they marched out of sight - “Io Saturnalia! And to all a good night!”

Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

When what to my wondering eyes did appear, But a parade of great merriment, filled with shouts of good cheer, With a leader commanding, in good fun, never cru-el, I knew in a moment he must be the Lord of Misrule!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Away to the lookout I flew like fleet Hermes, In fear I might see Celtic arm-ies. The moon glinted off the street market below, Gave lustre midday to the objects, I-o!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

And primus pilus in his focale, and I in my helmet, Had just started my first watch, as a new legion ca-det. When outside the fortress there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my watch-post to see what was the matter.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Sponges-on-sticks were placed in vinegar buckets with care, In hopes that the gods, like good Saturn, would soon hear their prayers; The soldiers were nestled all snug in their beds; While visions of gladiator fights danced in their heads;

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Our poem was too long for the alt-text, and so, we present to you: ‘Twas the night before Saturnalia, when all through the bathhouse Not a creature was stirring, not even a dormouse;

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 13/09/2025

We're looking forward to taking part in some of the fantastic events lined up to celebrate the Gladiators of Britain exhibition, coming soon to the Grosvenor Museum in Chester!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Deva is returning to term-time hours! We'll be open for school visits only from Monday - Friday. We will be open to the public on weekends, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm (last entry 5pm).

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

It feels like Back to School ads get earlier every year. But this is one we know you'll be happy to see - ROMAN SOLDIER SCHOOL IS BACK! Weds and Sats throughout the summer! Lots of chances to have some fun before you have to do the real 'back to school' stuff. devaromancentre.co.uk/soldier-scho...

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

FREE TICKETS for our Roman Walking Tours have been released today as a part of @chesterbid.bsky.social Chester BID's Summer in the City Tour Week. Tickets are limited and are available on a first come, first serve basis - so book soon to avoid disappointment! www.chesterbid.co.uk/discover/sum...

Two men, dressed as Roman soldiers, in a garden. They are using wooden staffs to point at a blue sign, which reads Tour Week, Summer in the City, with four little white icons on it: a roman helmet, foot prints, two eyes looking, and a column.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

And it looks SO good! We love our little Roman garden in the heart of Chester. It's such a nice green space and it's always wonderful to see people sitting and enjoying the calm it offers; eating their lunches, hanging out with friends, or just taking a break. 💚 It's our privilege to share it.

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Reposted by Deva Roman Experience

Sick to Death @sicktodeath.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

We caught Plaguey D getting into spirit of things at the @heritagechester.bsky.social launch event! We always suspected they weren't 100% doom and gloom. 🖤 @devaroman.bsky.social

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Reposted by Deva Roman Experience

Sick to Death @sicktodeath.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

Our Roman physician, Oligarchus, from @devaroman.bsky.social is outside Sick to Death today giving demonstrations on ancient Roman medicine for @chesterherifest.bsky.social! Come learn how the Romans treated diseases and injuries and decide if you could have handled a visit to a Roman doctor!

Two men dressed in Roman garb one a soldier, one in a toga, performing a mock procedure on a skull, in front of a table with lots of ancient brass instruments.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Did somebody say #MosaicMonday? Here's an in-progress shot from the making of our mosaic, created during last year's @heritagechester.bsky.social! It will be unveiled in our Roman garden during this year's festival - and there will also be a chance to make some more on May 28th and June 4th!

A glass tile mosaic with a black and white border and a colourful geometric pattern being laid out on a mesh, it is still in progress.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Would watch this film. Would project it onto the screen in our amphitheatre. Would confuse visiting school classes. Would be worth it.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

We are OPEN! Our brand new family-friendly adventure is open 10am - 6pm (last admission 5pm) every day of the Easter holidays, including Easter weekend! That's today April 16th and the 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st! Come join us on a journey to Roman Chester!

The front of building with a big white sign that says Deva Roman Experience, it's a terracotta colour with false pillars. In front on a ramp is a man dressed as a Roman solider holding a pillow sword and shield looking excited, while another man dressed as a senator poses to look strong and waves a flag.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Acquiring a legion's worth of pillow swords and shields might just be the greatest thing we've ever done! Our brand new family-friendly Roman history adventure is open and we think our staff might be having as much fun as our visitors. It's great to be back!

A young white girl, under five, with curly brown hair tied up with bows, in a dress, holding a pillow sword and shield looking at the camera with a definitely cute but meant to be 'mean' expression. Beside her is an older white man dressed up as a Roman solider gesturing and glaring at the camera menacingly. Behind them in a wooden and old fashioned looking room.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

There are debates happening among the staff now. We're about to start writing down guesses as to how much this chainmail weighs and then we're getting the scales out. Anyone want in?

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

Like the Legionary, they also wear subarmalis as padding, but theirs is made of leather. The very heavy looking armour is chainmail, is called lorica harmata. And finally, their weapon! A bow, along with a bracer (manica cutanea), or arm-guard, and a quiver on their back for holding their arrows!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

GRWD (Get Ready With Deva)! Today's edition is a Roman Archer (Sagittarius)! 'Saggitta' here is wearing: A women's under-tunic, or underskirt, called a subucula. Next, they've added an over-tunic, trousers which are braccae, and leather boots, perones.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

From tomorrow (April 12th) we're open again from 10am to 6pm and all though next week and Easter weekend. The only restricted hours will be Tuesday April 15th, 3pm to 6pm. Everyone got that? What could possibly be confusing about that? If you're not sure if we're open, just ask (or check Google)!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 11/04/2025

When you’re based on the border of England and Wales and the centuries-old clashes between medieval kingdoms continues in the form of having different school half term dates. We are back open, but we’re still welcoming over 150 Welsh school children every day, so apologies for the restricted hours.

The 'this is fine' meme of a cartoon dog with a bowler hat sat at a table in a room on fire in the first panel. In the second panel there's a closeup and they're saying 'this is fine'.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Though not worn today, a typical helmet for this type of soldier would be a galea. (And please forgive us the pixelated cover image. We have no idea why that keeps happens on export, but uhh, if anyone has any ideas, we'll lend you our ears.)

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

The nice shiny armour is called lorica sqaumata. It is made of bronze interlocked shells. Then there's the balteus (belt) with the cingulum (the straps hanging off the front; it was a badge of military status). And finally the weapon! This is a type of long sword called a spatha.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

GRWD (Get Ready With Deva)! Today's edition is a Roman Legionary! Flavius is wearing: Leather boots, called calcei. The tunic or tunica is laced up to be just above the knee, for a soldier. (It would be below the knee for a citizen.) Next comes subarmalis which is padded.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of Roman Chester, with our brand new family-friendly adventure, opening April 5th! Find out more and book your tickets now: devaromancentre.co.uk

A marble effect background with a Roman spear on the left with three banners waving from it. Red, blue, and terracotta colours. The top of the image says Deva Roman Experience and there is a small image of gladiator in a chariot being pulled by horses riding along one of the banners.
On the banners it says:
Easter Hours

Saturday April 5th & Sunday April 6th Open 10am - 6pm

Saturday April 12th to Monday April 21st Open 10am* - 6pm 6pm
*Tuesday April 15th, open from 3pm-6pm

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

How were we supposed to know the local Ordovices tribe could also see the smoke we sent up from our Signal stations?

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 22/03/2025

That's a good looking formation there! Some of our best work.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Our boss just turned up to work in this.

A red mini parked between a brick wall and bollards, it is hand painted and decorated in a variety of 60s designs, to look like Lennon's mini from The Beatles. It definitely stands out from the norm.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

(We are glad that Tom tried out a cheesecake recipe, rather than some of the other recipes we know were popular in Roman times... 🚪🐁)

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Medusa guards a great many wonders from the eyes of the public. (Switches and wires. It's where we've hidden all of switches and wires.)

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

We are so lucky! Who else gets to come into work and have a Roman soldier offer them some food of the gods - libum (Roman cheesecake) that they themselves made at home? A batter made with fresh cheese, baked on bay leaves, and then soaked in honey. Mmm... so delicious! Thanks Tom!

A young white man with a beard and long hair pulled back, dressed as a Roman soldier, in a red tunic and leather armour, with leather shoes. He's stood smiling in front of a faux brick wall, holding a small plastic container with pieces of a pale golden food in it.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

This is one of our absolute *favourite* Roman mosaics. It really captures the majesty of the myth. We are not at all shy about expressing how jealous we are of Leeds City Museum for getting to stare in wonder at it daily. Imagine getting to start your day with this? Nothing could touch you!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Umm... We're like 99% sure the ancient Romans didn't have guns. You know those AI generated summaries on search engines aren't accurate, right? Beside, they're not even on here. They'll never know. Not unless *someone* tells them. We know who encouraged them to sign up for an account.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

We're very tempted to ask what they think of the mosaic we shared earlier now. 3rd century designs! 21st century methods! Maybe we can send them into an anachronistic overload.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

It's such a fascinating thing to consider! Where is the next nearest port to Chester, that we have evidence for being in more common use, do you know? We get tired just thinking about how much walking people had to do in the ancient past!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

(Genuinely, we didn't think we had anything relevant to post, so were just going to give this one a miss. Happenstance is a wonderful thing.)

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Oh! Mosaic --> Medusa --> Snake hair --> Snakes --> Driving them from Ireland --> Saint Patrick --> Saint Patrick's Day!

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

Can we share a #fauxsaic on #MosaicMonday? Or is that a faux pas? We uhh (cough) borrowed* this design from the fantastic floors at @bignorvilla.bsky.social and recreated it in our front foyer. Bonus: If you sit on the bench in front of it, it looks like Medusa's snake hair is your snake hair! 🐍

A very detailed and colourful mosaic design. It is of a stylised woman's face with snakes coming out from her head. There is a white background with decorative borders in green, yellow, and red. Around the outside of that are black triangles in the white background. The entire thing is hinged in the middle and latched to the wall at the top.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

We have hundreds of kids and teachers visit our history attraction every week in term time and it's an absolute blast, with every class. So why limit the fun? Our new adventure will be open to all and whether you're a history lover already or just tagging along, there's something in it for everyone.

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Deva Roman Experience @devaroman.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

If you were living in ancient Rome and wanted to get here in time for our opening on April 5th, how long do you think it would take? Would you walk, march, ride a horse... sail a boat?! We're really excited for our new family-friendly adventure opening Easter half-term! Want to know more? Ask us!

A young white man, dressed as a Roman-era solider or gladiator, pointing a trident at the camera, while holding a net and looking very serious. Bold white text reads: Deva Roman Experience, Opening April 5th

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