Mediterranean Hegemon of Ancient Greece

Chapter 127: Recruits and Training (II)

“Just like the instructor?!” Laughed Arsinis, “In that case…while you are staying at home! Melisander, get up and run…Melisander, stop eating and come train with me…Melisander, take this rock and walk around the courtyard ten times…” Arsinis imitated the voice of Matonis, with exaggeration.

“Arsinis, do you want me to tell the instructor what you had just said and see who will run ten laps with a rock?” Melisander pretended to threaten him.

Arsinis repeatedly asked for forgiveness, and Melisander spared him.

“Are we really going to attack Lucania?” Asked Arsinis.

“Do you think that the reason why we have trained so hard is just to defend Amendolara?!” Melisander said scornfully, “It would be a waste of our strength, if it is!”

“Hey -” Arsinis excitedly said, “If we really manage to take the land of Lucania, can I find a Lucanian woman to be my wife? I have seen many Lucanian wives of the new citizens these days, and they are tall and plump, and can do heavy work. They are totally different from our Greek women…”

“Isn't it too early for you to think about that now!” Asked Melisander in surprise.

“I am not like you. My home is empty and I am all alone…” Arsinis became dispirited.

“Then let's practice our skill of slaughtering enemies and together, we will conquer Lucania, and then marry a Lucanian women and have a lot of children!” Melisander encouraged him.

“Yes, let's work hard together!” Arsinis and Melisander shook hands.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

After lunch, the recruits did not have a long break, and soon, Arsinis and the others assembled again.

The training in the afternoon started with individual fighting, but it isn't a one-on-one, but a group battle with three people holding a round shield in their left hand* and a long rod in their right hand, which is heavier than the spears. (The shield should have been a heavier wooden shield made of thicker wood, but they don't have the time nor manpower to make it.)

Arsinis found that his rod was thicker and that his teammates, Melisander and another young companion were replaced by two stronger teammates. He then cast a puzzled gaze at his instructor who was supervising them.

Matonis looked at him and sternly said, “If you want to be a warrior, then you have to train harder.”

Arsinis now understood what the Archon had meant. Instead of arguing, he just accepted it in silence.

The training begins, Arsinis was the one to attack first. He roared and held his round shield, and charge into the “enemy” at the front with all his strength. With a “bang”, the body of the “enemy” shook, then Arsinis immediately stabbed the long wooden rod dipped in lime powder at the round shield in the hand of another “enemy” who was hiding behind the other “enemy”. The stabbing action must be fast, otherwise, the “enemy” in front him will soon be able to stand firm and block the path of attack…

After ten rounds of attack, each person will take a break and then do a step and stab, that is, holding a round shield and a long wooden rod, they will step forward to hit the head of the humanoid target that is in front of them.

After hitting it ten rounds, they will then had a rest and then continue the training. It was still a group of three, but this time, the long wooden rod was replaced by a short rod, which was the same length as a kopis. Arsinis' rod was still thicker, and this time, he did not have any doubt. The content of the practice is still to hit and stab the “enemy” who was hiding behind the shield. However, due to the much shorter length of the rod, the attacker must use greater strength to break through the “enemy” at the front and take his position to stab the “enemy” at his back. This is also a ten round training.

Then continue onto the next round of practice – hitting humanoid target. First of all, each recruit is required to use the wooden rod in their hands to hit the target made of thick wood that was assigned to them, and make way into the mud and stand upright and steady: Then the recruits were armed with rods and round shields, and like facing a real enemy, they will need to do their best to stab the “head” and “face” of the wooden target, and sometimes attack its ribs, stab its leg, and slice its kneepit(popliteal fossa)…

Under the strict requirements of their instructor, they need to step back then leap forward, doing various stabbing and cutting motions…

After these training programs are completed, they are already limp and numb, and don't even have the energy to lift anything.

At this moment, Matonis then said, “You are all doing better than last time! It seems that the reason you all can still hold on is that, after you all went back last time, you did some training at your home every day, right?”

“Yes…” The recruits answered weakly.

“Good! If you keep on training like this, then you will soon become a qualified Amendolaran Hoplite.” Matonis then smiled with encouragement, “Next, a new training program will be added, and all of you will return to your centuria and train together with the veterans.”

Not long after Matonis finished his speech, a salpinx resounded throughout the camp. At the urging of Matonis, the recruits dressed neatly and carried their round shields and spears. As they had been training with thick wooden rods which was heavier than a spear, now that they had replaced the rod with a spear, they felt the spear as light as a feather. Arsinis then remembered what instructor Matonis had said when he answered the soldiers' complaints in the first training, ‘When you train, you will hold heavier rods, but when you go to the battlefield, your real weapons will be much lighter. So you will feel very relaxed, and you will be more powerful and energetic when fighting.’

Arsinis also remembered that when he was young, he watched his father participate in the training of the city-state soldiers, but they only practice marching in formation once in a few months and then a one-on-one training. Their training program was simple and relaxed, far from the training he is carrying out now, it is not only arduous and complicated, but also progress step by step, just like a child learning words. The requirements are very reasonable, but are also very strict and the amount of training is very large. It is no wonder that the veterans were able to defeat the Lucanian alliance! He also heard that these training methods are all from the training regulations in the ?Military Law? that was newly compiled in Amendolara and was mainly written by the archon, lord Davos. He is really a mysterious man!

Arsinis and Melisander were not in the same centuria, and he did not even have the time to say goodbye to Melisander, as he had to hurriedly searched the third centuria. According to his instructor, Matonis, the captain of this centuria is called Giorgris, and he was once his comrade on the same squad, and he has a mild temper. (T/N: all native citizen and freeman of Amendolara are in the third brigade)

He shouldn't be stricter than Matonis! This is the only thing Arsinis is thinking about. After the salpinx sounded, thousands of people moved together, and the training ground was full of dust, and he could only barely see the bright red flag standing high on the training ground. Arsinis spent a lot of time looking for his centuria, and he became more and more anxious. Finally, he managed to find the flag with the number of the centuria that he belonged to.

As soon as the platoon captain, Trotidis saw him, he sternly said to him, “Soldier, you are late! Considering that this is your first time, you will not be punished. But I hope that there won't be another time!”

Arsinis repeatedly nodded, and under the leadership of the squad leader, he quickly went to his position.

At this time, a 30 year old man came over and said to him kindly, “I am Xethippus, and I will be your squad leader.”

“Hello, squad leader!” Arsinis quickly saluted to him.

Xethippus looked at him and said, “Hmm, you are a strong guy! Are you a recruit!”

“Yessir.”

“A native citizen of Amendolara?”

“Yessir.”

“Hmmm, who is your instructor?”

“Matonis.”

“What?! That madman?!”

“Sir, do you know instructor Matonis?”

“I used to be under him, but due to the reorganization of the army and because of my excellent performance, I was forced to come here in the third brigade. Matonis didn't want to let me go, but Giorgris was his best friend. But I didn't think that when I came here, I would run into you, the student of Matonis. This is all the arrangement of the goddess of Fates.” In fact, Matonis thought that he was too naggy, and so, when the third brigade came to ask for some people, he directly recommended him and he doesn't have any reason to keep him.

“Don't worry, I will take good care of you!” Said Xethippus seriously.

“Thank you sir!” Arsinis said gratefully.

“Xethippus, stop talking and start preparing for the training!” At this moment, Trotidis shouted at the front.

“I know!” Xethippus gave a reply, and then murmured, “You are lucky to be a platoon captain. If I was the first to follow lord Davos, I would have been a centurion now…”

Arsinis felt it strange hearing what he said.

The soldier next to him said, “Our squad leader likes to nag, but he is very nice.”

I hope so. Thought Arsinis.

Since the previous training intensity was very intense, the training of the centuria only allowed the soldiers to familiarize themselves with their comrades and carry out small phalanx formation and marching training. For the soldiers of the first brigade, this exercise is just a kind of leisure in order for them to recover their physical strength, because they are already familiar with each other. While for the third brigade, this is necessary because they are a new unit, and the soldiers in the brigade are not familiar with each other.

According to the traditional military training method of the Greek city-state, the army officers are relatively fixed in their position, while the soldiers will often be changed. During war, the citizens are called to the square and will be randomly assigned to a team according to the order or drawing lots. This will prevent the soldiers and officers to huddle in the same team together and affect the normal political order and democratic election of the city-state.

While Davos believes that a fixed military team is favourable to the improvement of the team's unity and sense of honor, and during battle, they will be more united and more effective in combat. Therefore, the soldiers of Amendolara are all fixed in a certain team, and the squad leaders have a certain term for their position and they will be replaced once their term ends, so to prevent any soldier from harboring too big of an ambition in replacing the leader.