Chapter 267 Legion Training Manual (Part-2)

Alexander by nature loved giving detailed instructions.

And since this was for his army, the most important base of his power, of course, Alexander would be detailed to the point of being pedantic.

As the parchment was turned over, Menes, and others who were given the parchment too for that matter, all grimaced the same way when they saw that the other side of the page also had the same amount of voluminous writing, with all the words squeezed together to look like compact rows of apartment blocks.

'Just how detailed are the instructions?' Menes lampooned at the huge swath of instructions as he noticed that the instruction picked up from the previous page and said:

Due to the army's ability to march rapidly and in formation being at the core of our strategy, such skills, though hard to master, must be drilled with the utmost importance.

Thus the soldier must be taught the following things in his marching drills:

I. How to march with all of his equipment- A soldier must know how to march in synchronization with the army while carrying a thirty to thirty-five kilogram weight with him.

He must be capable of keeping up with the army so as not to slow down the entire procession or be at the risk of being left behind.

II. How to properly pack equipment- A soldier must be able to pack and unpack his equipment quickly. He is expected to properly maintain and look after his belongings and must remember to have everything that the high command expects him to be equipped with.

The total list of equipment a soldier must have are:

i. A dagger- A blade around 18 to 28 cm long and 5 cm wide with a thickness of about 3 mm, this multifunction tool is to be used for all kinds of purposes. Other than functioning as a secondary, last-ditch weapon, it can also used be for things like preparing meat, fish, and vegetables during cooking, opening the cork of wine barrels, slicing food like chess and bread, cutting branches off trees for firewood, cutting strips of linen to prepare bandages, and much more.

ii. A Sword- The primary weapon of the legionaries, this almost meter-long (100cm) weapon sword is to be worn on the right hip. For obvious reasons, It is hoped that no legionary will ever forget his sword.

iii. Two to three javelins- The primary ranged weapon of the soldier, this special javelin, also called the pilla is around two (2m) meters long and weighs two to three kilograms. Soldiers will be ordered to throw two volleys of this special javelin just before contact with the enemy, while keeping the third in reserve in case of enemy cavalry.

iv. Shield- The most important weapon for any soldier. He either comes back with his shield or on it.

v. A Crossbow or An Instant bow- A select few soldiers will be expected to carry these specialized ranged weapons along with sixty arrows.

v. Six Plumbate- This is a lead-weighted throwing dart meant to be shot after the enemy has been softened up and deprived of his shield using the pilla, and a soldier must carry six of them, usually by clipping them to the back of the shield.

vi. Caltrops-This is a weapon made up of four sharp nails or spines arranged in such a manner that one of them is always pointed upward from a stable base, and designed to slow and discourage the advance of cavalry charges, war elephants, and human troops

vii. A spade- For digging and moving earth, like for constructing latrines.

viii. A wicker basket- To carry the earth.

ix. A pickaxe- For digging entrenchments like ditches and trenches.

x. A small scythe- To easily cut through the overgrowth, reap crops and collect grass for firewood and animals.

xi. The full armor set- This will include the helmet, the upper and lower body armor, the four arm and leg greaves, the boots, and any other accessory issued to the soldier.

xii. Ordinary clothes- A soldier must carry with him at least one spare tunic, a pair of trousers, a pair of sandals, a woolen jacket in case it gets cold, a neck scarf to prevent the torso armor from chaffing against the neck, a double-folded cloak to protect the wearer from the elements, and spare loincloths.

xiii. A leather military pack containing a number of items in and suspended from off it. They are:

xiv. A leather satchel for carrying miscellaneous things like gold coins, pendants, personal memorabilia, etc.

xv. A waterskin for carrying water for the day's march.

xvi. Two to three days of food- Though the army on the move will typically have a baggage train of mules or similar to carry supplies such as food, legionaries are expected to carry about 3 days worth of basic food supplies with them.

xvii. Cooking equipment such as a metal or ceramic bowl for eating, a cooking pot, and a skewer for roasting.

xviii. Stakes to be used for the construction of camps.

xviii. A trumpet measuring almost three meters is to be carried by some.

xix And lastly, The Standard of the army is to be carried to battle by one distinguished man.

This specific part of the training will last one day.

III. How to march in formation- A soldier must remember to maintain a loose formation during the march, with around two meters of space on all four sides, and is expected to be able to rapidly form up into close battle formation at a moment's notice from his commander's order. The soldier must always remember to keep coherence with the group and never be caught alone.

IV. What specific trumpet signals mean- The various complicated trumpet signals are to be memorized and burned into the hearts of every legionary, so they can follow such orders almost subconsciously. There will be two mainly two types of trumpet signals- in battle signals and marching signals, and during this exercise, the latter must be learned, which will include orders like to speed up or slow down the marching speed, to start or stop marching, orders to set up camp, to get into battle formation and many more.

Developing these skills will not be easy and thus, in addition to strict enforcement of training and discipline, the soldiers must be given a nutritious diet to build up muscle and strength.

They are to be fed a balanced, nutritious diet made up of around 75% grain and 25% non-grain food produce, two times a day, once in the morning, and again in the evening, though extra rations might be included if recruits are deemed too weak due to factors like suffering from famine or are too poor to feed themself properly.

The grain will typically consist of wheat, though barley might be issued as punishment, or if supplies are low.

Various types of cut meat such as pork, beef, and mutton depending on the local availability will need to be given to the soldiers twice a week, though alternative sources such as lamb, venison, rabbit, and in some areas, elk, wolf, fox, badger, beaver, bear, vole, ibex, and otter meat can also be consumed.

If meat is not available or in short supply, fish can be introduced as an alternate protein source, which can range from large fleshy fishes like trout and salmon to various small fishes to mollusks such as shellfish, crabs, and lobsters.

Vegetables such as beans, carrots, tomatoes, cabbages, lentils, peas, fennels, etc. as per seasonal and local access, alongside seasonings like garlic, pepper, thyme, and rosemary should be part of the soldier's diet.

Cheese made from goat, cow, or sheep should be made available to the soldiers and olive oil is to be supplied to be used both as a condiment and a cooking supply.

Liquor such as vintage wine and sour wine should be reserved for rewarding good behavior and battle accomplishments and lastly salt is to be included in small amounts to provide the body with crucial minerals and vitamins.

It is the expected goal of this training course that the rigorous exercise ordained upon the soldiers, supported by the nutritious meals provided to them, will produce strong, hardy soldiers, who will be able to easily win against their much weaker and less trained counterpart one-on-one.

* Formation Drills-

This is the most complex step of the training process, and just as the title suggests, it will involve teaching the soldiers how to properly receive and carry out the orders being given to them through the use of trumpets, whistles drums, and sometimes even flags. In this way, he will be taught to work as a cohesive unit in the army.

The training at this stage will include:

i. How to form a specific set of formations- The soldier must be able to quickly and smoothly form the formation being asked of him, such as testudo, hollow square, and checkerboard to name a few.

ii. How to identify the trumpet signals and flags for each formation- A complete and comprehensive memorization of each of the unique signals for each of the formations must be achieved.

iii. When certain formations are used- A soldier should have the good sense to form the formation that makes the most sense depending on the circumstances. For example- A testudo should be formed when enemy missiles are encountered, a hollow square should be deployed in case of an ambush or encirclement, while a checkerboard formation is recommended during pitched battles on flat ground, which would enable tired soldiers to be switched out from the front lines and be replaced by fresh troops from the back.

This training will last three months.

With this, the third point ended and only one remained- The mock battles.