specifics in Spear fighting combat

[Paullus Scipio]

Like you, Christian, I have a similar military background, and there are many other examples of 'rightward drift' - for example when teaching soldiers navigation in close country, they invariably end up well right of where they should be, even when closely following a compass bearing....until they are told that people have a tendency to step to the right to go round obstacles such as trees etc, and this has a cumulative effect. Once they are aware of this, and make a conscious effort to alternate round obstacles, their ability to follow a bearing improves markedly !

Hence my remark on not over-doing Thucydides - I am of similar views to you....

Also like you, one of my other interests is 18th century warfare ( though not re-enacting), particularly the Seven Years War......