11-20-2011, 07:06 PM
Having travelled 6 hours and arriving at 1.45am my 2 companions and I collapsed into the bunks in the cabins that awaited us. We were woken to the chortlings of Hellenophiles that were up way too early. We broke our fasts, paid our subs and signed our waivers and greeted friends as they appeared. We soon were sitting to a lecture on Achmaenid Persian archers and archery at the battle of marathon. The most interesting thing I learnt was about the quality of reeds used to make arrows (and shields) and the projected weight of a Persian bow and the benefits of parabolas on impact.
A short while later we kitted up and those of us from Armidale, Brisbane and New Zealand fell in for the Sydney Ancients hoplite dril so that when it came to taking arrow fire later we would respond to the whistle of our leader. The Persians had gathered together from different groups from the greater Sydney Metroplolitan Region and were suitably attired to shoot their tape reinforced blunt arrows at us.
We marched in two files to our designated position and formed
our phalanx 4 files across and (I think) 5 deep and marched inexoribly towards the Persians who volleyed arrows at us to varying degrees of success. My friend Peter sports a proud dent in his new helmet and while others copped shots to the wrists I was surprised when an arrow hit me in the side of the knee in the fourth rank, having come under the the shields and through all those legs in front of me.
I dropped out after the third or fourth charge and joined the Persians to redress some of the wrongs done to my imagined ancestors and it is such fun firing on such a large moving target but it was easy to feel impressed when they got really close to you and you had no where to run.
The Organisers of the Sydney Ancients Marathon event were also trialing the effectiveness of leather shield aprons with both blunts and later- on a target- with reproductions of period arrow heads and many whiled away the afternoon with archery while others took to lighting cooking fires and sorting the evening meal and the inevitable and enviable tales told to us of the exploits of all of you that went to Marathon at Marathon
We had an excellent time and wish to thank The Sydney Ancients and our friends from Qld and NZ for such excellent comradeship and look forward to the next opportunity to meet up again
Regards
Richard Robinson
A short while later we kitted up and those of us from Armidale, Brisbane and New Zealand fell in for the Sydney Ancients hoplite dril so that when it came to taking arrow fire later we would respond to the whistle of our leader. The Persians had gathered together from different groups from the greater Sydney Metroplolitan Region and were suitably attired to shoot their tape reinforced blunt arrows at us.
We marched in two files to our designated position and formed
our phalanx 4 files across and (I think) 5 deep and marched inexoribly towards the Persians who volleyed arrows at us to varying degrees of success. My friend Peter sports a proud dent in his new helmet and while others copped shots to the wrists I was surprised when an arrow hit me in the side of the knee in the fourth rank, having come under the the shields and through all those legs in front of me.
I dropped out after the third or fourth charge and joined the Persians to redress some of the wrongs done to my imagined ancestors and it is such fun firing on such a large moving target but it was easy to feel impressed when they got really close to you and you had no where to run.
The Organisers of the Sydney Ancients Marathon event were also trialing the effectiveness of leather shield aprons with both blunts and later- on a target- with reproductions of period arrow heads and many whiled away the afternoon with archery while others took to lighting cooking fires and sorting the evening meal and the inevitable and enviable tales told to us of the exploits of all of you that went to Marathon at Marathon
We had an excellent time and wish to thank The Sydney Ancients and our friends from Qld and NZ for such excellent comradeship and look forward to the next opportunity to meet up again
Regards
Richard Robinson
