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Greek Training
#1
Ave,<br>
<br>
I am aware that the Spartans started training when only seven. What was the Greek training like? How long did they train? What were some of the training habits and methods? Thanks in advance for responding.<br>
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Valete,<br>
<br>
-Spatha <p></p><i></i>
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#2
I guess wrestling was one of the parts in the training, since it was one of the favorite sports of the Greeks. Discipline will also be one of the topics, as handling of the spear and sword.<br>
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But I'm afraid I don't exactly know the answer, but I'll look after it. <p></p><i></i>
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#3
Ave,<br>
<br>
Thanks, I am searching as well. No luck so far.<br>
<br>
Valete,<br>
<br>
-Spatha <p></p><i></i>
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#4
Books, my friends, you need books! I think the Ospreys cover training pretty well, and they are easy to get. Connolly is good, too.<br>
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From what I recall offhand, training in most city-states was pretty cursory. How to hold the weapons (though they believed such actions were instinctive in man), basic marching in formation, that sort of thing. Probably regular drill sessions but not very frequent or intense.<br>
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Except for the Spartans!<br>
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Athens organized the men in age groups. New recruits were called ephebes, I believe. They and the oldest men were more likely to get stuck with garrison duty in wartime, leaving the prime experienced men to fight in the field.<br>
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As has been pointed out, sports and other activities were part of Greek education back then--a whole culture of phys-ed majors! And they considered war to be normal, while peace was an abberration. BUT they didn't follow that up with professional-level training for their troops.<br>
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Except for the Spartans!<br>
<br>
Khairete,<br>
<br>
Matthew <p></p><i></i>
Matthew Amt (Quintus)
Legio XX, USA
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.larp.com/legioxx/">http://www.larp.com/legioxx/
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#5
Well I've got a couple of the Osprey books (+ a couple of others), but I still need to start reading. So I will find it probably <p></p><i></i>
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#6
In the Hoplite Association, we re-create the Phalanx and what we find we need is training in marching in formation and moving from column to line, open order to close order, etc.. To minimise the dangers of the unwieldyness of the phalanx, you must have good drill and this must therefore have been the core of Hoplite training. There are various sidelights on this, for example the statement (from Xenophon, I think) that the city would not pay for sword training and the spear dance refered to elsewhere which, I think, is intended to teach the recruit to handle his spear safely before he's let loose among his fellows.<br>
Paul <p></p><i></i>
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