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PDF version (36MB) - Cambridge School Classics Project

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Vegetius, 1.9At the beginning of their training recruits must be taught themarching step. They will only learn to march quickly and intime if they practise continuously. And so they must completea march of 20 (Roman) miles in 5 hours at normal marchingspeed. When they march at a faster speed they mustcomplete a distance of 24 miles in the same time.Vegetius, 1.19The young soldier must be given frequent practice in carryingloads of up to 60 pounds, while marching at the normalspeed. This is because on difficult campaigns they will haveto carry their rations as well as their weapons.Soldiers marching with their kitJosephus, The Jewish War 3.72-6Indeed, as if they had been born fully armed they never take a holiday from training and do not wait for crises toappear. Their training manoeuvres lack none of the vigour of genuine warfare and each soldier practises battle drillevery day with great enthusiasm just as if he were in battle. Therefore they sustain the shock of combat very easily.For their usual well-ordered ranks are not disrupted by any confusion, or numbed by fear, or exhausted by toil; so,certain victory inevitably follows since the enemy cannot match this. Indeed one would not be wrong in saying thattheir training manoeuvres are battles without bloodshed, and their battles manoeuvres with bloodshed.Cavalry training8 WJEC Level 2 Certificate in Latin Language and Roman Civilisation: The Roman Army

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