Volume 3: The First Croton War, Chapter 27: Rugby Game

The platoon training did not last long. With Kteippos’s help, Alcinus quickly integrated into the platoon.

Then the platoon merged into the company for further formation drills. Alcinus and the others had to start familiarizing themselves with more complex tactical commands and signals: At what drumbeat rhythm should they march at what speed? What bugle call meant advance? What bugle call meant retreat? What bugle call meant charge?

Also, under different drumbeats and bugle calls, they had to keep an eye on the direction of the unit flag. The flag pointing forward in a certain direction meant march, double-time, or charge in that direction; the flag pointing backward in a certain direction meant withdraw, slow retreat, or full retreat in that direction; the flag circling continuously meant halt in place, stand at ease, be on alert, or prepare… They also had to learn to quickly switch from column to line, form a dense phalanx, then rapidly break the phalanx back into columns for swift marching. There were also complex tactical maneuvers, such as the second and third platoons defending the center while the first and fourth platoons attacked the flanks…

Next came the battalion-level combined drills. At this stage, they no longer had those complex tactical commands; instead, the focus was more on formation changes. For example: the “fish-scale formation” (Davos’s term, which was actually the Roman checkerboard formation) swiftly transforming into a tightly packed large phalanx while on the move, and the large phalanx reverting to the fish-scale formation; the front ranks falling back while the rear ranks moved up to form a new large phalanx; and the phalanx rotating left or right while maintaining a tight array.

Finally, it was the army-wide grand combined drill. This not only included the previous formation changes but also added coordination with other battalions and troop types. For instance: when advancing, the light infantry battalion in the rear would quickly pass through the gaps in the fish-scale formation, rush to the very front, form a skirmish line, perform throwing and shooting actions, then swiftly withdraw through the gaps to the rear. The fish-scale formation would then quickly merge into a large phalanx. When the shrill bugle call sounded urgently, it signaled the cavalry on both flanks to attack (even though there were only a dozen or so horsemen at the moment, Davos had still specially reserved tactical space for them). Meanwhile, the peltasts from the light infantry battalion (the 7th Battalion), which had already withdrawn behind the phalanx, would swiftly move behind the cavalry. As the cavalry charged with lances, the peltasts, holding wooden shields and long-handled reverse-blade polearms, followed closely in a loose formation, while the heavy infantry phalanx slowly pressed forward…

Many novel offensive and defensive methods that Alcinus had never seen before opened his eyes wide. At the same time, he struggled with the constantly changing flag signals and commands. But with the platoon leader Kteippos and his comrades constantly reminding him, Alcinus managed to avoid major mistakes. The other new recruits were the same, and gradually they too were able to keep up with the training pace.

…

When the training ended, it was still early, as it was already May and the days were long.

At that moment, Magistrate Davos stepped onto the temporary command platform.

The weary soldiers began to get excited.

Davos got straight to the point: “Brothers, what are we doing next?!”

“Rugby!!!”

“After the last practice, are you all familiar with all the rules?”

“Yes!!!”

“Hurry up and start!!!”

“Then it’ll be the same as last time: set up four fields first. Still begin with 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Platoon vs 7th Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Platoon; 2nd Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Platoon vs 3rd Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Platoon… Each match lasts for four hourglasses. The side with more points wins, the loser is eliminated. The winning team prepares for the next round…”

The soldiers were waiting for the Magistrate to say “start preparations” when Davos continued: “Now I announce a new rule: each participating platoon must include five Lucanian slaves.”

The soldiers burst into an uproar.

Capus, Drakos, Hieronymus, and other senior officers had already been notified by Davos in advance, knowing that this was the Magistrate’s effort to integrate the Lucanians.

No one dared refuse Davos’s command. So Bacule and the other forty Lucanian slaves were brought to the training ground.

Originally, Bacule and the others had been polishing stone. Suddenly, Alexis assembled them and selected forty people, with Bacule at the head, saying: these were the forty slaves who had performed best among today’s laborers. As a reward, they would be allowed to play the rugby game with the citizen soldiers of Amendolara.

Since most of the Lucanians did not understand Greek, Bacule served as the translator. The slaves grew restless, fearing this was a Greek plot against the forty of them.

Alexis swore by the gods that they would be returned before dark.

Only then did Bacule and the others, filled with anxiety, enter the training camp and stand before the Greek soldiers.

While most soldiers were momentarily at a loss, Olivus, the platoon leader of the 1st Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Platoon, made the first move. He quickly selected Bacule and four other sturdy Lucanian slaves. The others snapped out of it, and in an instant, the forty slaves were completely snapped up by the platoons competing in the first round.

Davos spent a very short time explaining the game rules to them, with Bacule again translating. Then Bacule and his five men, having only a vague understanding, were merged into Olivus’s platoon.

The rugby field was a flat grassy area about one hundred meters long and fifty meters wide, outlined with lime powder. White lines were drawn every ten meters. To prevent the lime powder from being wiped away during intense movement and causing unclear boundaries, wooden poles were planted at the intersections of the white lines on both sides.

According to Davos’s requirements, the company commander could only serve as the team’s coach, while the platoon leader had to serve as the team’s quarterback. The coach would devise tactics based on the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, while the quarterback was the core of the team on the field. He had to adjust tactics in real time according to the changes on the field and lead the team to victory. Davos intended to train the officers’ leadership and command abilities, because he believed that in modern competitive sports from his previous life, rugby was very similar to ancient cold-weapon combat: the confrontation in the center, the flank attacks… It not only trained the soldiers’ strength, speed, and agility, but also fostered teamwork and cohesion among the whole unit. At the same time, it cultivated the ability of company commanders and platoon leaders to think calmly and respond quickly and correctly in the heat of intense competition. This was very beneficial for the entire army, because the systematic, complex multi-branch army (temporarily lacking cavalry) that Davos had created relied heavily on the abilities of mid- and low-level officers to unleash its true power.

First, the two sides drew lots to decide the order of attack.

Olivus was lucky enough to draw the first attack. “Coach” Antonios began to set tactics for the platoon: “Bacule, you’re new here and not familiar with this game yet. Watch and learn from the sidelines first.”

Bacule nodded: It really seemed to be about playing a game.

The soldiers around him all had serious expressions, which also infected these few Lucanian slaves.

“You, you, you, you… you go up first. After the opponent kicks off, pay attention to catching the ball. Once you catch it, don’t hesitate—immediately pass it to Olivus. Olivus, you pass the ball to the big guy and let him carry it and run. Test the opponent’s strength. The rest of you, be sure to block for him!…” Antonios was assigning tactics to the players on the field.

At that moment, a flute sounded, and referee Drakos urged the players of both sides onto the field. According to the rules, the battalion commander served as referee, with a total of four referees. Since Epithenis, the commander of the 7th Battalion, was also concurrently the company commander of the 1st Company, Cavalry Commander Laedes stepped in.

The soldiers removed their helmets, greaves, swords, and all other metal ornaments, wearing only linen cuirasses for protection. Meanwhile, each side wrapped red or blue linen strips tightly around their torsos and tied them, to distinguish the teams. One team, including the five slaves, had 55 members, but only eleven were needed on the field at a time. Since rugby was a very physically demanding sport and the soldiers were already a bit tired from training, they had to keep substituting players to maintain combat effectiveness.

Drakos gave the order, and the match began.

The hourglass also started timing.

Epithenis’s team kicked the ball into the opponent’s half and immediately charged toward them.

Antonios noticed that the opponent had put all five slaves on the field right from the start: perhaps they were using the slaves’ slightly fresher energy to hinder their own attack. Antonios decided to first observe the match situation before making adjustments.

A soldier jumped up and just caught the ball as the opponent was almost upon him.

Though the opponent was also wearing a linen cuirass, his appearance showed he was a Lucanian.

The ball-carrying soldier was startled. This moment of distraction cost him—he was immediately tackled by the opponent. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to fall to the ground and press the ball beneath him.

The Antonios team’s players off the field let out groans of regret, while the opponent’s side cheered loudly. Several players excitedly ran over and slapped the Lucanian in encouragement.

Thus one attacking opportunity was wasted. According to the rules Davos had set, the attacking side had three chances, during which they had to advance the ball past one wooden pole’s distance (about ten meters) into the opponent’s half. After advancing, they would get three more attacking chances; otherwise, the other side would take over.

Olivus was not worried. He joked: “Xenotimas, did you exercise too many times with your wife last night? Is that why your hands and feet are weak, and you can’t even pass a ball?!”

The team members laughed heartily.

“Alright, brothers, this time we need to show them why we are the strongest platoon in the whole army!” (According to Davos’s regulations in the “Military Law,” the number “1” in a unit’s designation was not just a number but also a representation of capability and honor. The 1st Battalion was the strongest battalion in the whole army, and by extension, the 1st Platoon of the 1st Company was not only the strongest in its own battalion but also the strongest among all platoons in the army.)

The soldiers let out a loud shout and lifted their spirits.

Both sides lined up on the yard line where the ball had been stopped. In the center, they locked shoulders, while on the flanks, one side was ready to catch the ball and sprint, and the other was ready to block.

The flute sounded.