Ancient sparring factoid

[Jay Vail]

From Maurice's "Strategikon" (George Denis transl. U of Penn Press, 1984, p. 138), a text dated to about 600 AD:

2. Training of the Individual Heavy-armed Infantryman
They should be trained in single combat against each other, armed with shield and staff, also in throwing the short javelin and the lead-pointed dart a long distance.

The emphasized words appear to indicate training by means of sparring using wooden wasters.

[G.MatthewWebb]

From Maurice's "Strategikon" (George Denis transl. U of Penn Press, 1984, p. 138), a text dated to about 600 AD:

2. Training of the Individual Heavy-armed Infantryman
They should be trained in single combat against each other, armed with shield and staff, also in throwing the short javelin and the lead-pointed dart a long distance.

The emphasized words appear to indicate training by means of sparring using wooden wasters.

Jay,

Nice quote! Did you mean a wooden sword when you wrote "wasters"?

G. Matthew Webb

[Vincent Le Chevalier]

But it could also indicate any manner of paired drills with wooden weapons, and not necessarily sparring, isn't it?

[Jeremiah Backhaus]

"in single combat" seems pretty clear that it is not scripted or drills.

-Jeremiah (SA)

[Vincent Le Chevalier]

"in single combat" seems pretty clear that it is not scripted or drills.

I took "in single combat" as meaning that they were trained to fight one-on-one, as opposed to many-against-many for example, but not necessarily trained by doing many single combats, though it's of course a possibility.

In other words "in single combat" could be the context but not the method of training.

But then we are probably discussing a translation here and English is not even my first language...

[Jay Vail]

From Maurice's "Strategikon" (George Denis transl. U of Penn Press, 1984, p. 138), a text dated to about 600 AD:

2. Training of the Individual Heavy-armed Infantryman
They should be trained in single combat against each other, armed with shield and staff, also in throwing the short javelin and the lead-pointed dart a long distance.

The emphasized words appear to indicate training by means of sparring using wooden wasters.

Jay,

Nice quote! Did you mean a wooden sword when you wrote "wasters"?

G. Matthew Webb

I am assuming a sword waster. It could also have been a spear. Maurice required the heavy infantryman to carry a sword, spear and javelins.

On the other hand, it could have been both a spear and sword waster, because at one point in the book Maurice says to throw the spear like a javelin and then attack with swords.

Given the detail Maurice uses in preparing for war evidenced in the book, I suspect he meant sword waster.

[Jay Vail]

"in single combat" seems pretty clear that it is not scripted or drills.

I took "in single combat" as meaning that they were trained to fight one-on-one, as opposed to many-against-many for example, but not necessarily trained by doing many single combats, though it's of course a possibility.

In other words "in single combat" could be the context but not the method of training.

But then we are probably discussing a translation here and English is not even my first language...

It is vague and could be read to mean two person drill or massed combat. However, I suspect he meant sparring one on one.

He advocated very realistic training but did not discuss massed sparring. For instance, he adviced drawing up a tagma (a cohort sized unit of 300-400) in battle array with another unit facing it. Then: "Line up on the other side and forming a simple line opposed to them should be either infantry or cavalry firing arrows without points. This simple line should sometimes move in formation against our battle line, somethings raising dust, shouting, and in disorder, sometimes from behind, or attacking our flanks or rear." p. 149.