Chapter 7: Javelin and Food

The task assigned to Davos was to go to the battlefield and retrieve the spears, shields, and even the chariots that were discarded by both sides, to use as timber for cooking the meat. For this reason, they were also assigned an ox cart.

The battlefield is not far from the camp. Yesterday, the cavalry went out to scout and found that the Persian king’s troops had left, and only did they dare to send soldiers out to clean up the battlefield. However, many soldiers were sent out, mainly for fear of being attacked by Persian cavalry.

Before he got to the battlefield, Davos could see the sky in the distant, it look as if it’s dark, innumerable crows circling around and the jarring cry made his heart throb!

A few miles near the meadow, layers of human and horse corpses were covered with dense flies and insects, even the wolves and leopards were gnawing at the bones, they did not even hide when they saw people but looked at them from afar with a cold light in their eyes…

Every step Davos took, a layer of flies gets lifted, it buzzing around while going straight to his face and he couldn’t even disperse them even if he drives them away.

Davos looked pale and felt his stomach churning.

“Davos, you went through this scene many times, how can you still feel uncomfortable?!” Matonis’ words of concern have a hint of joy. Because he felt that although Davos had changed, but there is still places for him to take care of.

“I’m fine!…blech…” Davos swallowed his saliva. Memory is memory, after all, this is the first time that a modern man has witnessed this bloody battlefield. However, he knew it in his heart, that in this troubled world, such scenes will continously appear in front of him, he must adapt!

He loosened his hand that is covering his nose, forcing to endure the pungent stench, picked up the body on the ground and pulled out the shield underneath, quickly removing the maggots on it and threw it on the cart.

When he first arrived at the battlefield, the ox couldn’t stand this terrible environment, it was always restless and almost hit Matonis, it was Davos who gave the idea to cover the ox eyes with linen that made it calmer.

Everyone has been busy for a long time, the cart is full and each person was carrying a bundle.

“What about Davos?” Matonis found that one person was missing from the team.

“There!” Olivos pointed not far away, Davos was throwing a javelin at a vulture that was pecking a corpse, but the seemingly clumsy vulture quickly dodged away.

“It seems that he is ready to participate in the javelin competition in Olympia!” Olivos joked.

“Shut up!” Matonis glanced at him and walked toward Davos.

When Davos saw his arrival, he quite naturally picked up a javelin from the ground. Now he has begun to adapt to this harsh environment.

“Matonis, we have how many archers?” Davos asked while touching the sharp spearhead with his hand.

Matonis was not at all good at this aspect, fortunately, there is the attentive Giorgris: “Archer?… I remember that there are nearly 300 Cretan archers under Clearchus. If you count the Peltast that can throw javelins…uhm all of them…probably…there are 3000 people.”

“3000 people. How many Peltast are there on our side?” Davos asked.

“There are about 400…”

“Matonis, don’t burn the javelin, it’s a pity, what do you think if each of us is equip with 1 or 2 javelins?” Davos thought about it and said.

Matonis hasn’t responded, Olivos said first: “We are hoplites!”

“But in the face of Persian cavalry, our hoplites can’t reach them and we can only avoid their bows and javelins!” The reason why Davos made this proposal is that this body’s memory retains this regret. When collecting this wooden weapon, he suddenly had this inspiration, because he knew that in history, another renowned Roman heavy infantry was not only amazing in close combat, but their javelin throwing is equally frightening, that is why he proposed it.

“Ariaeus has sufficient cavalry.” Olivos said.

Davos smiled: “It’s better to depend on yourself than on others.”

“Is this the ‘Oracle’ that Hades told you?” Giorgris urgently asked.

Davos laughed but didn’t answer.

“I think this idea is good, let’s go back and talk to Hielos.” Matonis took the javelin in Davos’ hands, turned around and suddenly threw the javelin, the vulture that was still pecking fell on the ground.

“However, Davos, you still need to improve your javelin skills!” Matonis said proudly.

The fact that Hoplites did not use javelins was only due to tradition and habit, but the Greeks were not bad at using the javelin, even the regions in the Mediterranean were first-rate due to javelin throwing is one of the five events of the pentathlons of Olympian games, Greek boys have been training since childhood.

“Excellent! Not only do we have beef and mutton to eat at lunch, but also bird meat!”

“I heard that the meat of this bird cannot be eaten because it came from hell…”

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

In the camp, the animals have been slaughtered, the meat has been cut and place in the earthen pot, filled it with water and placed it on a temporary built earthen stove, everything is ready.

Everyone pulled their weapons, then chop them up and cook the meat.

Matonis told Hielos what ​​Davos thought.

Since it was proposed by “God’s Favored”, Hielos considered it carefully and found the idea acceptable, the javelin is not heavy and a Hoplite carrying two javelin is completely doable. So he went to Antonios in the hope of getting support.

Antonios called the other nine squad leaders and wanted to hear their opinions first. Some squad leaders were in favor and some oppose. Those who oppose adhered to the Hoplite’s tradition, and they argued that it is completely unnecessary to let the Hoplite carry javelins due to Meno already having 500 Peltast under his command, while those that favored thought that although there were 500 Peltast in the camp, they were Thracians and the two sides have no tacit understanding and Hoplites with their own javelins can at least force the Persian cavalry to not come close and reduce their casualties. As the two sides argued, Antonios could not decide and said: “As long as it doesn’t affect the battle, each squad can decide whether to carry javelins or not.”

Hielos returned happily, ready to talk to Davos, but he only found a group of people greedily staring at pieces of meat that is turning over in the earthen pot and only Davos was missing.

“What about Davos?”

“He went to see the internal organs of the animals that were thrown away…and said it was a waste…”

When everyone was puzzled, they then saw Davos coming over with a long spear and carrying a bloody intestine.

“Hey, quickly take that stinky stuff away! It will affects our appetite!” The crowd covered their noses and shouted.

Davos ignored them and loudly said: “I saw a lot of cattle and sheep’s internal organs that were thrown away in the camp, it’s too wasteful just letting the birds and wild dogs take it! Don’t forget, two days ago we were so hungry that we couldn’t help but almost eat our own hands! In the next few days, whether we are fighting or marching, there may be time we would get hungry, so we should pick these things up and store them in order to have something to eat and prevent such things from happening again!”

“Can those things be eaten?” asked a sturdy soldier.

Davos remembered that he is called Martius, a soldier who lived in another tent, his question was exactly what everyone wanted to ask. The Greeks mainly live on grains and only ate few meats, it is only this time that they entered deep into Persia and due to supply reasons, they began to eat meat frequently. The animals internal organ is not only smells fishy, but in the absence of spices and proper cooking methods, it also taste bad. So in addition to using it for divination, few people will try to eat it or will even think they’ll get poisoned eating it.

“Of course! These things are not only useful in camping…it can not only fill our stomachs, but will also improve our body. For example, it allows us to see more clearly at night.” Davos positively answered.

“Really?! That would be great!” Matonis said happily.

The five people in the other tent were suspicious.

“Davos is ‘God’s Favored’! You know what? Before he fell on the battlefield and after a coma…” Olivos began to brag about the amazing changes of Davos these past 2 days.