From: Joe Mills <mills_at_midohio.net>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 15:35:52 -0400
>Of course they train! What's this nonsense about an untrained fyrd? Ever >heard of the classical Greek phalanx? ... >All of them peasants with spears and shields! All >of them trained... in tactics and the rest!
As far as I know (and I admit I'm not up on current scholarship), the only
requirement to stand in a hoplite phalanx was that you were able to afford
the equipment. The idea was that no peasants were allowed.