Roman soldiers were
trained in such a way as to have a strategic advantage over their enemies. The
typical military unit in the Roman army was called a legion, which consisted of
about 6,000 soldiers at full strength. When approaching an enemy in battle, the
infantry would create three lines of soldiers, each with gaps between the
lines; in front of these gaps would be a solid line of soldiers called velites.
As they neared their enemy, these velites would throw their javelins and
retreat through the gaps in the lines of their fellow soldiers. The first line
would then fill in the gaps to create a solid line. When the enemy came closer,
this solid line of soldiers would charge. Once this initial skirmishing
occurred, the heavy infantry would engage the enemy. They would throw their
pila (javelin-like weapons), then pull their swords and attack. Because the
army was set up in lines, one line would attack at a time. If it was being
defeated, it would fall back and another would take its place, so that the
attacking was consistent. This tactic is said to have been an important reason
for success in battle. They also had heavier armor, better training, and were
expected to endure strong discipline.
Although we have several examples of heroes in our day, one of the best known is of a woman named Agnes Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (“Gonja Bojaju”), who devoted her life to sustaining the “poor, sick, orphaned, and dying.” Her venue was Calcutta, India, where she served as a teacher until she began to take notice of the poverty there. Seeking to do something about it, she began an organization that consisted of just thirteen members at its inception. Called the “Missionaries of Charity,” the organization would eventually burgeon into well over 5,000 members worldwide, running approximately 600 missions, schools and shelters in 120 countries; and caring for the orphaned, blind, aged, disabled, and poor. As her personal work expanded, she traveled to countries like Lebanon, where she rescued 37 children from a hospital by pressing for peace between Israel and Palestine; to Ethiopia, where she traveled to help the hungry; to Chernobyl, Russia, to assist victims of the nuclear meltdown there; and to ...
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