Crusader Kings: Prisoners of War.

Chapter 286 Thieves prepare troops

Cleopatra disagreed with Tia's view: "We once had all these things you mentioned, but we gradually lost them after the sudden flashy life. Now you are the rulers of the land and the sea, and you have more wealth than any nation we have ever seen. Just as Alexander made us own half the world's wealth, Scipio, Lucius, Germanicus, Caesar, Pompey, and now you and Orville are making the country's land and wealth more and more. How long can you hold out in the face of these things? Antonius is already a good example, and there are already many termites in your country now."

"This is exactly what I have been trying to avoid. Corruption is the ultimate enemy that is greater than any opponent. I have to admit that some things cannot be avoided, but I will use my life's energy to do it. My father's mission is to pull the country back from the brink of civil war and fragmentation, and my mission will be to restore the simple morality that has been forgotten by the Romans. After that, I believe you will see a brand new Rome."

"Then I sincerely wish you success."

This was not just pretense. Cleopatra did not have such great ambitions. She did not want Egypt to replace the Roman Empire and become the Mediterranean hegemony, because she also knew that this was unrealistic.

At least compared to those barbarians or Parthians, the Romans at least have some common cultural concepts with them. The Greeks now have no ability to reproduce the feats of Alexander in the past, and even have difficulty protecting themselves. The Greek mainland needs the help of the Romans in the face of the barbarians moving south, and the only remaining successor dynasty is also exhausted by frequent peasant uprisings and powerful neighbors around it. Now the Romans and them have formed a very subtle symbiotic relationship. Ptolemaic Egypt provides food and a small part of the finances, while the Romans provide them with a safe and stable environment. Like many other nations, the Egyptians and Greeks are all taking shelter under the big tree of Rome.

If we have to make an analogy, Tia is like a doctor who sees the potential risks of the big tree and now wants to treat the disease that has not yet worsened in the tree. They are like squirrels or crows living on this tree. Although good birds choose good trees to roost in, they may not benefit if the tree falls.

Tia didn't guess what Cleopatra was thinking, but she happily accepted her congratulations: "I expect so too. It's better not to talk about these serious topics about politics. Let's stop here. Besides, I have something else I want to ask you about my husband."

After hearing this, Cleopatra understood what the other party meant: "Of course, there are some things I think I should discuss with you..."

………………

On the other hand, Orville certainly didn't realize what the two people were talking about hundreds of kilometers away. He was still busy dealing with various matters in the capital.

He looked at the pale, skinny, and numb-faced "soldiers" in front of him, and couldn't help but ask Trajan, "Is this the so-called army?"

Trajan said seriously: "I know you are confused, and I was confused at first, but these are indeed the standing troops of Ptolemaic Egypt. I personally pulled them out of the barracks."

"Is it still like this?"

"This country has an army of 60,000 to 70,000. About a quarter of them are Egyptians like this. Another sixth of the army is made up of dark-skinned Nubians from the south. They are a bit like inferior barbarian mercenaries and cannot be relied upon." Trajan couldn't help but slightly emphasize his tone when he spoke. He was also very dissatisfied with the current state of the Egyptian army. Those armies composed of Greek immigrants could only be regarded as settlers, and their combat effectiveness could barely be classified as soldiers. In his opinion, this army composed of native Egyptians could not even be called an army.

Many people could not even understand the orders of their superiors. The quality of individual soldiers was very poor and they could not even maintain basic formations. In Trajan's view, these soldiers were not even as good as the barbarian soldiers in the British province. At least those people had good physiques and were brave, so they could be used as death squads or commandos in war.

The role of these people on the battlefield was infinitely close to zero. For the Romans who pursued the concept of elite soldiers, throwing these people into the battlefield would occupy supplies, waste the width of the front line, and might also lead other troops on the front line to retreat.

As for the more picky Trajan, he felt uneasy about arranging these people to guard the food, fearing that these people would embezzle the food. Not to mention Orville, who was even more picky than Trajan. He felt that one more soldier meant one more mouth to feed. Instead of raising a bunch of useless people, it is better to raise a small and powerful high-quality force. In fact, these people are the ones who decide the outcome on the battlefield, and the rest of the battle line can be filled by the allied soldiers.

Orville also had a headache after hearing what the other party said - there was no need to test them, just looking at their confused mental state, he could tell that they were useless. According to Orville's own idea, it would be best to dismiss them on the spot, start a new camp and recruit a new army.

But the actual situation does not allow him to do so. These people are all young laborers. If they are unemployed and thrown into society, they will become a large group of unstable factors. A large number of unemployed soldiers will flow into Egypt, and theft, robbery, and gangsterism will definitely soar. Orville seeks stability and security, but he does not want to see this kind of situation.

In fact, the Ptolemaic royal family used them as troops for some reasons. They gave them food so that they would not starve to death, but they also had no intention of rebelling.

If they were making a living within the military system, they would not have such evil thoughts as rebelling against the royal family and the nobility. At most, they would try to exploit the local people, which was not a big problem in their eyes, so things continued like this.

Now Orville had to find a way to deal with these troublesome soldiers, find a way out for them and digest them slowly. After thinking about it, he made a preliminary decision.

"Take a few officers with you to help me screen them. Those who roughly meet the requirements of the auxiliary army in terms of physical fitness will continue to stay in the army. Later, I will prepare a general training plan for you. Train them as phalanx spearmen and archers. I will find a way to get weapons and equipment. You are responsible for training these people. I want to see the results later.

Of the remaining people, some will be transferred to the new factory I plan to build. There will definitely be many people who cannot be resettled. We will talk about it later. You should do things this way first."

"Yes!" Trajan nodded with some excitement in his eyes. This was the first time he had the opportunity to train soldiers, and it also meant that he would have the opportunity to truly command an army in the future.

(End of this chapter)