Parallel Lives, Theo of Thebes

Part 6, A Warrior and Beggar

"Were you proud of being a warrior?" Theo asked. "You seem as if you were a great one."
A light shone in Nicodemus' eye, and for a moment, he was a sarcastic beggar no more, and seemed to become the man of his youth. 

"I was the finest warrior in Athens." Nicodemus said, exuding a pride so fierce, that seeing him felt like staring into a little sun, a shining beacon of glory. 

"I fought for her against the Peloponnesian league, and took my honoured place on the right flank! But alas, I suffered a wound too many, and now my right arm can barely be raised for more than a few moments."

 Nicodemus sat, dejectedly, remembering this sore spot in his life, where he had turned from hero to cripple. 

From the top of the world, straight to the bottom. He hadn't married before joining the war, sure that his victories would win him much gold and prestige, and bring a bride of greater beauty and standing. 

Instead, he had no wife. 

No gold.

And no prestige to speak of, save around the few who would listen to tales of his heyday. He had always liked Epaminondas for that. Though he gave generously, and made the next meal easy to reach, that wasn't enough for a man like Nicodemus. 

Indeed, if he had to choose between the man's coin purse and his ear, he felt like he would choose the latter. Being heard made him feel a pride which he had thought robbed of him. Though he had no sons, if more could learn of Nicodemus, and his life, perhaps that would be enough.

"Forgive me for my ignorance, but what do you mean, Nicodemus? Please understand, I am a foreigner, and many things here are new to me. 

You seem to place great stock in your position on the right. I understand the pride in your old career, and the comfort those days brought, but I can't seem to make any sense in being proud of the side you stood on."

The beggar sighed, but smiled at the same time. He wanted to both curse this foreigner for his ignorance, and bless him for the chance to revel in his glory days all at once.

Nicodemus stood, and fetched some pieces of wooden debris from an alley near the inn. He thrust two into Theo's hand. 

"There they are, your spear and shield. Hold the shield in your left hand, and the spear in your right." Theo, though taken aback at first, acceded to the request, curious to see where this new situation might lead him.

 Nicodemus armed himself with his wooden 'shield' and 'spear', more a plank and a thin branch than anything approximating a training weapon, but it would serve for the demonstration.

Nicodemus stood side by side with Theo, taking up a position to the left of the younger man.
"What do you see here?" he asked the young man, who shrugged in response.

"I don't know what I'm meant to see Nicodemus, it looks to me as if we're simply two madmen playing with sticks and boards." Nicodemus muttered in annoyance and searched around until he found another stick. 

He grabbed a nearby child who began to protest loudly until he heard Nicodemus' plan. "I want you, child, to take this stick, wait until that boy and I are lined up, and poke one of us in the chest with it."

Theo wanted to protest, but Nicodemus shot him a look that stopped it dead in its tracks. The two men lined up, shields in the left hand, spears in the right, Theo on the right flank, and Nicodemus the left. 

Nicodemus nodded to the child, beginning the demonstration. The youth moved forward, and poked Theo in the right rib, giggling gleefully at the pained yelp Theo let out. "That thing's sharp!" Theo spat, annoyed at everyone involved. "And why did he only go for me? That isn't fair!"

Nicodemus turned his head to Theo, a crooked grin on his face. "Boy, aim for me this time, try to get me in the chest."

"Nicodemus, no, you don't have to take this abuse." Theo offered. "Just explain it to me and that'll be the thing done with. I fail to see why I need to get poked with a stick by a young boy who is enjoying it a bit too much for my comfort."

"I am explaining." Nicodemus responded. "Boy, I'm ready. Go!"

The young boy lunged forward with the stick, aiming for the right rib of Nicodemus. The thrust had been made true last time, and he hoped to replicate his success. To his dismay, his stick cracked off Theo's shield, instead of hitting Nicodemus. 

The boy changed tactics, this time aiming for the left rib. Perhaps attacking from the outside had been the key the first time, he thought to himself. Alas, his stick cracked off Nicodemus' shield, and attempt after attempt, he failed, until he threw up his arms in frustration.

Theo threw down his makeshift wooden gear and slapped Nicodemus on the back, laughing. "I get it now!" he said. "You're on the left, protected by both your shield and my own, but I'm on the right, having only my own shield to cover my inside, while my right is completely exposed. So when you were on the right flank back in the Athenian army..."

"They put me there because I was the finest warrior, and could be trusted to fight at a disadvantage, but still triumph." Nicodemus said, with a wide grin. "You came to understand that quickly enough, it's proof my demonstration was effective. 

Bandying words about the dangers of the sea is a lot less effective and more time consuming than simply throwing you into it and watching you drown a bit." It was then Theo noticed that the roughhousing had attracted a bit of a crowd, who had been gawking at the makeshift display. One figure emerged from the crowd, and hugged Nicodemus.

"Well fought, my brother. I see you still have the grit that made you a hoplite of renown." He had curly brown hair, and appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. His aquiline features were not ugly, but they were distinct. He was not particularly handsome, but his appearance and presence were striking. 

"I'll teach you the same tomorrow for a drachma, Epaminondas" Nicodemus said, nudging the man with his left elbow. "Unfortunately tomorrow won't do, we have planning to do, you see. But come, join me at my table tonight. Both of you. After all, any friend of Nicodemus is a friend of mine."