"A soldier may find food for himself on the march, but what of a new sword, a bandage, or sandals? "
________________________________________________________________

With armies of increasing size, and campaigns taking troops overseas for months and years, it became vital to maintain supply-lines to keep them provisioned. However, an army’s movement could be severely hampered by its supply train and it was the Greeks who revolutionised military supply and logistics. They disbanded the legion of attendants and wives that trailed behind every army, and introduced the speedier horse and mule to replace the ox-drawn carts. They also made the soldiers carry more. The creation of standardised coinage also allowed states to provide for their armies in enemy territory, because their money could be trusted, with some merchants evolving into the first military contractors.