Ancient & Modern

[caldrail]

The most influential military treatise in the western world from Roman times to the 19th Century was Vegetius' DE RE MILITARI. Its impressions on our own traditions of discipline and organization are everywhere evident.

Possibly so, but so what? You're assuming every commander has read it? You're assuming every commander is therefore inspired to conduct warfare in the same way as Rome? I can assure you they don't. Nor for that matter, is Vegetius's work an exact description of what went on. He was writing about legions that had come and gone long before his time, and was describing the ideal example of how legionary warfare was conducted. The reality, as always, fell short of that. Furthermore, whilst it apparently provided inspiration for some commanders, thats still no guarantee they ordered their troops the same way, since they were far more likely to follow the fashions and tactics of the time. The people inspired by this work didn't simply adopt everything they read, they studied and used what they thought was appropriate to their day. If you care to look, you will find warfare has changed considerably since Vegetius's time, and troops are not ordered and used the same way anymore.

 

The Austrian Field Marshal, Prince de Ligne, as late as 1770, called it a golden book and wrote: "A God, said Vegetius, inspired the legion, but for myself, I find that a God inspired Vegetius." Richard Coeur de Lion carried DE RE MILITARI everywhere with him in his campaigns, as did his father, Henry II of England. Around 1000 A. D. Vegetius was the favorite author of Foulques the Black, the able and ferocious Count of Anjou. Numerous manuscript copies of Vegetius circulated in the time of Charlemagne and one of them was considered a necessity of life by his commanders. A manuscript Vegetius was listed in the will of Count Everard de Frejus, about 837 A. D., in the time of Ludwig the Just.

They liked it did they? Thats nice. Well, perhaps that might also be because there simply wasn't any other document of this sort available to them. Today there is, and even at bargain prices you can pick up titles in the bookstore equally as erudite as Vegetius's efforts.

 

Such was the reputation of Vegetius for a thousand years.

Because his work survived. Plenty of other peoples didn't, and the fact his work was a best seller for a long time doesn't mean it was accurate nor erudite.

Edited May 10, 2008 by caldrail

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Flavius Vegetius Renatus was a Roman of high rank. In some manuscripts he is given the title of count. Raphael of Volterra calls him a Count of Constantinople. Little is known of his life. It is apparent from his book that he had not had extensive practical experience as a soldier.. He states quite frankly that his purpose was to collect and synthesize from ancient manuscripts and regulations the military customs and wisdom that made ancient Rome great. According to his statement, his principal sources were Cato the Elder, Cornelius Celsus, Paternus, Frontinus, and the regulations and ordinances of Augustus, Trajan and Hadrian.

 

http://www.pvv.ntnu.no/~madsb/home/war/vegetius/

[caldrail]

Agreed. But his work is therefore a collection of stuff he'd heard of and approved. It isn't necessarily accurate and represents an idealistic view of the roman classic legions. Further, Vegetius never had any military experience himself if I remember right.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Agreed. But his work is therefore a collection of stuff he'd heard of and approved. It isn't necessarily accurate and represents an idealistic view of the roman classic legions. Further, Vegetius never had any military experience himself if I remember right.

 

 

Yes, as good as good as the book is, it's nothing more that a guidebook to the perfect way to conduct Roman warfare, written by somebody who has no actual experience of war.

 

Basically it's like a man who's never played football to a high standard writing a book telling professional footballers how to play football.

 

There may be a preferred way to go about things but in the cold hard light of day things on the pitch / battlefield never follow a set routine, something always happens to upset the applecart and that's where experience counts for everything. You can't just stop, get your guidebook out and see what to do next, you've got to use all your knowledge and experience to try and turn the situation around to your favor.