ariondas/full_text_dataset · Datasets at Hugging Face

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nature. Next to these, they are served in their wars with those upon
whose account they undertake them, and with the auxiliary troops of their
other friends, to whom they join a few of their own people, and send some
man of eminent and approved virtue to command in chief. There are two
sent with him, who, during his command, are but private men, but the
first is to succeed him if he should happen to be either killed or taken;
and, in case of the like misfortune to him, the third comes in his place;
and thus they provide against all events, that such accidents as may
befall their generals may not endanger their armies. When they draw out
troops of their own people, they take such out of every city as freely
offer themselves, for none are forced to go against their wills, since
they think that if any man is pressed that wants courage, he will not
only act faintly, but by his cowardice dishearten others. But if an
invasion is made on their country, they make use of such men, if they
have good bodies, though they are not brave; and either put them aboard
their ships, or place them on the walls of their towns, that being so
posted, they may find no opportunity of flying away; and thus either
shame, the heat of action, or the impossibility of flying, bears down
their cowardice; they often make a virtue of necessity, and behave
themselves well, because nothing else is left them. But as they force no
man to go into any foreign war against his will, so they do not hinder
those women who are willing to go along with their husbands; on the
contrary, they encourage and praise them, and they stand often next their
husbands in the front of the army. They also place together those who
are related, parents, and children, kindred, and those that are mutually
allied, near one another; that those whom nature has inspired with the
greatest zeal for assisting one another may be the nearest and readiest
to do it; and it is matter of great reproach if husband or wife survive
one another, or if a child survives his parent, and therefore when they
come to be engaged in action, they continue to fight to the last man, if
their enemies stand before them: and as they use all prudent methods to
avoid the endangering their own men, and if it is possible let all the
action and danger fall upon the troops that they hire, so if it becomes
necessary for themselves to engage, they then charge with as much courage
as they avoided it before with prudence: nor is it a fierce charge at
first, but it increases by degrees; and as they continue in action, they
grow more obstinate, and press harder upon the enemy, insomuch that they
will much sooner die than give ground; for the certainty that their
children will be well looked after when they are dead frees them from all
that anxiety concerning them which often masters men of great courage;
and thus they are animated by a noble and invincible resolution. Their
skill in military affairs increases their courage: and the wise
sentiments which, according to the laws of their country, are instilled
into them in their education, give additional vigour to their minds: for
as they do not undervalue life so as prodigally to throw it away, they
are not so indecently fond of it as to preserve it by base and unbecoming
methods. In the greatest heat of action the bravest of their youth, who
have devoted themselves to that service, single out the general of their
enemies, set on him either openly or by ambuscade; pursue him everywhere,
and when spent and wearied out, are relieved by others, who never give
over the pursuit, either attacking him with close weapons when they can
get near him, or with those which wound at a distance, when others get in
between them. So that, unless he secures himself by flight, they seldom
fail at last to kill or to take him prisoner. When they have obtained a
victory, they kill as few as possible, and are much more bent on taking
many prisoners than on killing those that fly before them. Nor do they
ever let their men so loose in the pursuit of their enemies as not to
retain an entire body still in order; so that if they have been forced to
engage the last of their battalions before they could gain the day, they
will rather let their enemies all escape than pursue them when their own
army is in disorder; remembering well what has often fallen out to
themselves, that when the main body of their army has been quite defeated
and broken, when their enemies, imagining the victory obtained, have let
themselves loose into an irregular pursuit, a few of them that lay for a
reserve, waiting a fit opportunity, have fallen on them in their chase,
and when straggling in disorder, and apprehensive of no danger, but
counting the day their own, have turned the whole action, and, wresting
out of their hands a victory that seemed certain and undoubted, while the
vanquished have suddenly become victorious.

"It is hard to tell whether they are more dexterous in laying or avoiding
ambushes. They sometimes seem to fly when it is far from their thoughts;
and when they intend to give ground, they do it so that it is very hard
to find out their design. If they see they are ill posted, or are like
to be overpowered by numbers, they then either march off in the night
with great silence, or by some stratagem delude their enemies. If they
retire in the day-time, they do it in such order that it is no less
dangerous to fall upon them in a retreat than in a march. They fortify
their camps with a deep and large trench; and throw up the earth that is
dug out of it for a wall; nor do they employ only their slaves in this,
but the whole army works at it, except those that are then upon the
guard; so that when so many hands are at work, a great line and a strong
fortification is finished in so short a time that it is scarce credible.
Their armour is very strong for defence, and yet is not so heavy as to
make them uneasy in their marches; they can even swim with it. All that
are trained up to war practise swimming. Both horse and foot make great
use of arrows, and are very expert. They have no swords, but fight with
a pole-axe that is both sharp and heavy, by which they thrust or strike
down an enemy. They are very good at finding out warlike machines, and
disguise them so well that the enemy does not perceive them till he feels
the use of them; so that he cannot prepare such a defence as would render
them useless; the chief consideration had in the making them is that they
may be easily carried and managed.

"If they agree to a truce, they observe it so religiously that no
provocations will make them break it. They never lay their enemies'
country waste nor burn their corn, and even in their marches they take
all possible care that neither horse nor foot may tread it down, for they
do not know but that they may have use for it themselves. They hurt no
man whom they find disarmed, unless he is a spy. When a town is

nature. Next to these, they are served in their wars with those upon

whose account they undertake them, and with the auxiliary troops of their

other friends, to whom they join a few of their own people, and send some

man of eminent and approved virtue to command in chief. There are two

sent with him, who, during his command, are but private men, but the

first is to succeed him if he should happen to be either killed or taken;

and, in case of the like misfortune to him, the third comes in his place;

and thus they provide against all events, that such accidents as may

befall their generals may not endanger their armies. When they draw out

troops of their own people, they take such out of every city as freely

offer themselves, for none are forced to go against their wills, since

they think that if any man is pressed that wants courage, he will not

only act faintly, but by his cowardice dishearten others. But if an

invasion is made on their country, they make use of such men, if they

have good bodies, though they are not brave; and either put them aboard

their ships, or place them on the walls of their towns, that being so

posted, they may find no opportunity of flying away; and thus either

shame, the heat of action, or the impossibility of flying, bears down

their cowardice; they often make a virtue of necessity, and behave

themselves well, because nothing else is left them. But as they force no

man to go into any foreign war against his will, so they do not hinder

those women who are willing to go along with their husbands; on the

contrary, they encourage and praise them, and they stand often next their

husbands in the front of the army. They also place together those who

are related, parents, and children, kindred, and those that are mutually

allied, near one another; that those whom nature has inspired with the

greatest zeal for assisting one another may be the nearest and readiest

to do it; and it is matter of great reproach if husband or wife survive

one another, or if a child survives his parent, and therefore when they

come to be engaged in action, they continue to fight to the last man, if

their enemies stand before them: and as they use all prudent methods to

avoid the endangering their own men, and if it is possible let all the

action and danger fall upon the troops that they hire, so if it becomes

necessary for themselves to engage, they then charge with as much courage

as they avoided it before with prudence: nor is it a fierce charge at

first, but it increases by degrees; and as they continue in action, they

grow more obstinate, and press harder upon the enemy, insomuch that they

will much sooner die than give ground; for the certainty that their

children will be well looked after when they are dead frees them from all

that anxiety concerning them which often masters men of great courage;

and thus they are animated by a noble and invincible resolution. Their

skill in military affairs increases their courage: and the wise

sentiments which, according to the laws of their country, are instilled

into them in their education, give additional vigour to their minds: for

as they do not undervalue life so as prodigally to throw it away, they

are not so indecently fond of it as to preserve it by base and unbecoming

methods. In the greatest heat of action the bravest of their youth, who

have devoted themselves to that service, single out the general of their

enemies, set on him either openly or by ambuscade; pursue him everywhere,

and when spent and wearied out, are relieved by others, who never give

over the pursuit, either attacking him with close weapons when they can

get near him, or with those which wound at a distance, when others get in

between them. So that, unless he secures himself by flight, they seldom

fail at last to kill or to take him prisoner. When they have obtained a

victory, they kill as few as possible, and are much more bent on taking

many prisoners than on killing those that fly before them. Nor do they

ever let their men so loose in the pursuit of their enemies as not to

retain an entire body still in order; so that if they have been forced to

engage the last of their battalions before they could gain the day, they

will rather let their enemies all escape than pursue them when their own

army is in disorder; remembering well what has often fallen out to

themselves, that when the main body of their army has been quite defeated

and broken, when their enemies, imagining the victory obtained, have let

themselves loose into an irregular pursuit, a few of them that lay for a

reserve, waiting a fit opportunity, have fallen on them in their chase,

and when straggling in disorder, and apprehensive of no danger, but

counting the day their own, have turned the whole action, and, wresting

out of their hands a victory that seemed certain and undoubted, while the

vanquished have suddenly become victorious.

"It is hard to tell whether they are more dexterous in laying or avoiding

ambushes. They sometimes seem to fly when it is far from their thoughts;

and when they intend to give ground, they do it so that it is very hard

to find out their design. If they see they are ill posted, or are like

to be overpowered by numbers, they then either march off in the night

with great silence, or by some stratagem delude their enemies. If they

retire in the day-time, they do it in such order that it is no less

dangerous to fall upon them in a retreat than in a march. They fortify

their camps with a deep and large trench; and throw up the earth that is

dug out of it for a wall; nor do they employ only their slaves in this,

but the whole army works at it, except those that are then upon the

guard; so that when so many hands are at work, a great line and a strong

fortification is finished in so short a time that it is scarce credible.

Their armour is very strong for defence, and yet is not so heavy as to

make them uneasy in their marches; they can even swim with it. All that

are trained up to war practise swimming. Both horse and foot make great

use of arrows, and are very expert. They have no swords, but fight with

a pole-axe that is both sharp and heavy, by which they thrust or strike

down an enemy. They are very good at finding out warlike machines, and

disguise them so well that the enemy does not perceive them till he feels

the use of them; so that he cannot prepare such a defence as would render

them useless; the chief consideration had in the making them is that they

may be easily carried and managed.

"If they agree to a truce, they observe it so religiously that no

provocations will make them break it. They never lay their enemies'

country waste nor burn their corn, and even in their marches they take

all possible care that neither horse nor foot may tread it down, for they

do not know but that they may have use for it themselves. They hurt no

man whom they find disarmed, unless he is a spy. When a town is