Vegetius De re militari

The Art of War in Ancient Rome
Erscheinungsjahr 2023
ISBN: 859-654773055-2
Verlag: DigiCat
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Wasserzeichen (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 78 Seiten

De re militari (Latin "Concerning Military Matters"), also known as Epitoma rei militaris, is a work by the Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus. The book casts light on the Roman warfare and military principles. It gives a presentation of the methods and practices in use during the height of the Roman Empire. The text was written in the 5th century. According to Vegetius, things like training of soldiers as a disciplined force, orderly strategy, maintenance of supply lines and logistics, quality leadership, and use of tactics and even deceitwere all extremely important to ensure advantage over the opposition. He also stressed the selection of good soldiers and recommended hard training of at least four months before the soldier was accepted into the ranks.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vegetius

Weitere Mitwirkende

Clarke, John

Über Autor(innen)

Flavius Vegetius Renatus, commonly known as Vegetius, was a Roman writer and military theorist of the late 4th and early 5th centuries. His full biographical details remain obscure, with the absence of substantial contemporaneous records; however, he is best remembered for his treatise 'De re militari' ('Concerning Military Matters'), an influential work on Roman military principles and practices. Comprising a preface and four books, it touches on topics such as military recruitment, training, equipment, and tactics. Vegetius aimed to preserve ancient Roman military methods, at a time when the Western Roman Empire was facing internal decay and frequent barbarian invasions. His advocacy for a return to the traditional Roman legionary system and his adage 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' ('If you want peace, prepare for war') have left a lasting impression on military thinking. Vegetius' 'De re militari' became a standard military manual throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance, studied by commanders and scholars alike. His work influenced the revival of classical military ideas and was used as a reference as late as the 18th century. Vegetius' literary style is didactic, aiming to instruct rather than entertain, and characterized by a nostalgic respect for Rome's imperial past. Even with scant details about his own military experience, Vegetius' contributions have made him a seminal figure in the annals of military literature.