The Four Books of Martial Policy, by Flavius Vegetius Renatus, translated (1572) by John Sadler

In a book like this, which is a facsimile copy of a 16^th century translation of a major late Roman work important enough to inspire the name of a military history society [1], the history of the book is nearly as important as the content itself. This translation, made by John Sadler in 1572 for Lord Russell, the Earl of Bedford, serves as a demonstration that the work of Vegetius, which had previously been translated into French and Italian from its original Latin, served an important role in guiding the philosophy of the Elizabethan reforms of England’s military into a genuine citizen militia capable of defending the realm against the threats of Catholic Europe.

The contents of the book are no less impressive. Starting with a characteristically humble denial of the considerable skill in translation this work shows by the translator, and an author’s preamble that piously (and truthfully) states that while peace is greatly preferable to war, the study of warfare is important because to study warfare it takes less practice to lead effectively than to learn by sacrificing one’s soldiers in learning by experience. An excellent translation of Vegetius’ work follows, in four books.

The first book, called “That the Romans, Through The Only Exercise of Armies Have Overcome All Nations,” examines such questions as the importance in group cohesion in the military success of the Romans, and the need for soldiers of the town and country (as young as fourteen or fifteen) to learn such skills as archery, digging and fortifying, and marching in order carrying packs, in a citizen force for the common defense of the realm. Even smaller children are to develop their bodies for warfare with exercises like running, jumping, and swimming. The second book, called “Into How Many Kinds the Art of War May Be Divided,” examines such issues as the pivotal importance of infantry, along with the lesser (but still important) roles of the navy and the cavalry. Here Vegetius spends a lot of time talking about the order, officers, and combined arms present in a legion. Also discussed are the tactics by which the light infantry provoked the opponents into attacking the heavy infantry wall of the legion and the importance of learning numbers for young soldiers, the issue of promotions, and the discipline and drill of soldiers.

The third book, called “What Manner or Of What Number an Army Should Be Of,” deals with such matters as the proper size of an army to avoid dangers from having too large a multitude to properly feed and maintain, as well as the threat of uprisings and sedition and the proper use of spies and lures to deceive the enemy [2], the proper topography for setting up camps as battle approaches, as well as a proper understanding of psychology by choosing the best men for warfare and the attempt of winning without having to resort to battle [3]. Book four, titled, “That Cities Ought to be Fenced Either With Handwork, or Nature, or Both,” deals with such issues as fortifications and sieges, showing particular interest in how siege engines can be used and counteracted, and how cities can maintain their food, water, and salt during sieges. Also included in this chapter are some prescient comments about nautical warfare, including advice on how to make ships and sailors blend in with the sea and when it is most dangerous to sail in the Mediterranean. The book closes with some images of siege engines and a useful table of contents.

This book is of vital importance for a few reasons. For one, this particular book shows how quality in the print was controlled one from page to another through the use of showing the first word of the next page at the bottom of the existing text. More importantly, for those without an interest in the field of printing, this book is a demonstration of the European tradition of military history and one of the premier texts of the entire corpus of Western military writings. The fact that this classic is so unjustly forgotten while similar works such as Sun Tzu’s Art of War and Mushashi’s The Book of the Five Rings are remembered and celebrated means that we need to do a better job of understanding and celebrating our own cultural tradition, rather than forgetting and neglecting it in favor of the similar traditions of others. Hopefully a newer translation of this excellent work will provide those of us with an interest in classic military texts a modern and easy-to-read version of Vegetius’ work that can serve to remind new generations of his importance and brilliance. Though the tactical advice of this work is obsolete in light of the technology we use in fighting war, the work’s focus on issues of morale and psychology, as well as logistics, topography, asymmetrical warfare, discipline and chain of command, remain vital.

[1] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/book-review-published-in-de-re-militari/

[2] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2010/11/18/an-honorable-profession/

[3] https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/deuteronomy-201-9-the-principles-of-biblical-warfare-part-one-exemptions-from-military-service/