ON recite de plusieurs chefs de guerre, qu’ils ont eu certains liures en particuliere recommandation, comme le grand Alexandre, Homere: Scipion Aphricain, Xenophon: Marcus Brutus, Polybius: Charles cinquiesme, Philippe de Comines. Et dit-on de ce temps, que Machiauel est encores ailleurs en credit. Mais le feu Mareschal Strossy, qui auoit pris Cæsar pour sa part, auoit sans doubte bien mieux choisi: car à la verité ce deuroit estre le breuiaire de tout homme de guerre, comme estant le vray et souuerain patron de l’art militaire.
It is told of several military leaders that they held certain books in particular esteem: Alexander the Great, Homer; Scipio Africanus, Xenophon; Marcus Brutus, Polybius; Charles V, Philippe de Commynes. And it is said that in our time Machiavelli is still in favor elsewhere. But the late Marshal Strozzi, who had taken Caesar for his share, certainly chose much better: for in truth he ought to be the breviary of every soldier, as being the true and supreme model of the military art.
Et Dieu sçait encore de quelle grace, et de quelle beauté il a fardé cette riche matiere, d’vne façon de dire si pure, si delicate, et si parfaicte, qu’à mon goust, il n’y a aucuns escrits au monde, qui puissent estre comparables aux siens, en cette partie. Ie veux icy enregistrer certains traicts particuliers et rares, sur le faict de ses guerres, qui me sont demeurez en memoire.
And God knows, besides, with what grace and what beauty he has embellished this rich matter, with a style so pure, so delicate and so perfect that, to my taste, there are no writings in the world that can be compared to his in this respect. I want to record here certain particular and rare traits concerning his wars that have stayed in my memory.
Son armée estant en quelque effroy, pour le bruit qui couroit des grandes forces, que menoit contre luy le Roy Iuba, au lieu de rabattre l’opinion que ses soldats en auoyent prise, et appetisser les moyens de son ennemy, les ayant faict assembler pour les r’asseurer et leur donner courage, il print vne voye toute contraire à celle que nous auons accoustumé: car il leur dit qu’ils ne se missent plus en peine de s’enquerir des forces que menoit l’ennemy, et qu’il en auoit eu bien certain aduertissement: et lors il leur en fit le nombre surpassant de beaucoup, et la verité, et la renommée, qui en couroit en son armée. Suiuant ce que conseille Cyrus en Xenophon.
His army was in some alarm at the rumor going around of the great forces King Juba was leading against him. Instead of beating down the opinion his soldiers had formed of them and belittling his enemy’s means, he had them assembled to reassure them and give them courage, and took a path quite contrary to the one we usually take. He told them they need no longer trouble to inquire about the forces the enemy was bringing, since he had very reliable information about them; and then he gave them a number far exceeding both the truth and the reports going around his army. This follows what Cyrus advises in Xenophon.
D’autant que la tromperie n’est pas de tel interest, de trouuer les ennemis par effect plus foibles qu’on n’auoit esperé: que de les trouuer à la verité bien forts, apres les auoir iugez foibles par reputation.
For being deceived does not matter so much when we find the enemy actually weaker than we had expected, as when we find him truly very strong after judging him weak by report.
Il accoustumoit sur tout ses soldats à obeyr simplement, sans se mesler de contreroller, ou parler des desseins de leur Capitaine; lesquels il ne leur communiquoit que sur le poinct de l’execution: et prenoit plaisir s’ils en auoyent descouuert quelque chose, de changer sur le champ d’aduis, pour les tromper: et souuent pour cet effect ayant assigné vn logis en quelque lieu, il passoit outre, et allongeoit la iournée, notamment s’il faisoit mauuais temps et pluuieux.
Above all he accustomed his soldiers to obey simply, without meddling in criticizing or discussing their commander’s plans, which he told them only at the moment of execution. And if they had found out something about them, he took pleasure in changing his mind on the spot to deceive them. Often, for this purpose, having fixed a camp in some place, he would go on past it and lengthen the day’s march, especially if the weather was bad and rainy.
Les Souisses, au commencement de ses guerres de Gaule, ayans enuoyé vers luy pour leur donner passage au trauers des terres des Romains; estant deliberé de les empescher par force, il leur contrefit toutesfois vn bon visage, et print quelques iours de delay à leur faire responce, pour se seruir de ce loisir, à assembler son armée. Ces pauures gens ne sçauoyent pas combien il estoit excellent mesnager du temps: car il redit maintes-fois, que c’est la plus souueraine partie d’vn capitaine, que la science de prendre au poinct les occasions, et la diligence, qui est en ses exploicts, à la verité, inouye et incroyable.
At the beginning of his Gallic wars, the Swiss sent to him asking for passage through Roman territory. He was determined to stop them by force, but he nevertheless put on a pleasant face and took a few days’ delay before answering them, so as to use that time to assemble his army. These poor people did not know how excellent a manager of time he was: for he said many times that the most supreme quality of a commander is the knowledge of seizing opportunities at the right moment, and speed, which in his own exploits is, in truth, unheard-of and incredible.
S’il n’estoit pas fort conscientieux en cela, de prendre aduantage sur son ennemy, sous couleur d’vn traicté d’accord: il l’estoit aussi peu, en ce qu’il ne requeroit en ses soldats autre vertu que la vaillance, ny ne punissoit guere autres vices, que la mutination, et la desobeyssance. Souuent apres ses victoires, il leur laschoit la bride à toute licence, les dispensant pour quelque temps des regles de la discipline militaire, adioustant à cela, qu’il auoit des soldats si bien creez, que tous perfumez et musquez, ils ne laissoyent pas d’aller furieusement au combat.
If he was not very scrupulous about taking advantage of his enemy under color of a treaty, he was just as unscrupulous in requiring of his soldiers no other virtue than valor and hardly punishing any vices but mutiny and disobedience. Often after his victories he gave them free rein for every license, dispensing them for a time from the rules of military discipline, and adding that his soldiers were so well trained that, all perfumed and musked as they were, they still went furiously into battle.
De vray, il aymoit qu’ils fussent richement armez, et leur faisoit porter des harnois grauez, dorez et argentez: afin que le soing de la conseruation de leurs armes, les rendist plus aspres à se deffendre. Parlant à eux, il les appelloit du nom de compagnons, que nous vsons encore: ce qu’Auguste son successeur reforma, estimant qu’il l’auoit faict pour la necessité de ses affaires, et pour flatter le cœur de ceux qui ne le suyuoient que volontairement: Rheni mihi Cæsar in vndis / Dux erat: hic socius; facinus quos inquinat, æquat; mais que cette façon estoit trop rabbaissée, pour la dignité d’vn Empereur et general d’armée, et remit en train de les appeller seulement soldats.
Indeed he liked them to be richly armed, and made them wear engraved, gilded and silvered armor, so that their concern to keep their arms would make them fiercer in defending themselves. When he spoke to them he called them by the name of comrades, which we still use. Augustus, his successor, changed this, judging that Caesar had done it out of the necessity of his affairs and to flatter the hearts of those who followed him only voluntarily: On the waters of the Rhine Caesar was my general; / here he is my comrade; crime makes equal those it stains; but that this form of address was too lowly for the dignity of an emperor and commander of armies, and he went back to calling them simply soldiers.
A cette courtoisie, Cæsar mesloit toutesfois vne grande seuerité, à les reprimer. La neufiesme legion s’estant mutinée au pres de Plaisance, il la cassa auec ignominie, quoy que Pompeius fust lors encore en pieds, et ne la reçeut en grace qu’auec plusieurs supplications. Il les rappaisoit plus par authorité et par audace, que par douceur.
With this courtesy, however, Caesar mixed great severity in keeping them in check. When the Ninth Legion mutinied near Piacenza, he disbanded it with ignominy, though Pompey was still standing at the time, and took it back into favor only after many entreaties. He calmed them more by authority and boldness than by gentleness.
Là où il parle de son passage de la riuiere du Rhin, vers l’Allemaigne, il dit qu’estimant indigne de l’honneur du peuple Romain, qu’il passast son armée à nauires, il fit dresser vn pont, afin qu’il passast à pied ferme. Ce fut là, qu’il bastit ce pont admirable, dequoy il dechiffre particulierement la fabrique: car il ne s’arreste si volontiers en nul endroit de ses faits, qu’à nous representer la subtilité de ses inuentions, en telle sorte d’ouurages de main.
Where he speaks of his crossing of the Rhine into Germany, he says that, judging it unworthy of the honor of the Roman people for him to take his army across in boats, he had a bridge built so that it might cross on firm footing. It was there that he built that admirable bridge whose construction he describes in detail: for there is no point in the account of his deeds where he lingers so willingly as in showing us the ingenuity of his inventions in such kinds of handiwork.
I’y ay aussi remarqué cela, qu’il fait grand cas de ses exhortations aux soldats auant le combat: car où il veut montrer auoir esté surpris, ou pressé, il allegue tousiours cela, qu’il n’eut pas seulement loisir de haranguer son armée.
I have also noticed that he sets great store by his exhortations to his soldiers before battle: for where he wants to show that he was taken by surprise or hard pressed, he always pleads that he did not even have time to harangue his army.
Auant cette grande battaille contre ceux de Tournay; Cæsar, dict-il, ayant ordonné du reste, courut soudainement, où la fortune le porta, pour exhorter ses gens; et rencontrant la dixiesme legion, il n’eut loisir de leur dire, sinon, qu’ils eussent souuenance de leur vertu accoustumée, qu’ils ne s’estonnassent point, et soustinsent hardiment l’effort des aduersaires: et par ce que l’ennemy estoit des-ia approché à vn iect de traict, il donna le signe de la battaille: et de là estant passé soudainement ailleurs pour en encourager d’autres, il trouua qu’ils estoyent des-ia aux prises: voyla ce qu’il en dit en ce lieu là.
Before that great battle against the people of Tournai, Caesar, he says, having arranged everything else, ran swiftly wherever fortune took him to exhort his men; and coming upon the Tenth Legion, he had time only to tell them to remember their customary valor, not to be dismayed, and to withstand the enemy’s attack boldly. And because the enemy had already come within a javelin’s throw, he gave the signal for battle; and having then gone quickly elsewhere to encourage others, he found that they were already engaged. That is what he says of it in that passage.
De vray, sa langue luy a faict en plusieurs lieux de bien notables seruices, et estoit de son temps mesme, son eloquence militaire en telle recommendation, que plusieurs en son armée recueilloyent ses harangues: et par ce moyen, il en fut assemblé des volumes, qui ont duré long temps apres luy. Son parler auoit des graces particulieres; si que ses familiers, et entre autres Auguste, oyant reciter ce qui en auoit esté recueilly, recognoissoit iusques aux phrases, et aux mots, ce qui n’estoit pas du sien.
Indeed, his tongue did him very notable service on many occasions, and even in his own time his military eloquence was so highly esteemed that many in his army collected his harangues; in this way volumes of them were compiled which survived long after him. His speech had a particular grace, so that his intimates, among them Augustus, hearing what had been collected read aloud, could recognize, down to the phrases and the words, what was not his.
La premiere fois qu’il sortit de Rome, auec charge publique, il arriua en huict iours à la riuiere du Rhone, ayant dans son coche deuant luy vn secretaire ou deux qui escriuoyent sans cesse, et derriere luy, celuy qui portoit son espée.
The first time he left Rome with a public office, he reached the river Rhône in eight days, with a secretary or two in front of him in his carriage writing continuously, and behind him the man who carried his sword.
Et certes quand on ne feroit qu’aller, à peine pourroit-on atteindre à cette promptitude, dequoy tousiours victorieux ayant laissé la Gaule, et suiuant Pompeius à Brindes, il subiuga l’Italie en dix huict iours; reuint de Brindes à Rome; de Rome il s’en alla au fin fond de l’Espaigne; où il passa des difficultez extremes, en la guerre contre Affranius et Petreius, et au long siege de Marseille: de là il s’en retourna en la Macedoine, battit l’armée Romaine à Pharsale; passa de là, suiuant Pompeius, en Ægypte, laquelle il subiuga; d’Ægypte il vint en Syrie, et au pays de Pont, où il combattit Pharnaces; de là en Afrique, où il deffit Scipion et Iuba; et rebroussa encore par l’Italie en Espaigne, où il deffit les enfans de Pompeius.
And certainly, even if one did nothing but travel, one could hardly match the speed with which, ever victorious, he left Gaul, pursued Pompey to Brindisi and subjugated Italy in eighteen days; came back from Brindisi to Rome; went from Rome to the farthest end of Spain, where he got through extreme difficulties in the war against Afranius and Petreius and in the long siege of Marseille; went back from there to Macedonia and beat the Roman army at Pharsalus; went on from there in pursuit of Pompey to Egypt, which he subjugated; came from Egypt to Syria and the country of Pontus, where he fought Pharnaces; from there to Africa, where he defeated Scipio and Juba; and doubled back once more through Italy into Spain, where he defeated Pompey’s sons.
Ocior et cœli flammis et tigride fœta. / Ac veluti montis saxum de vertice præceps / Cùm ruit auulsum vento, seu turbidus imber / Proluit, aut annis soluit sublapsa vetustas, / Fertur in abruptum magno mons improbus actu, / Exultátque solo, siluas, armenta, virósque, / Inuoluens secum.
Swifter than the lightning of heaven or a tigress with young. / And as a rock plunging headlong from a mountain’s top, / when it crashes down, torn away by the wind, or a stormy rain / washes it loose, or the slow lapse of years undermines it, / the relentless mass is borne down the steep with mighty force / and bounds along the ground, sweeping forests, herds and men / along with it.
Caesar’s daring
Caesar reconnoitered in person and took enormous risks, from storms at sea to the siege of Alesia.
Parlant du siege d’Auaricum, il dit, que c’estoit sa coustume, de se tenir nuict et iour pres des ouuriers, qu’il auoit en besoigne. En toutes entreprises de consequence, il faisoit tousiours la descouuerte luy mesme, et ne passa iamais son armée en lieu, qu’il n’eust premierement recognu. Et si nous croyons Suetone; quand il fit l’entreprise de traietter en Angleterre, il fut le premier à sonder le gué.
Speaking of the siege of Avaricum, he says it was his custom to stay night and day near the workmen he had at work. In all undertakings of consequence he always did the reconnoitering himself, and he never took his army through a place he had not first examined. And if we believe Suetonius, when he undertook the crossing to England, he was the first to sound the ford.
Il auoit accoustumé de dire, qu’il aimoit mieux la victoire qui se conduisoit par conseil que par force. Et en la guerre contre Petreius et Afranius, la Fortune luy presentant vne bien apparante occasion d’aduantage; il la refusa, dit-il, esperant auec vn peu plus de longueur, mais moins de hazard, venir à bout de ses ennemis. Il fit aussi là vn merueilleux traict, de commander à tout son ost, de passer à nage la riuiere sans aucune necessité, Rapuitque ruens in prælia miles, / Quod fugiens timuisset iter: mox vda receptis / Membra fouent armis, gelidósque a gurgite, cursu / Restituunt artus.
He used to say that he preferred a victory won by counsel to one won by force. In the war against Petreius and Afranius, when Fortune offered him a very evident opportunity of gaining the advantage, he refused it, he says, hoping, with a little more time but less risk, to get the better of his enemies. He also performed a wonderful stroke there, ordering his whole army to swim across the river without any necessity: The soldier, rushing into battle, seized / the path he would have feared in flight; then they warm their wet / limbs in the armor they take up again, and by running restore / their bodies chilled by the flood.
Ie le trouue vn peu plus retenu et consideré en ses entreprinses, qu’Alexandre: car cettuy-cy semble rechercher et courir à force les dangers, comme vn impetueux torrent, qui choque et attaque sans discretion et sans chois, tout ce qu’il rencontre. Sic tauriformis voluitur Aufidus, / Qui regna Dauni perfluit Appuli / Dum sæuit, horrendámque cultis / Diluuiem meditatur agris. Aussi estoit-il embesongné en la fleur et premiere chaleur de son aage; là où Cæsar s’y print estant desia meur et bien auancé. Outre ce, qu’Alexandre estoit d’vne temperature plus sanguine, cholere, et ardente: et si esmouuoit encore cette humeur par le vin, duquel Cæsar estoit tres-abstinent.
I find him somewhat more restrained and deliberate in his undertakings than Alexander: for Alexander seems to seek out dangers and run at them full tilt, like an impetuous torrent that strikes and attacks everything it meets, without discernment and without choice. So rolls the bull-shaped Aufidus, / that flows through the realm of Apulian Daunus, / when it rages and plots a fearful / deluge for the tilled fields. And he was engaged in this in the flower and first heat of his youth, whereas Caesar took it up when already mature and well on in years. Besides, Alexander was of a more sanguine, choleric and ardent temperament, and he stirred up this humor still further with wine, from which Caesar abstained most strictly.
Mais où les occasions de la necessité se presentoyent, et où la chose le requeroit, il ne fut iamais homme faisant meilleur marché de sa personne. Quant à moy, il me semble lire en plusieurs de ses exploicts, vne certaine resolution de se perdre, pour fuyr la honte d’estre vaincu. En cette grande battaille qu’il eut contre ceux de Tournay, il courut se presenter à la teste des ennemis, sans bouclier, comme il se trouua, voyant la pointe de son armée s’esbranler: ce qui luy est aduenu plusieurs autres fois. Oyant dire que ses gens estoyent assiegez, il passa desguisé au trauers l’armée ennemie, pour les aller fortifier de sa presence.
But when occasions of necessity arose and the situation demanded it, there was never a man who held his own person cheaper. As for me, I seem to read in several of his exploits a certain resolve to throw away his life to escape the shame of defeat. In that great battle he fought against the people of Tournai, seeing the front of his army wavering, he ran to place himself facing the enemy’s front ranks, without a shield, just as he was; and this happened to him several other times. Hearing that his men were besieged, he passed in disguise through the enemy army to strengthen them with his presence.
Ayant trauersé à Dirrachium, auec bien petites forces, et voyant que le reste de son armée qu’il auoit laissée à conduire à Antonius, tardoit à le suiure, il entreprit luy seul de repasser la mer par vne tres-grande tormente: et se desroba, pour aller reprendre le reste de ses forces; les ports de delà, et toute la mer estant saisie par Pompeius. Et quant aux entreprises qu’il a faictes à main armée, il y en a plusieurs, qui surpassent en hazard tout discours de raison militaire: car auec combien foibles moyens, entreprint-il de subiuger le Royaume d’Ægypte: et depuis d’aller attaquer les forces de Scipion et de Iuba, de dix parts plus grandes que les siennes?
Having crossed to Dyrrachium with very small forces, and seeing that the rest of his army, which he had left Antony to bring over, was slow to follow him, he undertook to cross the sea back again alone in a tremendous storm, and he stole away to go and fetch the rest of his forces, though the ports on the other side and the whole sea were held by Pompey. As for the enterprises he undertook by force of arms, there are several that go beyond all the reasoning of military science in their risk. For with what slender means did he undertake to subjugate the kingdom of Egypt, and afterward to go and attack the forces of Scipio and Juba, ten times larger than his own?
Ces gens là ont eu ie ne sçay quelle plus qu’humaine confiance de leur fortune: et disoit-il, qu’il falloit executer, non pas consulter les hautes entreprises. Apres la battaille de Pharsale, comme il eust enuoyé son armée deuant en Asie, et passast auec vn seul vaisseau, le destroit de l’Hellespont, il rencontra en mer Lucius Cassius, auec dix gros nauires de guerre: il eut le courage non seulement de l’attendre, mais de tirer droit vers luy, et le sommer de se rendre: et en vint à bout.
Such men have had some more than human confidence in their fortune; and he used to say that great enterprises must be carried out, not deliberated. After the battle of Pharsalus, having sent his army ahead into Asia, he was crossing the strait of the Hellespont with a single vessel when he met Lucius Cassius at sea with ten great warships. He had the courage not only to wait for him but to make straight for him and summon him to surrender—and he carried it off.
Ayant entrepris ce furieux siege d’Alexia, où il y auoit quatre vingts mille hommes de deffence, toute la Gaule s’estant esleuée pour luy courre sus, et leuer le siege, et dressé vn’ armée de cent neuf mille cheuaux, et de deux cens quarante mille hommes de pied, quelle hardiesse et maniacle confiance fut-ce, de n’en vouloir abandonner son entreprise, et se resoudre à deux si grandes difficultez ensemble? Lesquelles toutesfois il soustint: et apres auoir gaigné cette grande battaille contre ceux de dehors, rengea bien tost à sa mercy ceux qu’il tenoit enfermez. Il en aduint autant à Lucullus, au siege de Tigranocerta contre le Roy Tigranes, mais d’vne condition dispareille, veu la mollesse des ennemis, à qui Lucullus auoit affaire.
He undertook that furious siege of Alesia, where there were eighty thousand men defending the town. All Gaul had risen to fall upon him and raise the siege, and had raised an army of a hundred and nine thousand horse and two hundred and forty thousand foot. What boldness, what manic confidence was it, to refuse to give up his undertaking and to resolve to take on two such great difficulties at once? Yet he withstood them both. After winning that great battle against those outside, he soon brought those he held shut in to his mercy. The same thing happened to Lucullus at the siege of Tigranocerta against King Tigranes, but under very unequal conditions, given the softness of the enemies Lucullus had to deal with.
Ie veux icy remarquer deux rares euenemens et extraordinaires, sur le faict de ce siege d’Alexia, l’vn, que les Gaulois s’assemblans pour venir trouuer là Cæsar, ayans faict denombrement de toutes leurs forces, resolurent en leur conseil, de retrancher vne bonne partie de cette grande multitude, de peur qu’ils n’en tombassent en confusion. Cet exemple est nouueau, de craindre à estre trop: mais à le bien prendre, il est vray-semblable, que le corps d’vne armée doit auoir vne grandeur moderée, et reglée à certaines bornes, soit pour la difficulté de la nourrir, soit pour la difficulté de la conduire et tenir en ordre. Aumoins seroit il bien aisé à verifier par exemple, que ces armées monstrueuses en nombre, n’ont guere rien fait qui vaille.
I want to note here two rare and extraordinary events concerning this siege of Alesia. One is that the Gauls, gathering to come and confront Caesar there, took a count of all their forces and resolved in their council to cut off a good part of that great multitude, for fear of falling into confusion. This is a new kind of example: to be afraid of being too many. But taken rightly, it is likely that the body of an army should be of moderate size, kept within certain bounds, whether because of the difficulty of feeding it or the difficulty of leading it and keeping it in order. At least it would be easy to show by examples that those armies monstrous in number have hardly ever done anything worthwhile.
Suiuant le dire de Cyrus en Xenophon, ce n’est pas le nombre des hommes, ains le nombre des bons hommes, qui faict l’aduantage: le demeurant servant plus de destourbier que de secours. Et Baiazet print le principal fondement à sa resolution, de liurer iournée à Tamburlan, contre l’aduis de tous ses Capitaines, sur ce, que le nombre innombrable des hommes de son ennemy luy donnoit certaine esperance de confusion. Scanderbech bon iuge et tres expert, auoit accoustumé de dire, que dix ou douze mille combattans fideles, deuoient baster à vn suffisant chef de guerre, pour garantir sa reputation en toute sorte de besoing militaire.
As Cyrus says in Xenophon, it is not the number of men but the number of good men that gives the advantage; the rest are more of a hindrance than a help. And Bajazet based his resolution to give battle to Tamburlaine, against the advice of all his captains, chiefly on this: that the countless number of his enemy’s men gave him sure hope that they would fall into confusion. Scanderbeg, a good judge and very expert, used to say that ten or twelve thousand loyal fighting men should be enough for a competent commander to secure his reputation in every kind of military need.
L’autre poinct, qui semble estre contraire, et à l’vsage, et à la raison de la guerre, c’est que Vercingentorix, qui estoit nommé chef et general de toutes les parties des Gaules, reuoltées, print party de s’aller enfermer dans Alexia. Car celuy qui commande à tout vn pays ne se doit iamais engager qu’au cas de cette extremité, qu’il y allast de sa derniere place, et qu’il n’y eust rien plus à esperer qu’en la deffence d’icelle. Autrement il se doit tenir libre, pour auoir moyen de prouuoir en general à toutes les parties de son gouuernement.
The other point, which seems contrary both to the practice and to the reason of war, is that Vercingetorix, who had been named leader and general of all the rebellious parts of Gaul, chose to go and shut himself up in Alesia. For whoever commands a whole country should never commit himself except in that extremity where his last stronghold is at stake and there is nothing more to hope for but in defending it. Otherwise he must keep himself free, so as to be able to provide generally for every part of his command.
Pour reuenir à Cæsar, il deuint auec le temps vn peu plus tardif et plus consideré, comme tesmoigne son familier Oppius: estimant, qu’il ne deuoit aisément hazarder l’honneur de tant de victoires, lequel, vne seule defortune luy pourroit faire perdre. C’est ce que disent les Italiens, quand ils veulent reprocher cette hardiesse temeraire, qui se void aux ieunes gens, les nommants necessiteux d’honneur, bisognosi d’honore: et qu’estans encore en cette grande faim et disette de reputation, ils ont raison de la chercher à quelque prix que ce soit: ce que ne doiuent pas faire ceux qui en ont desia acquis à suffisance.
To return to Caesar: with time he became somewhat slower and more deliberate, as his intimate friend Oppius testifies, judging that he should not lightly risk the honor of so many victories, which a single misfortune could make him lose. This is what the Italians mean when they want to reproach the reckless boldness seen in young men: they call them needy of honor, in want of honor, and say that, being still in that great hunger and dearth of reputation, they are right to seek it at any price—which those who have already acquired enough of it should not do.
Il y peut auoir quelque iuste moderation en ce desir de gloire, et quelque sacieté en cet appetit comme aux autres: assez de gens le pratiquent ainsin.
There can be some just measure in this desire for glory, and some point of fullness in this appetite as in the others: plenty of people practice it that way.
Il estoit bien esloigné de cette religion des anciens Romains, qui ne se vouloyent preualoir en leurs guerres, que de la vertu simple et nayfue. Mais encore y apportoit il plus de conscience que nous ne ferions à cette heure, et n’approuuoit pas toutes sortes de moyens, pour acquerir la victoire. En la guerre contre Ariouistus, estant à parlementer auec luy, il y suruint quelque remuement entre les deux armées, qui commença par la faute des gens de cheual d’Ariouistus. Sur ce tumulte, Cæsar se trouua auoir fort grand aduantage sur ses ennemis, toutes-fois il ne s’en voulut point preualoir, de peur qu’on luy peust reprocher d’y auoir procedé de mauuaise foy.
He was far removed from that scrupulousness of the ancient Romans, who would make use in their wars only of plain, unaffected valor. Still, he brought more conscience to it than we would nowadays, and did not approve of every kind of means for gaining victory. In the war against Ariovistus, while he was parleying with him, some disturbance arose between the two armies, started through the fault of Ariovistus’s horsemen. In this tumult Caesar found himself with a very great advantage over his enemies; yet he would not use it, for fear that he might be reproached with having acted in bad faith.
Il auoit accoustumé de porter vn accoustrement riche au combat, et de couleur esclatante, pour se faire remarquer.
He used to wear rich clothing in battle, of a brilliant color, to make himself noticed.
Il tenoit la bride plus estroite à ses soldats, et les tenoit plus de court estants pres des ennemis.
He kept a tighter rein on his soldiers, and held them more closely in check, when they were near the enemy.
Quand les anciens Grecs vouloient accuser quelqu’vn d’extreme insuffisance, ils disoyent en commun prouerbe, qu’il ne sçauoit ny lire ny nager: il auoit cette mesme opinion, que la science de nager estoit tres-vtile à la guerre, et en tira plusieurs commoditez: s’il auoit à faire diligence, il franchissoit ordinairement à nage les riuieres qu’il rencontroit: car il aymoit à voyager à pied, comme le grand Alexandre.
When the ancient Greeks wanted to accuse someone of utter incompetence, they would say, as a common proverb, that he could neither read nor swim. He held this same opinion, that skill in swimming was very useful in war, and he drew several advantages from it. If he had to move fast, he usually swam across the rivers he came upon; for he liked to travel on foot, like Alexander the Great.
En Ægypte, ayant esté forcé pour se sauuer, de se mettre dans vn petit batteau, et tant de gens s’y estants lancez quant et luy, qu’il estoit en danger d’aller à fons, il ayma mieux se ietter en la mer, et gaigna sa flotte à nage, qui estoit plus de deux cents pas au delà, tenant en sa main gauche ses tablettes hors de l’eau, et trainant à belles dents sa cotte d’armes, afin que l’ennemy n’en iouyst, estant desia bien auancé sur l’aage.
In Egypt he was forced to get into a small boat to save himself, and so many people jumped in along with him that it was in danger of sinking. He preferred to throw himself into the sea, and swam to his fleet, which was more than two hundred paces off, holding his writing tablets out of the water in his left hand and dragging his coat of armor along in his teeth so that the enemy should not have it—and this when he was already well on in years.
Caesar’s loyal soldiers
His soldiers served him unpaid, died rather than desert him, and the besieged of Salona broke out.
Iamais chef de guerre n’eut tant de creance sur ses soldats. Au commencement de ses guerres ciuiles, les centeniers luy offrirent de soudoyer chacun sur sa bourse, vn homme d’armes, et les gens de pied, de le seruir à leurs despens: ceux qui estoyent plus aysez, entreprenants encore à deffrayer les plus necessiteux. Feu Monsieur l’Admiral de Chastillon nous fit veoir dernierement vn pareil cas en noz guerres ciuiles: car les François de son armée, fournissoient de leurs bourses au payement des estrangers, qui l’accompagnoient. Il ne se trouueroit guere d’exemples d’affection si ardente et si preste, parmy ceux qui marchent dans le vieux train, soubs l’ancienne police des loix. La passion nous commande bien plus viuement que la raison.
Never did a commander have such credit with his soldiers. At the beginning of his civil wars, the centurions offered each to pay for a man-at-arms out of his own purse, and the foot soldiers offered to serve him at their own expense, the better-off even undertaking to support the neediest. The late Admiral de Châtillon showed us a similar case recently in our own civil wars: the Frenchmen in his army contributed from their own purses to pay the foreigners who were with him. Hardly any examples of such ardent and ready affection would be found among those who march along the old road, under the ancient government of the laws. Passion commands us far more forcefully than reason.
Il est pourtant aduenu en la guerre contre Annibal, qu’à l’exemple de la liberalité du peuple Romain en la ville, les gendarmes et Capitaines refuserent leur paye; et appelloit on au camp de Marcellus, mercenaires, ceux qui en prenoient. Ayant eu du pire aupres de Dyrrachium, ses soldats se vindrent d’eux mesmes offrir à estre chastiez et punis, de façon qu’il eut plus à les consoler qu’à les tancer. Vne sienne seule cohorte, soustint quatre legions de Pompeius plus de quatre heures, iusques à ce qu’elle fut quasi toute deffaicte à coups de trait, et se trouua dans la tranchée, cent trente mille flesches.
Yet it did happen in the war against Hannibal that, following the example of the generosity of the Roman people in the city, the men-at-arms and captains refused their pay; and in Marcellus’s camp those who took it were called mercenaries. When Caesar had had the worst of it near Dyrrachium, his soldiers came of their own accord to offer themselves to be chastised and punished, so that he had more need to console them than to scold them. A single cohort of his held off four of Pompey’s legions for more than four hours, until it was almost entirely destroyed by missiles; and a hundred and thirty thousand arrows were found in the trench.
Vn soldat nommé Scæua, qui commandoit à l’vne des entrées, s’y maintint inuincible ayant vn œil creué, vne espaule et vne cuisse percées, et son escu faucé en deux cens trente lieux. Il est aduenu à plusieurs de ses soldats pris prisonniers, d’accepter plustost la mort, que de vouloir promettre de prendre autre party. Granius Petronius, pris par Scipion en Affrique, Scipion apres auoir faict mourir ses compagnons, luy manda qu’il luy donnoit la vie, car il estoit homme de reng et questeur: Petronius respondit que les soldats de Cæsar auoyent accoustumé de donner la vie aux autres, non la receuoir; et se tua tout soudain de sa main propre.
A soldier named Scaeva, who commanded at one of the entrances, held out there unconquered with one eye put out, a shoulder and a thigh pierced, and his shield pierced in two hundred and thirty places. Many of his soldiers who were taken prisoner chose to accept death rather than promise to change sides. Granius Petronius was captured by Scipio in Africa. Scipio, having put his companions to death, sent him word that he would spare his life, since he was a man of rank and a quaestor. Petronius answered that Caesar’s soldiers were accustomed to give life to others, not to receive it; and immediately killed himself with his own hand.
Il y a infinis exemples de leur fidelité: il ne faut pas oublier le traict de ceux qui furent assiegez à Salone, ville partizane pour Cæsar contre Pompeius, pour vn rare accident qui y aduint. Marcus Octauius les tenoit assiegez; ceux de dedans estans reduits en extreme necessité de toutes choses, en maniere que pour suppleer au deffaut qu’ils auoyent d’hommes, la plus part d’entre eux y estans morts et blessez, ils auoyent mis en liberté tous leurs esclaues, et pour le seruice de leurs engins auoient esté contraints de coupper les cheueux de toutes les femmes, affin d’en faire des cordes; outre vne merueilleuse disette de viures; et ce neantmoins resolus de iamais ne se rendre.
There are countless examples of their loyalty. We must not forget the deed of those who were besieged at Salona, a town that took Caesar’s side against Pompey, because of a rare event that happened there. Marcus Octavius held them under siege. Those inside were reduced to extreme want of everything. To make up for their lack of men, most of them having been killed or wounded, they had freed all their slaves; and to work their siege engines they had been forced to cut off the hair of all the women to make ropes from it—on top of a terrible shortage of food. And yet they were resolved never to surrender.
Apres auoir trainé ce siege en grande longueur, d’où Octauius estoit deuenu plus nonchalant, et moins attentif à son entreprinse, ils choisirent vn iour sur le midy, et comme ils eurent rangé les femmes et les enfans sur leurs murailles, pour faire bonne mine, sortirent en telle furie, sur les assiegeans, qu’ayants enfoncé le premier, le second, et tiers corps de garde, et le quatriesme, et puis le reste, et ayants faict du tout abandonner les tranchées, les chasserent iusques dans les nauires: et Octauius mesmes se sauua à Dyrrachium, où estoit Pompeius.
The siege had dragged on a long time, which made Octavius more careless and less attentive to his enterprise. They chose a day, around noon, and after lining up the women and children on their walls to keep up appearances, they sallied out against the besiegers in such fury that they broke through the first, the second and the third guard posts, and the fourth, and then the rest; they made them abandon the trenches altogether and chased them right into their ships. Octavius himself escaped to Dyrrachium, where Pompey was.
Ie n’ay point memoire pour cett’ heure, d’auoir veu aucun autre exemple, où les assiegez battent en gros les assiegeans, et gaignent la maistrise de la campaigne; ny qu’vne sortie ait tiré en consequence, vne pure et entiere victoire de battaille.
I cannot remember for now having seen any other example where the besieged beat the besiegers wholesale and won mastery of the field, or where a sally resulted in a pure and complete victory in battle.