QUOTE: If you want peace, prepare
for war.
("Let him who desires peace prepare for war," also paraphrased as si
vis pacem para bellum)
AUTHOR: De Re Militari
(Latin "Concerning Military Matters"), also Epitoma Rei Militaris, is a
treatise by the late Latin writer Vegetius about Roman warfare and military
principles as a presentation of methods and practices in use during the height
of Rome's power, and responsible for that power. The extant text dates to the
5th century.
Vegetius emphasized
things such as training of soldiers as a disciplined force, orderly strategy,
maintenance of supply lines and logistics, quality leadership and use of
tactics and even deceit to ensure advantage over the opposition. He was
concerned about selection of good soldiers and recommended hard training of at
least four months before the soldier was accepted into the ranks. The leader of
the army (dux or duke) had to take care of the men under his command and
keep himself informed about the movements of the enemy to gain advantage in the
battle.
De Re Militari became a
military guide in the Middle Ages. Even after the introduction of gunpowder to
Europe, it was carried by general officers and their staffs as a field guide to
methods. Friends and subordinates customarily presented embellished copies as
suitable gifts to leaders who had everything. It went on into the 18th and 19th
centuries as a source of policy and strategy to the major states of Europe. In
that sense De Re Militari is a projection of Roman civilization into
modern times and a continuation of its influence on its cultural descendants.
APPLICATION:
Although
this quote refers to a Just War Theory, which I agree to it. I chose this for
the Pro-Death Penalty Quote of the week because I feel that capital punishment is cousin to a defensive war where the
state is both wiping out evildoers.
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