How a Prudent1 Captain ought to Impose Every Necessity for Fighting on His Soldiers, and Take them Away from the Enemy
At another time we have discussed how useful necessity is to human actions, and to what glory they have been led by it; and it has been written by some moral Philosophers that the hands and the tongue of men, two most noble instruments to ennoble him, would not have operated perfectly2, nor brought human works to the heights to which it has been seen they were conducted, unless they had been pushed by necessity. The ancient Captains having recognized the virtu of such necessity, therefore, and how much it caused the spirits of the soldiers to become obstinate3 in the fighting, did everything they could to see that the soldiers were constrained4 by it. And on the other hand they used all industry so that the enemy be freed [from fighting]; and because of this they often opened to the enemy that road which they could have closed, and closed to their own soldiers that which they could have left open. Whoever, therefore, desires that a City be defended obstinately5, or that an army in the field should fight, ought above every other thing to endeavor to put such necessity into the hearts of those who have to fight. Whence a prudent Captain who has to go to destroy a City, ought to measure the ease or difficulty of the siege by finding out and considering what necessity constrains6 its inhabitants to defend themselves; and when much necessity is found which constrains them to the defense7, he judges the siege will be difficult, if otherwise, he judges it to be easy. From this it follows that towns, after a rebellion, are more difficult to acquire than they were in the original acquisition; for in the beginning, not having cause to fear punishment because they had not given offense8, they surrender easily: but if it appears to them (they having rebelled) to have given offense, and because of this fearing punishment, they become difficult under siege.
Such obstinacy9 also arises from the natural hatred10 the neighboring Princes and Republics have for one another, which proceeds from the ambition to dominate and the jealousy11 of their State; especially if they are Republics, as happened in Tuscany: which rivalry12 and contention13 has made, and always will make, difficult the destruction of one by the other. Whoever, therefore, considers well the neighbors of the City of Florence and the neighbors of the City of Venice, will not marvel14 (as many do) that Florence has expended15 more in war and acquired less than Venice; for it arises from the fact that the Venetians did not have neighbors as obstinate in their defense as had Florence, and the neighboring Cities of Venice being accustomed to live under a Prince and not free; and those which are accustomed to servitude often esteem16 less a change of masters, and rather many times they desire it. So that Venice (although she had neighbors more powerful than did Florence), because of having found these [neighboring] lands more obstinate, was able rather to overcome them than that other [Florence], since it is surrounded entirely17 by free States.
A Captain ought, therefore, (to return to the beginning of this discourse) when he assaults a town, to endeavor with all diligence to deprive the defenders18 of such necessity, and thus also its obstinacy; promising19 them pardon if they have fear of punishment, and if they have fear of losing their liberty, to assure them he is not contriving20 against the common good, but against the few ambitious ones in the City. This has often facilitated the enterprise and the capture of towns. And although similar [artifices] are easily recognized, and especially by prudent men, none the less the people are often deceived; they, in their intense desire for present peace, close their eyes to any other snare21 that may be hidden under these large promises, and in this way, an infinite number of Cities have fallen into servitude; as happened to Florence in recent times, and to Crassus and his army [in ancient times] who, although he recognized the vain promises of the Parthians which were made to deprive the soldiers of the necessity to defend themselves, none the less, being blinded by the offer of peace which was made to them by their enemies, he could not keep them obstinate [in their resistance], as is observed reading of the life of [Crassus] in detail.
I say, therefore, that the Samnites, because of the ambitions of a few and outside the conventions of the accord, overran and pillaged22 the fields of the confederate Romans; and then sent Ambassadors to Rome to ask for peace, offering to restore the things pillaged and to give up as prisoners the authors of the tumults23 and the pillaging24, but were rebuffed by the Romans: and [the Ambassadors] having returned to Samnium without hope for any accord, Claudius Pontius, then Captain of the Army of the Samnites, pointed25 out in a notable oration26 that the Romans wanted war in any event, and even though they themselves should desire peace, necessity made them pursue the war, saying these words: War is just, where it is from necessity, and where there is no hope but in arms; upon which necessity he based his hope of victory with his soldiers.
And in order not to return to this subject further, it appears proper to me to cite those Roman examples which are more worthy27 of annotation28. C. Manlius was with his army encountering the Veientes, and a part of the Veientan army having entered into the entrenchments of Manlius, Manlius ran with a band to their succor29, and so that the Veientans would not be able to save themselves, occupied all the entrances to the camp: whence the Veienti, seeing themselves shut in, began to fight with such fury that they killed Manlius, and would have attacked all the rest of the Romans, if one of the Tribunes by his prudence30 had not opened a way for them to get out. Whence it is seen that when necessity constrained the Veienti to fight, they fought most ferociously31: but when they saw the way open, they thought more of flight than of fighting. The Volscians and Equeans had entered with their armies into the confines of Rome. They [the Romans] sent Consuls32 against them. So that the army of the Volscians, of which Vettius Messius was Head, in the heat of battle found itself shut in between its own entrenchments which were occupied by the Romans and the other Roman army; and seeing that they needs much die or save themselves by the sword, he [Messius] said these words to his soldiers; Follow me, neither walls nor ditches block you, but only men armed as you are: of equal virtu, you have the superiority of necessity, that last but best weapon. So that this necessity is called by T. Livius THE LAST AND BEST WEAPON. Camillus, the most prudent among all the Roman Captains, having already entered the City of the Veienti with his army, to facilitate its taking and to deprive the enemy of the last necessity of defending themselves, commanded, in a way that the Veienti heard, that no one was to be harmed of those who should be disarmed33. So that they threw down their arms and the City was taken almost without bloodshed. Which method was afterwards observed by many Captains.
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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constrains
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| 强迫( constrain的第三人称单数 )； 强使； 限制； 约束 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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offense
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| n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪 | |
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obstinacy
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| n.顽固；（病痛等）难治 | |
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hatred
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| n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨 | |
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jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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contention
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| n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张 | |
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marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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expended
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| v.花费( expend的过去式和过去分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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snare
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| n.陷阱，诱惑，圈套；（去除息肉或者肿瘤的）勒除器；响弦，小军鼓；vt.以陷阱捕获，诱惑 | |
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pillaged
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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tumults
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| 吵闹( tumult的名词复数 )； 喧哗； 激动的吵闹声； 心烦意乱 | |
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pillaging
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| v.抢劫，掠夺( pillage的现在分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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oration
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| n.演说，致辞，叙述法 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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annotation
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| n.注解 | |
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succor
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| n.援助，帮助；v.给予帮助 | |
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prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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ferociously
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| 野蛮地，残忍地 | |
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consuls
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| 领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次） | |
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disarmed
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| v.裁军( disarm的过去式和过去分词 )；使息怒 | |
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