Végèce ( Flavius Vegetius Renatus ) is a military writer Roman of the end of the 4th century and beginning of the Ve.

Summary biography

Its life is badly known. Only two of its works bring some information: Epitoma rei militaris (also known under Re Militari ), and most known: Digesta Artis Mulomedicinae which was a handbook of veterinary medicine.

The last event mentioned in its Epitoma rei militaris is the death of the emperor of the emperor Gratien (383); the oldest mention of its work is that of Flavius Eutropius, writing in Constantiniople into 450. Although Eutropius locates it at Constantinople, the scientific community estimates that Végèce wrote since the Western Empire. Végèce dedicated its work with the reigning emperor of which the identity is discussed: some follow the suggestion of D. Schenk, which recognizes in him Flavius Theodosius; others line up in the opinion of Otto Seeck and think of reading Valentine III.

It is still known that it was comes and to vir illustri . Was Végèce him even pagan or Christian? The contents of its work would rather make lean for the second opinion, since Végèce qualifies Gratien of " there; divin." However, this emperor had attracted himself the hatred of the partisans of the Roman religion to have withdrawn from the Senate the furnace bridge of the Victoire and to have removed the privileges of the pontiffs of paganism. One thus imagines badly one holding of the polytheism to qualify Gratien of " divin" , the more so as this last had not received the apotheosis after its death (contrary to Constance 2, Christian emperor that pagan Symmaque qualifies " divin" in its plea for the furnace bridge of the Victoire).

Works

Végèce is the author of Rei Militaris Instituta or Epitoma Rei Militaris ( Abrégé military questions ), probably written with the whole beginning of the 5th century. It is one of the most important sources on the Roman military organization. The lesson that we preserved some contains a dedication with Théodose. According to certain scholars, it would have been actually dedicated to Valentinien III. It is composed of 5 books, treating:

• of the recruitment and the instruction of the soldiers

• of the organization of the legion in old the Roman army
• of elements of Tactical Strategy and
• of the attack and the defense of the places
• of the navy

The treaty is still quoted by Konrad Kyeser and was translated into French in 1488 by Vérard. It was read much by the French officers with the modern time, in particular by the marshal of Saxony, which was inspired some to compose its Rêveries .

This book contains celebrates it sentence “Which desiderat pacem praeparet bellum”, often translated by “If Screw Pacem, Para Bellum”.

Végèce is also the author of a veterinary treaty called Mulomedicina .

The Epitoma rei militaris

Epitoma rei militaris of Végèce was written between 386 and 388 and was dedicated to the emperor Théodose Ier. This treaty of Roman art of warfare is composed of four books. The last one treats the poliorcétique one and includes/understands an appendix on the naval war.

As remarked it G.R. Watson, Epitoma de Végèce is the single ancient handbook of the Roman military institutions which is to us intact parvenu. . In spite of that, Watson questions his value, for him, it was neither a historian, nor a soldier: its work is a compilation builds carefully starting from a matter of any age is a collection of contradictions. . These sources, according to him, were Marcus Porcius Cato, Cornelius Celsus, Frontinus, Paternus and the imperial constitutions of Auguste, Trajan and Hadrian.

The first book is a plea for a reform of the army and draws up protrait it, in a very sharp way, military decline of the Roman empire. it also describes in detail the organization of the drive and the equipment of the army of the beginning of the empire. The Third contains a series of military maxims which were (with accuracy taking into account the resemblance between two times the military conditions) the foundation of the military knowledge for the European big bosses of Guillaume Silent the with Frederic large the. When the French revolution and the " populate in armes" the history we entered heard a little more Vegetius. Some of its maxims can be recalled here to illustrate the principles of the war in a political use as it recommendait it:

• All that favors your enemy you disadvantage and all that is useful for you, disadvantage your enemy.

• The main objective in the war is to make safe a great mass of provision for oneself and to reduce the enemy to the famine. The famine is much more terrible than the sword.
• No person of should be employed on the ground if it previously were not involved and subjected to the discipline.
• It is preferable to beat the enemy by the difficult will, surprise and places (for example: through operations) that in a battle in an open ground.
• That which wishes peace prepares the war.

In fact maxims guided the chiefs of the professional armies since historical times such as for example the Chinese generals Sun Tzu and Wu. Its " seven normals provisions for the bataille" who were one moment with the honor in the European schools of strategy, are still applicable under the modern conditions of combat. Its book on the art of the seat is important because it contains the best description of a seat at the time Roman and medieval. From this one, among other things, we learn the details from a machine of seat called the onager which seems to have been a key machine in the seats until the appearance of modern artillery. The fifth book is intended to the personnel and material of the marine.

The appendix on the naval war

Végèce starts with a history pointing out that the Romans had always a fleet equipped well, divided into two squadrons, one in Ravenne and the other in Misène, each one equipped with a legion, able to intervene on all Mediterranean. Each squadron was ordered by a prefect assisted powerful orators of troops, while the liburnes were ordered by the navarques ones.

The Liburne S draw their name from the Liburnie, Dalmatian province, and, since the Bataille of Actium, are the standard model used by the Romans. Végèce summarily gives the principles of construction of the liburnes and the cut of wood. The liburnes have from one to five rows of oarsmen. Light ships of twenty oarsmen control them and are used for the naval recognition: they are camouflaged (literally picati or “painted”) color green ocean.

Végèce evokes the Greek and Latin names of the twelve known marine winds. To know the mode of the winds makes it possible to avoid the storms and the months of navigation. Végèce gives the harbingers of the storms: the observation of stars and the Moon is recommended. It evokes according to Georgica de Virgile and the books of Varron the other signs heralding: air, clouds, animals.

Flow and the backward flow are elements which help or serve the ships and which must be under consideration before the action. The knowledge of the places, the assiduous observation by watchtowers and the muscular force of the oarsmen confer on the ships their eyes and their arm. The victory depends on the skilful skill of the quartermaster and the arms of the oarsmen.

The naval weapons, more than the terrestrial weapons, comprise machines of feature used in the seats. Végèce considers the naval action like an artillery battle. Fire is the first enemy to be fought. Nothing is so cruel that a naval action where the men perish in the flames or water.

To carry a complete armor is made necessary, and all the more bearable as the troops do not have to be driven. Turns can furnish the vessels and all kinds of hooks, of weapons of jet, pieces of artillery, substances flamers.

Chapter 45 is devoted to the naval operations: ambush, battle order while growing to wrap the adversary, to push the enemy towards the coasts to limit its dash and its margin of action. The final chapter treats boarding. Végèce recommends the use of a shoed beam, kind of marine ram to perforate the bridge, scythe to cut the ropes, axe with double edge for the same use. Végèce finishes by the praise of the river fleet of the Danube which, according to him, watch a talent higher than the past.