THE WARS OF THE JEWS
OR
THE HISTORY OF THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM
Book III: Chapter 5
A DESCRIPTION OF THE ROMAN ARMIES AND ROMAN CAMPS
AND OF OTHER PARTICULARS FOR WHICH THE ROMANS ARE
COMMENDED.
1. NOW here one cannot but admire at the
precaution of the Romans, in providing themselves of
such household servants, as might not only serve at
other times for the common offices of life, but might
also be of advantage to them in their wars. And,
indeed, if any one does but attend to the other parts
of their military discipline, he will be forced to
confess that their obtaining so large a dominion hath
been the acquisition of their valor, and not the bare
gift of fortune; for they do not begin to use their
weapons first in time of war, nor do they then put
their hands first into motion, while they avoided so
to do in times of peace; but, as if their weapons did
always cling to them, they have never any truce from
warlike exercises; nor do they stay till times of war
admonish them to use them; for their military
exercises differ not at all from the real use of their
arms, but every soldier is every day exercised, and
that with great diligence, as if it were in time of
war, which is the reason why they bear the fatigue of
battles so easily; for neither can any disorder remove
them from their usual regularity, nor can fear
affright them out of it, nor can labor tire them;
which firmness of conduct makes them always to
overcome those that have not the same firmness; nor
would he be mistaken that should call those their
exercises unbloody battles, and their battles bloody
exercises. Nor can their enemies easily surprise them
with the suddenness of their incursions; for as soon
as they have marched into an enemy’s land, they do not
begin to fight till they have walled their camp about;
nor is the fence they raise rashly made, or uneven;
nor do they all abide ill it, nor do those that are in
it take their places at random; but if it happens that
the ground is uneven, it is first leveled: their camp
is also four-square by measure, and carpenters are
ready, in great numbers, with their tools, to erect
their buildings for them. 3
2. As for what is within the camp, it is set apart
for tents, but the outward circumference hath the
resemblance to a wall, and is adorned with towers
at equal distances, where between the towers stand
the engines for throwing arrows and darts, and for
slinging stones, and where they lay all other engines
that can annoy the enemy, all ready for their several
operations. They also erect four gates, one at every
side of the circumference, and those large enough for
the entrance of the beasts, and wide enough for making
excursions, if occasion should require. They divide
the camp within into streets, very conveniently, and
place the tents of the commanders in the middle; but
in the very midst of all is the general’s own tent, in
the nature of a temple, insomuch, that it appears to
be a city built on the sudden, with its market-place,
and place for handicraft trades, and with seats for
the officers superior and inferior, where, if any
differences arise, their causes are heard and
determined. The camp, and all that is in it, is
encompassed with a wall round about, and that sooner
than one would imagine, and this by the multitude and
the skill of the laborers; and, if occasion require, a
trench is drawn round the whole, whose depth is four
cubits, and its breadth equal.
3. When they have thus secured themselves, they
live together by companies, with quietness and decency,
as are all their other affairs managed with good order
and security. Each company hath also their wood, and
their corn, and their water brought them, when they
stand in need of them; for they neither sup nor dine
as they please themselves singly, but all together.
Their times also for sleeping, and watching, and
rising are notified beforehand by the sound of
trumpets, nor is any thing done without such a signal;
and in the morning the soldiery go every one to their
centurions, and these centurions to their tribunes, to
salute them; with whom all the superior officers go to
the general of the whole army, who then gives them of
course the watchword and other orders, to be by them
cared to all that are under their command; which is
also observed when they go to fight, and thereby they
turn themselves about on the sudden, when there is
occasion for making sallies, as they come back when
they are recalled in crowds also.
4. Now when they are to go out of their camp, the
trumpet gives a sound, at which time nobody lies still,
but at the first intimation they take down their
tents, and all is made ready for their going out; then
do the trumpets sound again, to order them to get
ready for the march; then do they lay their baggage
suddenly upon their mules, and other beasts of burden,
and
stand, as at the place of starting, ready to march;
when also they set fire to their camp, and this they
do because it will be easy for them to erect another
camp, and that it may not ever be of use to their
enemies. Then do the trumpets give a sound the third
time, that they are to go out, in order to excite
those that on any account are a little tardy, that so
no one may be out of his rank when the army marches.
Then does the crier stand at the general’s right hand,
and asks them thrice, in their own tongue, whether
they be now ready to go out to war or not? To which
they reply as often, with a loud and cheerful voice,
saying, “We are ready.” And this they do almost before
the question is asked them: they do this as filled
with a kind of martial fury, and at the same time that
they so cry out, they lift up their right hands also.
5. When, after this, they are gone out of their
camp, they all march without noise, and in a decent
manner, and every one keeps his own rank, as if they
were going to war. The footmen are armed with
breastplates and head-pieces, and have swords on each
side; but the sword which is upon their left side is
much longer than the other, for that on the right side
is not longer than a span. Those foot-men also that
are chosen out from the rest to be about the general
himself have a lance and a buckler, but the rest of
the foot soldiers have a spear and a long buckler,
besides a saw and a basket, a pick-axe and an axe, a
thong of leather and a hook, with provisions for three
days, so that a footman hath no great need of a mule
to carry his burdens. The horsemen have a long sword
on their right sides, axed a long pole in their hand;
a shield also lies by them obliquely on one side of
their horses, with three or more darts that are borne
in their quiver, having broad points, and not smaller
than spears. They have also head-pieces and
breastplates, in like manner as have all the footmen.
And for those that are chosen to be about the general,
their armor no way differs from that of the horsemen
belonging to other troops; and he always leads the
legions forth to whom the lot assigns that employment.
6. This is the manner of the marching and resting
of the Romans, as alsothese are the several sorts of
weapons they use. But when they are to fight, they
leave nothing without forecast, nor to be done
off-hand, but counsel is ever first taken before any
work is begun, and what hath been there resolved upon
is put in execution presently; for which reason they
seldom commit any errors; and if they have been
mistaken at any time,
they easily correct those mistakes. They also
esteem any errors they commit upon taking counsel
beforehand to be better than such rash success as is
owing to fortune only; because such a fortuitous
advantage tempts them to be inconsiderate, while
consultation, though it may sometimes fail of success,
hath this good in it, that it makes men more careful
hereafter; but for the advantages that arise from
chance, they are not owing to him that gains them; and
as to what melancholy accidents happen unexpectedly,
there is this comfort in them, that they had however
taken the best consultations they could to prevent
them.
7. Now they so manage their preparatory exercises
of their weapons, that not the bodies of the soldiers
only, but their souls may also become stronger: they
are moreover hardened for war by fear; for their laws
inflict capital punishments, not only for soldiers
running away from the ranks, but for slothfulness and
inactivity, though it be but in a lesser degree; as
are their generals more severe than their laws, for
they prevent any imputation of cruelty toward those
under condemnation, by the great rewards they bestow
on the valiant soldiers; and the readiness of obeying
their commanders is so great, that it is very
ornamental in peace; but when they come to a battle,
the whole army is but one body, so well coupled
together are their ranks, so sudden are their turnings
about, so sharp their hearing as to what orders are
given them, so quick their sight of the ensigns, and
so nimble are their hands when they set to work;
whereby it comes to pass that what they do is done
quickly, and what they suffer they bear with the
greatest patience. Nor can we find any examples where
they have been conquered in battle, when they came to
a close fight, either by the multitude of the enemies,
or by their stratagems, or by the difficulties in the
places they were in; no, nor by fortune neither, for
their victories have been surer to them than fortune
could have granted them. In a case, therefore, where
counsel still goes before action, and where, after
taking the best advice, that advice is followed by so
active an army, what wonder is it that Euphrates on
the east, the ocean on the west, the most fertile
regions of Libya on the south, and the Danube and the
Rhine on the north, are the limits of this empire? One
might well say that the Roman possessions are not
inferior to the Romans themselves.
8. This account I have given the reader, not so
much with the intention of commending the Romans, as of
comforting those that have been conquered
1518 by them, and for the deterring others from
attempting innovations under their government. This
discourse of the Roman military conduct may also
perhaps be of use to such of the curious as are
ignorant of it, and yet have a mind to know it. I
return now from this digression.
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