Liber III, Pars III — Qui sunt meliores bellatores, an urbani et nobiles, vel agricolae et rurales. Cap. V.

Liber III, Pars III — Qui sunt meliores bellatores, an urbani et nobiles, vel agricolae et rurales. Cap. V.

After listing the qualities that warriors should possess, it remains to inquire who are the better fighters: whether the urban or noble men, or the rural ones. It seems that if we consider the aforementioned qualities, the rural people are better. This opinion appears to be supported by Vegetius, who said, "I never believe it could be doubted that the rural populace is better suited for arms." For it was said that the warriors should be those who can endure the weight of burdens, the continuous labor of their limbs, the scarcity of food, and the discomfort of lying down and standing, who do not fear death, do not dread the shedding of blood, and other qualities we have touched upon in the previous chapter. It is clear that the rural people possess these qualities to a great extent. For the rustic folk are accustomed to carrying heavy weights, and in battle, the burden of arms will not weigh them down, as they are used to greater loads during times of peace. Nor will the course of their training or the exertion of their arms or other bodily movements tire them, as they are continually accustomed to greater challenges. Again, they will not be burdened by the scarcity of food, for they are satisfied with water to drink in thirst, and coarse bread is sufficient for their eating. Moreover, rural people are not troubled by the discomfort of lying down or standing; they don't fear the heat of the sun, they don't care about the shade, they don't know the comforts of baths, and lying on solid ground, they sleep more soundly than urban dwellers and nobles do on soft beds. It is also likely that they do not fear death very much. For it seems that the more delicately someone has lived, the more they appear to fear death. They also do not seem to dread the shedding of blood. Among other peoples, the rural people seem to be the most brutal. Therefore, it seems that those who are attentive to these matters should consider rural people to be the better warriors. However, there are other reasons that seem to show that urban and noble people are better fighters. For among other things, it is said that a good warrior is one who wishes to be honored in battle and is ashamed of a disgraceful flight. This is indeed what the philosopher says. Ethic.) That made Hector brave. Hector said, "If I flee from battle, Polydamas will put me to shame." In the same way, Diomedes was also strong in battle. For he said, "If I turn my back in battle, Hector will say among the Trojans, 'Diomedes has been defeated by me.'" Therefore, when it comes to wanting to be honored and feeling shame for some disgraceful act, it seems more fitting for nobles than for peasants; they appear to be better suited for battle because they are ashamed to flee. Again, in battle, diligence and wisdom are very valuable. For sometimes shrewdness and cunning achieve victory more than physical strength. Therefore, since noble men are generally more industrious than peasants, it follows that they are better fighters. For these two qualities seem to be the greatest for achieving victory. Namely, the shame of fleeing and the cleverness of fighting. So, to understand what should be held regarding the matter in question, it is necessary to note that different fighters should be chosen according to the variety of battles. There can be both foot battles and cavalry battles. In foot battles, therefore, rural fighters should be chosen more than nobles, because they are better trained to carry burdens and endure labor. In cavalry battles, however, nobles should be chosen more, because the strength of their horses compensates for the weakness that nobles suffer in not being able to endure as much labor as rural fighters are accustomed to. In such a battle, the sharpness of military strategy combined with the fear of fleeing is extremely valuable. However, it's important to note that for nobles to become skilled warriors in every aspect, they must be trained to carry the weight of arms and endure labor, as well as to move their arms and other body parts as required by military operations. What those are, and how many there are, that warriors should be trained for; will be shown in the following chapter.