Liber I, Pars II — Quot sunt species fortitudinis, et secundum quam fortitudinem decet reges, et Prinicpes esse fortes. Cap. XIIII.

Liber I, Pars II — Quot sunt species fortitudinis, et secundum quam fortitudinem decet reges, et Prinicpes esse fortes. Cap. XIIII.

The philosopher distinguishes three types of courage. This is discussed in the Ethics. There are seven kinds of courage, or seven aspects of courage. The first is civil courage. The second is servile courage. The third is military courage. The fourth is furious courage. The fifth is habitual courage. The sixth is bestial. And the seventh is virtuous strength. Civil strength is when someone, fearing disgrace and wanting to gain honor, confronts something terrible. Thus, the philosopher says that according to this strength, the bravest seem to be among those nations where the timid are dishonored, while the strong are honored. In this way (as the same philosopher says), Hector was brave, who, fearing the reproaches of Polydamas, confronted terrible things. For he said that if Polydamas were to flee, he would first impose reproaches upon himself from the opposing side. So also (as the same philosopher recites) Diomedes was brave in this way. He said that if Hector did not fight vigorously, he would be saying among the Trojans that Diomedes had been defeated by him. This kind of courage is rightly called civil courage, because among fellow citizens and acquaintances, someone is most afraid of disgrace and seeks honor. For we see some people, when they are in unfamiliar places, committing disgraceful acts that they would never attempt among their fellow citizens and acquaintances. The second kind of courage is called servile courage, and this is worse than the first: it occurs when someone does not act to avoid disgrace or to gain honor, but is driven by fear of punishment or some necessity to engage in battle. In this way, many Trojans, fearing Hector, were brave. For the philosopher says that Hector decided that if any of the Trojans fled without battle, he would be so shamed that he would not be able to drive away dogs. To this kind of courage, the leaders of the army compel the people, establishing a punishment for those who flee, by digging pits so that the army cannot escape, but is forced to fight out of some necessity. In this way, a certain leader is said to have gathered his army to courage. For when he was crossing with ships and with his entire army, he broke all the ships so that no one from his army would have the means to flee. The third kind of courage is called military, and this is the courage of experience. Soldiers, indeed, because of their experience in battles, often engage in many actions that seem terrifying. For as Vegetius says in his book On Military Matters. No one hesitates to attempt something they are confident they have learned well. For we see some who, hearing only the noise of weapons, flee, not knowing how to discern what is dangerous in battles and what is not. Soldiers, however, who are experienced in battles, confident in their experience, and aware of the dangers of war, engage in some terrifying actions so that they may be judged to be brave. Yet they are not truly brave because when a battle becomes so intense that it exceeds their experience, they turn to flight. The fourth kind of courage is called furious. Some people, driven by rage and passion, sometimes engage in battle, so that they may be judged as strong; yet they are not truly strong, because true strength engages in battle (as the Philosopher suggests) not out of rage, but for the sake of the good. Indeed, if someone engages in battle out of rage and encounters resistance, they cannot sustain the fight; for one who is fearless out of rage, once that rage is calmed, begins to fear and cannot endure the battle, but takes flight. The fifth kind of strength is said to be habitual. Some indeed. For they have been in many battles, in which they have had good fortune, and from this habit they take on a certain hope of victory and gain a certain boldness in fighting. Such people seem to be strong because they engage in battle, hoping for victory and not believing they will suffer any harm; yet they are not truly strong, because if they encounter resistance and suffer some unexpected harm, they flee. The sixth kind of strength is said to be bestial, as when someone, ignorant of the strength of the enemy, engages in battle. For example, if those living in the north are strong and bold, while those in the south are weak and timid, engaging in battle with the northerners, believing them to be southerners, they possess a bestial kind of strength. For they are like senseless beasts rushing into battle, not knowing the power of their adversaries. The seventh kind of courage is called virtuous. So when someone engages in battle not out of coercion, or rage, or experience, or ignorance, but for the sake of good and out of choice. Therefore, kings and princes should know these kinds of courage, so they can understand how strong their people are and how they can fight against their enemies; yet they themselves must be strong with virtuous courage, so they do not expose their people to the dangers of war unless they have just wars and see a great good for the homeland or kingdom that can be achieved through such a war.