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bookc. 390 CE

Epitoma Rei Militaris

Disciplines:
strategy
military history

Summary

Vegetius's handbook on Roman military organization and tactics — the most widely read military manual in the medieval West, derived from earlier Roman sources.

Core Contribution

A systematic account of Roman military organization, recruitment, training, tactics, fortification, and logistics — drawn from earlier Roman military writers. Its famous dictum: 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' (if you want peace, prepare for war). Preserved military knowledge from the classical world and transmitted it to medieval commanders. Read by every educated medieval ruler and military commander.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • The phrase 'Si vis pacem, para bellum' — coined by Vegetius — is one of the most quoted Latin phrases in political history. It has been used to justify military buildup across 1,600 years.

Historical Influences

Cato the Elder Frontinus

Intellectual Lineage

Roman Military Writing

Allied Works

StrategikonArt of War

Contemporaries & Peers

Late Roman Military Manuals

Minds Influenced

Medieval Military ThoughtModern Military Theory

Intellectual Posterity

Medieval Military TheoryMilitary Strategy

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