Book XII - Page 2

and in the hour of danger he should not pursue
and not retreat except by order of his superior; and in a word, not teach
the soul or accustom her to know or understand how to do anything apart
from others. Of all soldiers the life should be always and in all things
as far as possible in common and together; there neither is nor ever will
be a higher, or better, or more scientific principle than this for the
attainment of salvation and victory in war. And we ought in time of peace
from youth upwards to practise this habit of commanding others, and of
being commanded by others; anarchy should have no place in the life of man
or of the beasts who are subject to man. I may add that all dances ought
to be performed with a view to military excellence; and agility and ease
should be cultivated for the same object, and also endurance of the want
of meats and drinks, and of winter cold and summer heat, and of hard
couches; and, above all, care should be taken not to destroy the peculiar
qualities of the head and the feet by surrounding them with extraneous
coverings, and so hindering their natural growth of hair and soles. For
these are the extremities, and of all the parts of the body, whether they
are preserved or not is of the greatest consequence; the one is the
servant of the whole body, and the other the master, in whom all the
ruling senses are by nature set. Let the young men imagine that he hears
in what has preceded the praises of the military life; the law shall be as
follows: He shall serve in war who is on the roll or appointed to some
special service, and if any one is absent from cowardice, and without the
leave of the generals, he shall be indicted before the military commanders
for failure of service when the army comes home; and the soldiers shall be
his judges; the heavy-armed, and the cavalry, and the other arms of the
service shall form separate courts; and they shall bring the heavy-armed
before the heavy-armed, and the horsemen before the horsemen, and the
others in like manner before their peers; and he who is found guilty shall
never be allowed to compete for any prize of valour, or indict another for
not serving on an expedition, or be an accuser at all in any military
matters. Moreover, the court shall further determine what punishment he
shall suffer, or what penalty he shall pay. When the suits for failure of
service are completed, the leaders of the several kinds of troops shall
again hold an assembly, and they shall adjudge the prizes of valour; and
he who likes searching for judgment in his own branch of the service,
saying nothing about any former expedition, nor producing any proof or
witnesses to confirm his statement, but speaking only of the present
occasion. The crown of victory shall be an