Lonely Planet Best of Great Britain 3rd Edition
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, Another practice common in Homer’s time is by no means equally
defensible, but on the contrary marks great barbarism; that of
stopping in the heat of action to strip the slain. Often this paltry
passion for possessing the spoil of the enemy superseded all other,
even the most important and most deeply interesting objects of
battle. The poet himself was not unaware of the danger and
inconveniency of the practice, and seems even to have aimed at a
reformation of it. We find indeed in Homer’s warfare a remarkable
mixture of barbarism with regularity. Though the art of forming an
army in phalanx was known and commonly practised, yet the
business of a general, in directing its operations, was lost in the
passion, or we may call it fashion, of the great men to signalise
themselves by acts of personal courage and skill in arms. Achilles
and Hector, the first heroes of the Iliad, excel only in the character
of fighting soldiers: as generals and directors of the war, they are
inferior to many. Excepting indeed in the single circumstance of
forming the army in order of battle, so far from the general, we
scarcely ever discover even the officer among Homer’s heroes. It is
not till most of the principal Grecian leaders are disabled for the duty
of soldiers that at length they so far take upon themselves that of
officers as to endeavour to restore order among their broken
phalanges.
We might, however, yet more wonder at another deficiency in
Homer’s art of war, were it not still universal throughout those rich
and populous countries where mankind was first civilised. Even
among the Turks, who, far as they have spread over the finest part
of Europe, retain pertinaciously every defect of their ancient Asiatic
customs, the easy and apparently obvious precaution of posting and
relieving sentries, so essential to the safety of armies, has never
obtained. When, in the ill turn of the Grecian affairs, constant
readiness for defence became more especially necessary, it is
mentioned as an instance of soldiership in the active Diomedes, that
he slept on his arms without his tent: but no kind of watch was kept;
all his men were at the same time asleep around him: and the other
leaders were yet less prepared against surprise. A guard indeed
Lonely Planet download
https://ebookmeta.com/product/lonely-planet-best-of-great-
britain-3rd-edition-lonely-planet/
Download full version ebook from https://ebookmeta.com
,Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
, Another practice common in Homer’s time is by no means equally
defensible, but on the contrary marks great barbarism; that of
stopping in the heat of action to strip the slain. Often this paltry
passion for possessing the spoil of the enemy superseded all other,
even the most important and most deeply interesting objects of
battle. The poet himself was not unaware of the danger and
inconveniency of the practice, and seems even to have aimed at a
reformation of it. We find indeed in Homer’s warfare a remarkable
mixture of barbarism with regularity. Though the art of forming an
army in phalanx was known and commonly practised, yet the
business of a general, in directing its operations, was lost in the
passion, or we may call it fashion, of the great men to signalise
themselves by acts of personal courage and skill in arms. Achilles
and Hector, the first heroes of the Iliad, excel only in the character
of fighting soldiers: as generals and directors of the war, they are
inferior to many. Excepting indeed in the single circumstance of
forming the army in order of battle, so far from the general, we
scarcely ever discover even the officer among Homer’s heroes. It is
not till most of the principal Grecian leaders are disabled for the duty
of soldiers that at length they so far take upon themselves that of
officers as to endeavour to restore order among their broken
phalanges.
We might, however, yet more wonder at another deficiency in
Homer’s art of war, were it not still universal throughout those rich
and populous countries where mankind was first civilised. Even
among the Turks, who, far as they have spread over the finest part
of Europe, retain pertinaciously every defect of their ancient Asiatic
customs, the easy and apparently obvious precaution of posting and
relieving sentries, so essential to the safety of armies, has never
obtained. When, in the ill turn of the Grecian affairs, constant
readiness for defence became more especially necessary, it is
mentioned as an instance of soldiership in the active Diomedes, that
he slept on his arms without his tent: but no kind of watch was kept;
all his men were at the same time asleep around him: and the other
leaders were yet less prepared against surprise. A guard indeed
