§ 1. When arms and men are now prepared, before all things there is need to attack the enemy swiftly and to anticipate report itself. For he who finds the enemy unprepared has attained half the victory. Thus Caesar was a great emperor if ever there was one, and the greatest orator gives testimony concerning him: “This τάχος,” he says, “is of incredible swiftness.” Plutarch shows the reason in his life of Caesar: “Since he saw that the beginning and first attack of his undertakings required no great force for the present, but that the enemy must rather be anticipated by the terror of boldness and by speed in timing—for the unexpected would strike and drive his adversaries more quickly than if he fell upon them with full preparation—he commanded his tribunes and centurions, armed only with swords and leaving their other arms behind, to occupy Ariminum, a large city of Gaul, with as little bloodshed and tumult as could possibly be.”
There is much military prudence in these few words. First, a sudden attack does not require a great force, because it is generally made against unarmed men.
The Athenians went out from their city, celebrated the rites of Minerva, and, with arms concealed beneath their clothing, suddenly devastated the territory of the Lacedaemonians; laden with booty, they returned without a wound, because they had already conquered the enemy before the latter armed themselves. Next, it is agreed that those upon whom men come unexpectedly are struck with consternation by speed. For unforeseen things terrify. Caracalla, though not a good emperor, unexpectedly cut down with great slaughter the Parthians—otherwise a brave people—while they awaited the nuptials. Hence arose that saying: “Delay has always harmed those who were prepared.” Caesar taught, both by words and example, that speed surpasses all things in military affairs. Accordingly, when setting out he forbade fires, lest the enemy learn that he was present and lest provisions fail his own men. And so, if you weigh everything correctly, he completed everything through speed. In Spain he conquered Pompey’s legates more slowly because, overcome by anger, he had lingered at Massilia:
Though we hasten toward the western pole of the world, there is time to destroy Massilia.
§ 2. If men who are prepared are slow, the greatest part of their preparations perishes. Sudden assailants do not even need preparation, because they are permitted to come upon men while they sleep. By speed Ariston conquered the Athenians, Aemilius the Veientines, and Aruns Hannibal. The speed of Lucius Marcius in Spain was distinguished: for after the Scipios had been slain in Spain, he occupied two camps in the same night. There was no station and there were no guards, and so the Roman entered as though into his own camp. Livy, book 34. Thus Thrasybulus was slain in his own tent through the negligence of the guards.
Amage, a barbarian queen—and indeed the wife of a cowardly king—snatched this praise from very many men. For when the Gersonitae were being oppressed by the king of the Scythians, she took 120 men with her and, after an uninterrupted journey to the palace, killed the gatekeepers and the king together with his friends, and ordered his son to reign justly.
It is therefore less wonderful that Solon, as though in a single assault, armed ships, captured the matrons of the enemy, and stormed the city. Aelian writes the history thus: “By a distinguished stratagem Solon captured Salamis. At Colias the Attic matrons were celebrating the feast of Ceres with gladness and dances. Through a pretended deserter he announced this to the Salaminians. Meanwhile, he ordered beardless young men dressed in women’s clothing and carrying swords beneath their garments to conduct dances on the shore in place of the women. The Salaminians came to them and were killed; the young men boarded their ships and occupied Salamis.” Aelian, book 8. Julius II suddenly attacked Bologna with equal speed and, armed, struck terror before the neighbors could take counsel. Thus he joined the Spaniard and the Frenchman to himself and held the Venetians suspended in terror. All congratulated him as victor who, had he been defeated, would perhaps have crushed him or, had he delayed, would have deserted him.