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There are five volumes of The Art of War, and it seems impossible to know whether the contents of these five volumes are the contents of the official integration of Flavius Vegetius and Renatus. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

But there is no doubt that the English and Russian editions, although different in content, have remained about five volumes long.

The contents of the fifth volume can be said to be in the form of a summary of naval warfare.

......

The invincible Emperor, in accordance with the holy command of Your Majesty, I feel that after the conclusion of the method of describing land wars, there is one more thing that should be added concerning naval wars.

In describing the methods of naval warfare, I should try to be concise and to the point.

For a long time our seas have been fairly calm, and our wars with the barbarians have generally been confined to land.

The sailors of the Roman people were always in a state of readiness, for the honour, the interests and the dignity of the state, and not as a so-called necessity aroused by some impulse, or rather, the constant readiness of the sailors was to avoid this necessity. If it is known that a kingdom and its people can quickly retaliate against a foreign invasion and punish such rash acts, it is clear that no one will be determined to provoke war against the kingdom and its people, or to insult them.

1. In Misenon and Ravenna, the legions were usually staffed with sailors so that they could be dealt with in case they needed to defend the city, and they could quickly pick up their ships and sail straight to any part of the world. Gaul, Spain, Mauritania, Africa, Egypt, Sardinia and Sicily were all not far from the sailors of Misenon. From Ravenna, sailors generally sailed directly to Epirus, Macedonia, Achaia, the Sea of Propentes, the Sea of Euxin, as well as to the East, to Cyprus and Crete.

In war, speed is often more beneficial than bravery.

2. The ships of Librna anchored in Campania were commanded by the commander of the Missenon Navy, and in the Ionian Sea they were under the jurisdiction of the Commander of the Ravenna Navy.

The two commanders of the naval division each commanded 10 tribunes, each of whom commanded several brigades. Each Librna (naval unit) has a number of captains (nauarchus). That is to say, these ship owners and captains, in addition to the relevant duties of the ship, should also pay attention to the daily training of helmsmen, oarsmen and all kinds of personnel on a daily basis.

3. In terms of naval warfare, different provinces and regions have their own advantages in different seasons, so there are different types of ships.

In the Battle of Cape Actium, Octavian defeated Antony mainly with the Librna ship. From the experience of this major naval battle, it can be seen that the Librna was more useful than other types of ships. Therefore, later rulers of Rome used it as a model, took its name, and established their own sailors according to its model.

Libronia was part of Dalmatia, and its main city was Yaterdina (now Zadar, also known as Sarah). The ships built today are modeled after the ships of this province, which is why it was named Librna.

Fourth, when building a house, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the mixed soil of stone and sand, and to build a ship, it is all the more necessary to be cautious and careful in all aspects. This is because boarding a poorly constructed ship is much more dangerous than living in a bad house.

The main materials of the Librna were cypress, house pine, and wild pine, as well as spruce, and the nails used were copper, not iron. Although it is much more expensive to do, it is more reliable and suitable, because iron nails are prone to rust when exposed to heat and moisture, while copper nails can still retain their original metal properties even when soaked in water.

5. Of particular note is the timber used in the construction of the Librna was cut between the 15th and 22nd of each month. It is only during these eight days that the wood is not decayed, and on other days of the same year it is eaten up from the inside, and gradually becomes crispy and rotten, as explained by the art of shipbuilding, and by the daily practice of the shipbuilders, and we can also see from the observation of religious beliefs, for it can be said that only these days are always auspicious days of the zodiac.

6. The most suitable time to cut down trees is after the summer solstice, that is, in July and August, and during the autumn equinox, that is, before the New Moon of January, because during these months the sap begins to dry and the tree becomes dry and hard.

Care should be taken not to sawn the timber into planks as soon as the timber has been cut down, and it should not be sent to shipbuilding immediately after it has been sawn, because it takes a considerable amount of time for the logs and sawn timber to be harvested.

If the material is cut with damp wood, when the natural slurry of the wood seeps out, it will squeeze outside, and wide gaps will appear, and there is nothing more dangerous for a ship [than cracks in the planks].

7. As for the size of the ships, the smallest Librna had one row of oars, the slightly larger one had two rows, and the more common ones had three, four, and even five rows of oars. I hope no one thinks it's too big. According to reports, the Battle of Cape Akchen was met by much larger ships, often with six or more rows of oars. Larger ships also housed scout boats, which were equipped with nearly 20 rows of oarsmen on each side, which the Britons called resin-coated ......

These ships are used for surprise attacks, sometimes harassing freedom of navigation, disrupting the transport of munitions to enemy ships, tracking and intercepting enemy ships, and intercepting them.

In order not to expose themselves to the fact that these reconnaissance ships were too conspicuous, their sails and cables were not made of white, but of an ocean blue similar to that of the waves, and even the wax usually used to paint the hull was changed to this color. The uniforms of sailors and sergeants were also navy blue, so that those who were on tracking missions not only at night but also during the day were not easily detected.

8. Those who lead troops on ships must be able to discern the signs of storms and whirlpools in advance. You know, Librna was killed by storms and waves more often than by the enemy.

Insufficient attention has been paid to the characteristics of winds and storms in the observation of atmospheric phenomena, and attention should be paid to this branch of the natural sciences. The sea knows no mercy. The prescient man is spared disaster by being cautious, and the careless man is often mistaken by negligence and laziness.

Those who study marine science should first know how many winds there are and know their names. The ancients only admitted that there were four main winds blowing from the four directions of the world according to the position of the celestial axis, but based on later experience, a total of twelve winds were determined. In order not to cause doubt, I have enumerated their names in Greek and Latin, first listing the main ones, and then proposing the others associated with them, blowing from the left and right.

Let's start with the vernal equinox, that is, from the eastern edge, where the winds blow from the Aferiotes, or the sunny wind, to the right of which are the Caquias, or Evreau-Borey winds, and from the left, the Evrean winds, or the Vultulon winds.

The south is dominated by the Knott wind, or the Astel wind, from the right side of the wind is the Lefkonot, or White Not, and from the left, the Libnot, or Kohl wind. To the west is the Zeffer wind, or evening wind, to the right is the Lippers, or Avric, and from the left, the Apin wind, or Favoy. Finally, the northern part belongs to the Apalktias, or northerly wind, to the right of it is the Flasas wind, or Zirzi, and from the left is the Brey, or Akvelon.

These winds are usually in one direction, sometimes two combined, and in the case of large storms, three combined. In the event of a violent storm, the otherwise calm and peaceful sea will immediately set off large waves and become very ferocious. In different seasons and in different seas, the sea breeze blows gently, and there is no storm, but bright and good weather, sometimes it is not, and the bright good weather can turn into a storm in an instant.

When the wind blows, the boat can reach the intended port, and when the wind is upright, the boat should anchor, or turn around, or be forced to risk the wind. As long as you carefully study the characteristics of the wind and pay attention to it, it is not easy for the ship to capsize.

9. The question of months and days should now be brought to the question. The vast and irritating sea does not allow people to sail on it all year round without incident, but there are several months of the year that are very suitable for navigation, some of which are very risky, and some of which are not at all navigable for ships due to the natural conditions of the sea.

At the end of the ploughing day, that is, after the rise of the Pleiades, from May 25 to the rise of Arcturus, that is, before September 16, the sea navigation is smooth. This is because the summer monsoon is milder.

From then on, sailing until November 11 would be problematic and dangerous, because the day in September was the day of the month [Note: According to the ancient Roman calendar, the day in the middle of the month was about the time of the full moon, the 15th day in March, May, July, and October, and the 13th day in the other months. After (September 13), Arcturus rose. This is the most powerful star wrapped in a strong storm. And on September 24, the day of the autumnal equinox, there are usually very strong storms. The rainy sign Capricorn appears around October 7, and the 11th of the same month is the sign of Taurus. From November, the frequent storms and rains caused by the landing of the Pleiades in winter can seriously affect navigation.

From November 11 to March 10, the sea was unnavigable. During this time, the days were short, the nights were long, the sky was full of clouds, the atmosphere was dark, the winds were strong, and sometimes rain and snow were combined, which not only made it impossible for any ship to sail at sea, but also to straighten up even on land.

Nautical festivals, if so called, are held in many cities with grand performances and public performances. After that, due to the influence of many constellations, and from the point of view of the seasons themselves, there is always a certain danger in sea navigation until May 15 (the sunrise of May). This is not because the merchants did not dare to go to sea in such a season because they lacked the perseverance to do their business, but because they ought to be more cautious when the army sailed on Librna than the merchants who were driven by personal wealth and went to sea desperately.

10. In addition, the rise and fall of certain other constellations can also cause violent storms. Although in all these cases, the testimonies of the writers have given us certain dates, the weather is varied for a number of reasons. It should be borne in mind that, due to the limitations of our knowledge, we are unable to understand all the causes of celestial phenomena, and the circumstances that must be paid attention to in navigation can be divided into three categories. It is well known that storms may come exactly on the expected day, or they may occur before or after the expected date. In Greek, a pre-winter storm that comes before the expected day is called a pre-winter storm, an overwintering storm that occurs on the expected day, and a post-winter storm that occurs later. To list them all, I think it's too long and unnecessary. Many writers have tried to describe not only monthly phenomena, but even daily phenomena.

The distant voyages of the planets, each time they approach or leave the constellations in the prescribed way according to God's will, are also often the cause of sunny weather turning into gloomy weather. There will be storms on the day of the new moon, and it is the most terrible day for seafarers, as not only experienced sailors but also ordinary people know.

11. Even if the weather is fine, there are still many signs that a storm is coming, and when the storm is raging, there are also signs that the day will be clear. These signs can be seen in a mirror, which is the moon.

The light red color of the moon will cause wind, and the light blue color will cause rain, and if the two colors are mixed, it will indicate a downpour and strong winds. The Moon's cheerful and bright appearance tells sailors that the weather will be as clear as it is, especially after the fourth day in a row when the moon's horns have not become sharp, the moon has not taken on a reddish hue, and its luster has not been clouded by evaporation.

When the sun rises, or when it is obscured, it makes a big difference whether the sun shines down happily or changes because of the clouds, and whether the sun shimmers with its usual brilliance or takes on a fiery red color due to the influence of the wind. It should not appear pale or have a sunspot (sunspots), as this is a sign of rain coming soon.

Experienced sailors can learn about the climate from the air, from the sea itself, from the thickness and shape of the clouds. Birds and fish can also provide some information.

This is what Virgil understood with divine insight in his Poems on Agriculture, and this is what Valen endeavoured to describe in his book on navigation. If the helmsmen say that they know how to sail, then what they know is only the common sense taught to them by field experience, and not necessarily much scientific basis, nor is it the knowledge that advanced science has mastered them.

......

Judging from the content of this part, it seems that the author's understanding of naval warfare is obtained more from some other sources.

This is not a problem, since the author himself is not a naval commander, and it would be strange if he knew the situation in detail about naval warfare. (To be continued.) )

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