THE CULTURED WARRIOR
As we stepped into the breach our thoughts were:
"Me vestigia terrent, omnia te adversum spectantia, nulla retrorsum."
([Death] The footprints frighten me; they all lead to you, [but] none lead back) ~ Horace
we asked the question:
"Quis custodiet ipsos Custodes?"
(Who is to guard the guards themselves?) ~ Horace
and thought:
"Heu! Quam est timendus qui mori tutum putat!"
(Alas! How much to be feared is he who (is so desperate that he) thinks it safe to die!) ~ Publilius Syrus
we reminded ourselves:
"Effugere non potes nessitates; potes vincere"
(You cannot run away from what is necessary, but you can conquer it) ~ Seneca the Younger
and encouraged ourselves with the cry:
" Ita feri ut se mori sentiat"
(Strike him so that he can feel he is dying), Suetonius
reminding ourselves that there was to be no quarter given:
"Inter arma silent leges"
(During war, the laws are silent) ~ Cicero
Reflecting back:
"Bella horrida bella"
(Wars, horrid wars) ~ Vergil
thinking:
"Dabit deus his quoque finem"
(God will even grant an end to these [troubles]) ~ Vergil
and realising:
"Dis aliter visum"
(It seemed otherwise to the gods) ~ Vergil
that sometimes there is a price to pay:
" Flectere si nequeo superos, Acheronta movebo"
(And if Heaven be inflexible, Hell shall be unleashed) ~ Vergil
and unleashed it was.
although not always on those one would expect.
"Homo totiens moritur quotiens amittit suos"
(A person dies as often as he loses his loved ones) ~ Publilius Syrus