''Strategemata'', or ''Stratagems'', is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

work by the Roman author Frontinus (c. 40 – 103 AD). It is a collection of examples of military stratagems from Greek and Roman history, ostensibly for the use of generals. Frontinus is assumed to have written ''Strategemata'' towards the end of the first century AD, possibly in connection with a lost work on military theory. Frontinus is best known as a writer on water engineering, but he had a distinguished military career. In ''Stratagems'' he draws partly on his own experience as a general in Germany under

Domitian Domitian ( ; ; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Flavian dynasty. Described as "a r ...

. However, most of the (more than five hundred) examples which he gives are less recent, for example he mentions the Siege of Uxellodunum in 51 BC. Similarities to versions in other Roman authors like

Valerius Maximus Valerius Maximus () was a 1st-century Latin writer and author of a collection of historical anecdotes: ' ("Nine books of memorable deeds and sayings", also known as ''De factis dictisque memorabilibus'' or ''Facta et dicta memorabilia''). He worke ...

and

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

suggest that he drew mainly on literary sources. The work consists of four books, of which three are undoubtedly by Frontinus. The authenticity of the fourth book has been challenged. Jean de Rovroy translated the ''Strategemata'' into French for King

Charles VII of France Charles VII (22 February 1403 – 22 July 1461), called the Victorious () or the Well-Served (), was King of France from 1422 to his death in 1461. His reign saw the end of the Hundred Years' War and a ''de facto'' end of the English claims to ...

().Pierre Santoni (1979)
"Jean de Rouvroy, traducteur de Frontin et théologien de l'Immaculée Conception"
''Bibliothèque de l'École des chartes'' 137(1): 19–58. Another French translation by Nicolas Volcyr de Serrouville appeared in print at Paris in 1535. In 1664, Nicolas Perrot d'Ablancourt published a new French translation.Robert Bossuat (1960), "Jean de Rovroy traducteur des ''Stratagèmes'' de Frontin (fin)", ''Bibliothèque d'Humanisme et Renaissance'' 22(3): 469–489. A Spanish translation by appeared in print in 1516. In the 20th century, Charles E. Bennett translated the ''Strategemata'' into English. His version was published with '' De aquaeductu'' (translated as ''Aqueducts of Rome'') in the Loeb Classical Library.

Editions

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References

External sources

''Strategemata''
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(LacusCurtius website): this source provides the Latin text and the English translation from the 1925 Loeb edition. {{Authority control Military books in Latin Military strategy books 1st-century books in Latin