It is probably no coincidence that Senator Lindsay Graham recently tweeted that someone should take Putin out. One of the humourous responses on Twitter I just read was that there was no 'Report that This Tweet Might Start World War Three' button. Seriously though, these are unprecedented times, and as a result, I have been reading something relevant: Frontinus' Stratagems.
This book should come with a public health warning that although it is immensely useful and practical, it does not actually account for a couple of thousand years worth of international law and humanitarian considerations. There are some pretty harsh tactics outlined in it, but most of them are not actually that bad, with a few notable exceptions (such as poisoning somewhere's water supply - which is evidently a heinous act and clearly should not to be done by anyone). There are many other fine works on warfare, such as Sun Tzu or Clausewitz, but this is one of the very few manuals of warfare left from the classical world, most especially the Latin tradition.
Moreover, there are other disadvantages to reading Frontinus, such as reliance of certain tactics which could be made obsolete by having satellite technology or rapidly working communication networks. Even so, as I read these anecdotal accounts, there are some of these kinds of tactics which could potentially still be used against a unit, squad, section or platoon which was heavily under fire or artillery bombardment (basically because it would be very difficult to be checking one's smartphone or on the radio while under sustained heavy fire).
One of the great things about classical studies as a subject is that it doesn't matter what subject one decides to learn, there has always been someone in the ancient world that has already made an attempt at resolving or understanding that particular subject. For example, as I am reading law currently, there are certain philosophical considerations and moral foundations which are found in particular cases, especially regarding causes, which survive in the classical world. Moreover, rhetoric or oratory is also covered by classical authors at some length, notably by Pseudo-Cicero and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. Therefore it is possible to draw on the past twelve years of study and use it to forge a career, that is, if I decide to stay here, in Britain (which is very unlikely, the way things are going: you have absolutely no idea how furious I am at still washing up every day for the barest minimum wage, whereas if I lived in almost any other country in the world I am worth much more than that). I'm already £15,000 in debt over twelve years of study. Do I really want to spent £3,600 each year over four years (up front!) just to be put through my paces in assignments and exams, with only the slight possibility that I might be able to better my lot? No no no no. Let us be reasonable. Reading criminal law is only good for one thing: getting criminals off the hook, not prosecuting them (I would like to be a prosecutor). The 'Establishment' offered me work as an undergraduate, a 'good job' and made noises that I would do well. None of this materialised, so why should I believe them now? I guarantee you that unless you're some nobby prick that never did a day's work in your sorry ass life that lives off daddy's offshore trust fund, if you spent twelve years studying classical studies, you would end up far worse off than you were before you started. In Dark Age Britain, at least. I cannot speak for civilised countries: not a nation of enslaved beggars and paupers.
Max.
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