| Summary: | Vegetius is one of the most well-known and prestigious military authors of Antiquity, whose influence was strongly felt in his time, during the Middle Ages and until the Renaissance itself. His Epitoma rei militaris was a model for many other military texts and manuals. One of the most essential characteristics of his book is the emphasis and care he places on the recruitment of soldiers. Since the origin and development of the Roman army, this activity had been one of its success factors.
The text and ideas of Vegetius had a notable impact on the thought of Nicolás Machiavelli, especially in his work On the Art of War. The influence is so great that it can be presumed and evidenced that Machiavelli took many of his ideas and approaches entirely, mainly the insistence on having his own army, highlighting the importance of the infantry, and taking special care in preparing and training soldiers. However, there are also notable differences, such as Vegetius’s lesser reluctance to call upon mercenary soldiers and auxiliaries. Thus, due to its significance for political and military theory, denoting all these similarities and differences is the objective of this text.
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