THE MILITARY ARCHITECTURE

OF MATTHIAS DÖGEN.

BOOK ONE.

OF THE MODERN FORTIFICATION of regular Figures.

CHAPTER I.

The Definition of Fortification, its Division, its first origin drawn from Nature: its History.

Definition of Military Architecture.

Having to write on the military Architecture of today; which almost all the peoples of Europe name Fortification, by a word that has become as if proper to it; it seems to me that I shall do well to begin with the Definition of the thing itself.
Military Architecture is therefore the art of well Fortifying and defending any place whatsoever against the attack of the enemy.

Its Division into three species, which serve for Fortification, for Attack, and for Defense.

Now as all war is offensive, or defensive, and as one cannot attack, nor conveniently defend, if one is not well armed: in consideration of this end I shall be able to divide very properly, it seems to me, all of Military Architecture into Hercotectonics the art of building walls/fortifications, which works on munitions; and into Areotectonics the art of attacking/besieging places (a), which regards the Attack and the combat; and of which I make two species, the Poliorcetics the art of siegecraft, and the Antipoliorcetics the art of defensive siegecraft, the Offensive, and the Defensive.

The Antipoliorcetics teaches the defense.

This one teaches the Besieged to render useless the efforts of the Besiegers, whether by repelling force with force itself, or by erecting defensive works, which impede their own, and ruin all their labors.

The Poliorcetics teaches the attack.

The Other is the Architecture of the Besiegers: and gives us the means to take an enemy place with the least loss possible.

The Hercotectonics fortifies weak places and makes them suitable for defense.

As for the Hercotectonics, it occupies itself entirely with the convenient fortification of an open, and insecure place; by which one might be sheltered, not only from the incursions and unforeseen irruptions of the enemy; but also in a state to remain there without fear, in open war, to resist there courageously, and without danger of losing oneself.

The Hercotectonics naturally precedes the Areotectonics.

But inasmuch as man must have more care to preserve himself, and that which belongs to him, than to invade the property of another; even if it were only for this reason, (so that I abstain from those that I could draw from the ease of the method, and the laws inviolable to those who treat of any art) I must first speak of that part of Military Architecture that Greece has named Hercotectonics, and which among us is particularly named Fortification.

Cities, and castles, are fortified by Nature, or by Art, or by both.

(a) Or Field Fortification.