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Mechanemata: Mind-machines in war by Immacolata Eramo
«T
The future of a battle he gods know everything, are everywhere and give signals to humans about all that regards human things»:1 for this reason, before each military campaign, men attempt to make the gods propitious consulting them through sacrifices and rites in order to know what they should and should not do.2 In the ancient Greek world, no battle began without consulting the gods beforehand, a task which was entrusted to the μάντις, who was the expert in divination.3 Indeed, the final decisions regarding war – whether to fight or not and when – were to be taken by the general.4 In Plato’s Laches, Nicias says: «the job of the seer is only to recognize the signs of what is yet to come, whether a man is to meet with his death or disease, to lose property, to be victorious or defeated in war».5 Plato himself, again in his Laches, states that there is no single knowledge of the past which will tell you to know how something happened, another knowledge of the present which will allow you to know
1 Xen. Mem. I,1.19; see also Cyr. I,6.46; Eq. Mag. 9.9; Smp. 4.47. 2 Xen. Oec. 5.19. See also Onas. 5: Περὶ τοῦ ἐξιλεοῦσθαι πρῶτον ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τὸ θεῖον ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐξάγων εἰς πόλεμον. Ἐξαγέτω δὲ τὰς δυνάμεις ὁ στρατηγὸς καθαρὰς ἢ οἷς νόμοι ἱεροὶ ἢ οἷς μάντεις ὑφηγοῦνται καθαρσίοις. 3 For general information about Greek divination see: W. K. Pritchett, The Greek State at War. III, Religion, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London 1979, pp. 47-90; M. H. Jameson, «Sacrifice Before Battle», in: V.D. Hanson (Ed.), Hoplites. The Classical Greek Battle Experience, London-New York 1991, pp. 197-227. 4 The subordination of the μάντις to the general is already evident in the Homeric poems. E.g. in Il. XII,195-250 Hector decides to cross a river, although Polydamas tries to dissuade him because of a bad omen. It is clear that the Homeric hero is a military chief who questions the will of the Gods if this goes against his plans (see A. Corcella, Erodoto e l’analogia, Palermo 1984, pp. 39-41). 5 Pl. Lach. 195e (see C. Bearzot, «Mantica e condotta di guerra: strateghi, soldati e indovini di fronte all’interpretazione dell’evento ‘prodigioso’», in: La profezia nel mondo antico, a c. di M. Sordi, Milano 1993, pp. 97-100, which gives value to this text in the debate concerning the relationship between divination and military uses).
