Summary
Montaigne explores the fascinating relationship between warriors and their horses throughout history, revealing deeper truths about mastery, dependence, and control. He describes Roman cavalry techniques, where soldiers could leap between galloping horses, and examines how different cultures—from Numidians to Parthians—integrated horsemanship into their identity and social hierarchy. The essay reveals a crucial paradox: while war horses amplified a warrior's power, they also created vulnerability. A trained horse might attack enemies but could turn on allies, or freeze at a critical moment, leaving the rider helpless. Montaigne contrasts this with infantry combat, where soldiers relied solely on their own skill and courage. He extends this analysis to weapons, noting how firearms require multiple components to work properly—powder, stone, wheel—any of which could fail. Ancient weapons like swords demanded personal skill but offered reliability. Through vivid historical examples, from Caesar's unusual horse with human-like hooves to indigenous Americans initially believing Spanish horses were divine creatures, Montaigne illustrates how our tools and dependencies shape our fate. The essay ultimately questions whether increased power through external means truly makes us stronger, or simply creates new forms of vulnerability. His observations about choosing weapons and allies we can fully control speak to timeless concerns about self-reliance versus technological dependence.
Coming Up in Chapter 49
Having examined how we depend on our tools and animals, Montaigne turns his attention to the customs and traditions that shape human behavior across cultures, revealing how what we consider 'natural' is often simply familiar.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
F WAR HORSES, OR DESTRIERS I here have become a grammarian, I who never learned any language but by rote, and who do not yet know adjective, conjunction, or ablative. I think I have read that the Romans had a sort of horses by them called ‘funales’ or ‘dextrarios’, which were either led horses, or horses laid on at several stages to be taken fresh upon occasion, and thence it is that we call our horses of service ‘destriers’; and our romances commonly use the phrase of ‘adestrer’ for ‘accompagner’, to accompany. They also called those that were trained in such sort, that running full speed, side by side, without bridle or saddle, the Roman gentlemen, armed at all pieces, would shift and throw themselves from one to the other, ‘desultorios equos’. The Numidian men-at-arms had always a led horse in one hand, besides that they rode upon, to change in the heat of battle: “Quibus, desultorum in modum, binos trahentibus equos, inter acerrimam saepe pugnam, in recentem equum, ex fesso, armatis transultare mos erat: tanta velocitas ipsis, tamque docile equorum genus.” [“To whom it was a custom, leading along two horses, often in the hottest fight, to leap armed from a tired horse to a fresh one; so active were the men, and the horses so docile.”--Livy, xxiii. 29.] There are many horses trained to help their riders so as to run upon any one, that appears with a drawn sword, to fall both with mouth and heels upon any that front or oppose them: but it often happens that they do more harm to their friends than to their enemies; and, moreover, you cannot loose them from their hold, to reduce them again into order, when they are once engaged and grappled, by which means you remain at the mercy of their quarrel. It happened very ill to Artybius, general of the Persian army, fighting, man to man, with Onesilus, king of Salamis, to be mounted upon a horse trained after this manner, it being the occasion of his death, the squire of Onesilus cleaving the horse down with a scythe betwixt the shoulders as it was reared up upon his master. And what the Italians report, that in the battle of Fornova, the horse of Charles VIII., with kicks and plunges, disengaged his master from the enemy that pressed upon him, without which he had been slain, sounds like a very great chance, if it be true. [In the narrative which Philip de Commines has given of this battle, in which he himself was present (lib. viii. ch. 6), he tells us of wonderful performances by the horse on which the king was mounted. The name of the horse was Savoy, and it was the most beautiful horse he had ever seen. During the battle the king was personally attacked, when he had nobody near him but a valet de chambre, a little fellow, and not well armed. “The king,” says Commines, “had the best horse under...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Amplified Vulnerability
The more we depend on external tools for our capabilities, the more vulnerable we become to their failure.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to spot when apparent advantages create unexpected vulnerabilities.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when convenience tools become things you can't function without, and ask yourself what would happen if they disappeared tomorrow.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Destriers
War horses specially trained for battle, often led alongside the horse being ridden so warriors could switch to a fresh mount during combat. These horses were extensions of a warrior's power and status.
Modern Usage:
Like having a backup phone or keeping multiple credit cards - we still rely on redundant systems when the stakes are high.
Desultory cavalry
Roman horsemen who could leap between galloping horses during battle while fully armored. This required extraordinary skill and trust between rider and mount.
Modern Usage:
Similar to people who can seamlessly switch between multiple jobs or tasks - impressive but risky if one system fails.
Numidian horsemen
North African cavalry famous for their mobility and skill with horses. They fought without saddles or bridles, relying entirely on their bond with their mounts.
Modern Usage:
Like expert drivers who can handle any vehicle intuitively - their skill becomes part of their identity.
Technological dependence
Montaigne's observation that advanced tools make us powerful but also vulnerable when they fail. War horses and firearms both amplify ability but create new weaknesses.
Modern Usage:
We see this everywhere - GPS making us better navigators but helpless when it fails, or smartphones making us more connected but anxious when the battery dies.
Martial hierarchy
The social ranking system where warriors with horses held higher status than foot soldiers. Your equipment determined your place in both battle and society.
Modern Usage:
Still exists in how we judge people by their cars, phones, or job titles - external possessions signal social rank.
Self-reliance paradox
The tension between gaining power through tools versus maintaining independence through personal skill. More capability often means more things that can go wrong.
Modern Usage:
Anyone who's been promoted to manager knows this - more resources and authority, but also more ways for things to fall apart.
Characters in This Chapter
Caesar
Historical example
Montaigne mentions Caesar's unusual horse with human-like hooves that would only allow Caesar to ride it. This demonstrates the deep bond between warrior and mount, but also the vulnerability of depending on a single special relationship.
Modern Equivalent:
The CEO who only trusts one assistant
Numidian warriors
Cultural exemplars
These North African horsemen represent the pinnacle of horse-warrior integration, fighting without saddles while leading spare mounts. They show both the heights of skill and the risks of total dependence on their animals.
Modern Equivalent:
Professional athletes whose entire identity depends on physical ability
Roman cavalrymen
Technical masters
The Romans developed systematic approaches to cavalry warfare, training horses and riders for specific battlefield maneuvers. They represent organized, methodical mastery versus natural skill.
Modern Equivalent:
Corporate trainers who systematize what others do by instinct
Indigenous Americans
Cultural observers
Montaigne describes how they initially thought Spanish horses and riders were single divine creatures, showing how unfamiliar technology can seem magical until understood.
Modern Equivalent:
Anyone seeing advanced technology for the first time and being amazed
Key Quotes & Analysis
"There are many horses trained to help their riders so as to run upon any one, that appears with a drawn sword, to fall both with mouth and heels upon the enemy"
Context: Montaigne describes how war horses were trained to attack enemies independently
This reveals the double-edged nature of powerful tools - they can act on your behalf but might also act beyond your control. The horse's training makes it valuable but unpredictable.
In Today's Words:
Your tools can be so smart they start making decisions for you - which is great until they make the wrong one.
"So active were the men, and the horses so docile"
Context: Describing Numidian cavalry who could leap between horses during battle
This highlights the perfect partnership between human skill and animal cooperation. But it also shows how this impressive ability depends entirely on both parts working flawlessly.
In Today's Words:
They made it look easy because everything was working perfectly - but one mistake and the whole system falls apart.
"I think I have read that the Romans had a sort of horses by them called 'funales' or 'dextrarios'"
Context: Montaigne begins by admitting his uncertain knowledge while exploring the topic
This shows Montaigne's honesty about the limits of his knowledge while still pursuing understanding. He's more interested in exploring ideas than claiming expertise.
In Today's Words:
I'm not totally sure about this, but I think I remember reading that...
Thematic Threads
Control
In This Chapter
Warriors discover that gaining power through horses means losing control over their own fate
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might feel this when your work performance depends entirely on systems you don't control.
Identity
In This Chapter
Different cultures built their warrior identity around specific fighting styles and tools
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might see this in how your professional identity becomes tied to specific technologies or methods.
Class
In This Chapter
Cavalry represented elite status but created elite vulnerabilities that infantry avoided
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice how status symbols often come with hidden costs and dependencies.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Montaigne examines how choosing our tools and dependencies shapes our development
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when deciding whether to learn new skills or rely on existing systems.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The bond between warrior and horse reveals how partnerships can be both strength and weakness
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might see this in how close relationships can make you both stronger and more vulnerable.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What specific examples does Montaigne give of warriors becoming vulnerable through their tools of power?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne suggest that a sword might be more reliable than a firearm, even though firearms are more powerful?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this power-vulnerability trade-off in modern technology or workplace tools?
application • medium - 4
How would you decide whether to adopt a powerful new tool that also creates new dependencies?
application • deep - 5
What does this essay reveal about the human desire for control versus the reality of interdependence?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Power Dependencies
List three tools or systems that make you more capable at work or home. For each one, identify what would happen if it failed tomorrow and what backup plan you currently have. This exercise reveals where you've traded self-reliance for efficiency, and helps you decide which dependencies are worth maintaining.
Consider:
- •Consider both digital tools and physical systems you rely on
- •Think about gradual failure, not just complete breakdown
- •Notice which failures would affect others who depend on you
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when a tool or system you relied on failed at the worst possible moment. How did you adapt? What did you learn about building backup capabilities?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 49: Fashion, Custom, and Human Folly
Having examined how we depend on our tools and animals, Montaigne turns his attention to the customs and traditions that shape human behavior across cultures, revealing how what we consider 'natural' is often simply familiar.
