Summary
Montaigne uses medieval armor as a lens to examine a deeper human tendency: our inclination to pile on protections until they become burdens. He contrasts modern soldiers, weighed down by heavy armor and dependent on servants to carry their gear, with ancient warriors who stayed battle-ready at all times. The essay reveals how our ancestors lived with their weapons always at hand, while contemporary fighters scramble to arm themselves only when danger appears. Montaigne describes the Parthians' ingenious flexible armor that protected without restricting movement, and Roman soldiers who marched fully armed for days without complaint. His central insight cuts beyond military tactics: when we over-engineer our safety measures, we often create new vulnerabilities. The soldier so heavily armored he can't move becomes an easy target. The person so focused on avoiding all risks may miss opportunities for growth. Montaigne suggests that true strength comes from adaptation and readiness, not from building ever-thicker walls. He admires leaders like Scipio, who trusted in skill and courage over defensive measures. The essay speaks to anyone who has ever wondered whether their protective strategies—whether emotional, professional, or physical—have become prisons. Sometimes the very things we think keep us safe actually keep us trapped.
Coming Up in Chapter 67
From warriors and their weapons, Montaigne turns to another kind of armament entirely: books. He's about to reveal his complicated relationship with reading and why he approaches literature like a battlefield strategist approaching enemy territory.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
OF THE ARMS OF THE PARTHIANS ‘Tis an ill custom and unmanly that the gentlemen of our time have got, not to put on arms but just upon the point of the most extreme necessity, and to lay them by again, so soon as ever there is any show of the danger being over; hence many disorders arise; for every one bustling and running to his arms just when he should go to charge, has his cuirass to buckle on when his companions are already put to rout. Our ancestors were wont to give their head-piece, lance and gauntlets to be carried, but never put off the other pieces so long as there was any work to be done. Our troops are now cumbered and rendered unsightly with the clutter of baggage and servants who cannot be from their masters, by reason they carry their arms. Titus Livius speaking of our nation: “Intolerantissima laboris corpora vix arma humeris gerebant.” [“Bodies most impatient of labour could scarce endure to wear their arms on their shoulders.”--Livy, x. 28.] Many nations do yet, and did anciently, go to war without defensive arms, or with such, at least, as were of very little proof: “Tegmina queis capitum, raptus de subere cortex.” [“To whom the coverings of the heads were the bark of the cork-tree.”--AEneid, vii. 742.] Alexander, the most adventurous captain that ever was, very seldom wore armour, and such amongst us as slight it, do not by that much harm to the main concern; for if we see some killed for want of it, there are few less whom the lumber of arms helps to destroy, either by being overburthened, crushed, and cramped with their weight, by a rude shock, or otherwise. For, in plain truth, to observe the weight and thickness of the armour we have now in use, it seems as if we only sought to defend ourselves, and are rather loaded than secured by it. We have enough to do to support its weight, being so manacled and immured, as if we were only to contend with our own arms, and as if we had not the same obligation to defend them, that they have to defend us. Tacitus gives a pleasant description of the men-at-arms among our ancient Gauls, who were so armed as only to be able to stand, without power to harm or to be harmed, or to rise again if once struck down. Lucullus, seeing certain soldiers of the Medes, who formed the van of Tigranes’ army, heavily armed and very uneasy, as if in prisons of iron, thence conceived hopes with great ease to defeat them, and by them began his charge and victory. And now that our musketeers are in credit, I believe some invention will be found out to immure us for our safety, and to draw us to the war in castles, such as those the ancients loaded their elephants withal. This humour is far differing from that of the younger Scipio,...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Over-Protection
When our defensive measures become so extensive they create the very vulnerabilities they were meant to prevent.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to identify when defensive measures have become counterproductive burdens rather than helpful protections.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when your safety measures require more energy to maintain than the problems they're supposed to solve, then ask what you're really defending against.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Defensive Arms
Heavy protective gear like armor, shields, and helmets that soldiers wore in battle. Montaigne argues that too much protection can make you slower and more vulnerable than having less.
Modern Usage:
Like wearing so much safety gear at work that you can't actually do your job effectively.
Parthians
Ancient warriors famous for their flexible, lightweight armor that let them move quickly while still being protected. They represent Montaigne's ideal of smart protection over heavy protection.
Modern Usage:
Think of someone who uses just the right amount of preparation without overdoing it.
Cuirass
A piece of armor that covers the chest and back. Montaigne uses it as an example of gear that soldiers scramble to put on at the last minute instead of wearing it when ready.
Modern Usage:
Like trying to update your resume only after you've already been laid off.
Baggage Train
All the supplies, servants, and extra gear that follows an army. Montaigne criticizes how modern armies are slowed down by too much stuff and too many helpers.
Modern Usage:
When you need so much equipment and support to do something simple that it becomes more trouble than it's worth.
Battle Readiness
The state of being prepared for action at any moment. Ancient warriors stayed armed and ready, while modern ones only gear up when trouble starts.
Modern Usage:
Like keeping your skills sharp and your options open instead of scrambling when opportunities arise.
Cork-tree Bark Armor
Extremely lightweight protection used by some ancient peoples. Montaigne points out that sometimes minimal protection works better than heavy armor.
Modern Usage:
Sometimes the simplest solution is the most effective one.
Characters in This Chapter
Alexander the Great
exemplary leader
Montaigne praises him as the most adventurous captain who rarely wore armor yet succeeded brilliantly. He represents the confidence that comes from skill rather than heavy protection.
Modern Equivalent:
The successful entrepreneur who takes calculated risks without over-insuring everything
Scipio
model commander
A Roman general who trusted in ability and courage over defensive measures. Montaigne uses him to show that great leaders rely on adaptability, not just protection.
Modern Equivalent:
The manager who leads by example rather than hiding behind policies and procedures
Titus Livius
historical witness
The Roman historian who observed that some peoples could barely carry their own weapons. Montaigne quotes him to contrast different approaches to warfare and preparation.
Modern Equivalent:
The experienced observer who's seen what works and what doesn't
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Bodies most impatient of labour could scarce endure to wear their arms on their shoulders."
Context: Describing soldiers who found their own weapons too heavy to carry
This quote reveals how our protective measures can become burdens if we're not conditioned for them. It shows the irony of safety equipment that makes us less capable rather than more.
In Today's Words:
They were so out of shape they couldn't even handle their own gear.
"Every one bustling and running to his arms just when he should go to charge, has his cuirass to buckle on when his companions are already put to rout."
Context: Criticizing soldiers who only arm themselves when danger appears
Montaigne shows how last-minute preparation often means missing the opportunity entirely. While you're getting ready, the moment has already passed.
In Today's Words:
Everyone's scrambling to get ready when they should already be in action, trying to suit up while their teammates are already losing.
"Our troops are now cumbered and rendered unsightly with the clutter of baggage and servants."
Context: Comparing modern armies unfavorably to ancient ones
This reveals how accumulating too much support and equipment can actually weaken us. The very things meant to help can become obstacles to effectiveness.
In Today's Words:
Our armies are weighed down and look ridiculous with all their extra stuff and helpers.
Thematic Threads
Safety vs. Freedom
In This Chapter
Montaigne shows how excessive armor restricts the very movement needed for survival
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might see this in how your safety measures at work or home sometimes prevent you from taking necessary risks.
Adaptation
In This Chapter
Ancient warriors stayed ready while modern soldiers scramble to prepare when danger appears
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might recognize this in how some people stay flexible and ready while others panic when unexpected challenges arise.
Burden of Excess
In This Chapter
Heavy armor requires servants and limits mobility, creating dependence and vulnerability
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might see this in how accumulating too many possessions, commitments, or procedures can weigh you down.
True Strength
In This Chapter
Montaigne admires leaders like Scipio who trusted skill and courage over defensive measures
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might notice this in how the most capable people you know rely on competence rather than elaborate protections.
Practical Wisdom
In This Chapter
The Parthians' flexible armor protected without restricting movement—smart design over brute force
Development
Introduced here
In Your Life:
You might apply this when choosing solutions that solve problems without creating new ones.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What contrast does Montaigne draw between ancient warriors and the heavily armored soldiers of his time?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Montaigne suggest that excessive armor actually made soldiers more vulnerable rather than safer?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see this pattern of 'protective measures becoming prisons' in modern workplaces, parenting, or relationships?
application • medium - 4
How would you distinguish between necessary protection and over-protection in your own life decisions?
application • deep - 5
What does this essay reveal about the human tendency to seek security, and when does that seeking become self-defeating?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Armor
List three areas where you've added layers of protection (emotional walls, work procedures, safety measures, rules for your kids). For each one, identify what you're protecting against and what freedom or opportunity this protection might be costing you. Then rate each protection: essential, helpful, or potentially limiting.
Consider:
- •Consider both the original fear that drove the protection and whether that fear is still relevant
- •Look for protections that require more energy to maintain than the risk they're preventing
- •Notice where your protective measures might be preventing growth or connection
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when something you thought was protecting you actually held you back. What did you learn about the difference between smart caution and paralyzing over-protection?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 67: How to Read and Learn from Books
The coming pages reveal to read strategically without getting overwhelmed by difficulty, and teach us acknowledging your limitations makes you a better learner. These discoveries help us navigate similar situations in our own lives.