Wounds in Classical Literature

Homer, The Iliads (10th-8th c. BCE), trans. George Chapman (London: Richard Field for Nathaniell Butter, 1611):

Nothing decks a souldier so, as doth an honour'd wound. (4)

Livy, The Romane Historie (27-25 BCE), trans. Philemon Holland (London: Adam Islip, 1600):

And when he had rehearsed his noble feats of armes; and amplified them according to the height of their worthin a most glorious and eloquent Oration, as one whose words were sutable and answerable to his deeds: at the last he stript his breast bare, and shewed the scarres there remaining of wounds received in the warres. (231)

Plutarch, “The Life of Caivs Martius Coriolanus,” in The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes Compared Together (late 1st c.), trans. Thomas North (London: Thomas Vautroullier and John Wight, 1579):

The custome of ROME was at that time, that suche as dyd sue for any office, should for certen dayes before be in the market place, only with a poore gowne on their backes, and without any coate vnderneath, to praye the cittizens to remember them at the daye of election: which was thus deuised, either to moue the people the more, by requesting them in suche meane apparell, or els bicause they might shewe them their woundes they had gotten in the warres in the seruice of the common wealth, as manifest markes & testimonie of their valliantnes. (244)

Now Martius following this custome, shewed many woundes and cuttes apon his bodie, which he had receyued in seuenteene yeres seruice at the warres, and in many sundrie battells, being euer the formest man that dyd set out feete to fight. So that there was not a man emong the people, but was ashamed of him selfe, to refuse so valliant a man: and one of them sayed to another, we must needes chuse him Consul, there is no remedie. (244)

Plutarch, “The Life of Caius Marius,” in The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes Compared Together (late 1st c.), trans. Thomas North (London: Thomas Vautroullier and John Wight, 1579):

Yet this was not the matter that made Marius to be most hated, but they were his stowte prowde wordes, full of contempt of others, that did chiefely offende the noble men in the city. For he proclaimed it euery where abroade as it were, that his Consullshippe was a spoyle he had gotten of the effeminate riche noble men through his valliantnes, and that the wounds which he had vpon his body for seruice of the common wealth, and not the monuments of the dead, nor the images and statues of others, were those that recommended him to the people, nor weare his strength. (455)

Plutarch, “The Life of Paulus Aemilius,” in The Lives of the Noble Grecians and Romanes Compared Together (late 1st c.), trans. Thomas North (London: Thomas Vautroullier and John Wight, 1579):

You I saye, who by experience of many of sore cut and wounde apon your bodies in the warres, haue learned to knowe a good and valliant captaine, from a vile and cowardly persone. And speaking these wordes, he cast open his gowne, and shewed before them all, the infinite scarres and cuttes he had receyued vpon his brest: and then turning him behinde, shewed all suche places as were not fitte to be seene openly, and so turned him againe to Galba, and sayed vnto him. Thou mockest me for that I shewe thee: but I reioyce before my countrie men and cittizens: that for seruing my contrie night & daye a horse backe, I haue these wounds apon me which thou seest. (281)

Tacitus, The Annals (early 2nd c.), trans. Richard Greenway (London: Arn. Hatfield for Bonham and John Norton, 1598):

Germanicus beginning with the reuerence of Augustus, fell by little and little into the praise of the victories and triumphes, and especially the famous exploites Tiberius had done in Germanie with those legions. Then extolled the vnitie of Italie; the loyaltie of Gallia; and how all other partes of the empire were quiet. The soldiers gaue eare vnto all this with silence, or with a small murmuring: but as soone as he began to touch their mutinies; expostulating; What was become of the modest behauiour of soldiers? where was the honor of ancient discipline? whither they had driuen their Tribunes and Centurions?  they all vnclothed themselues, shewed him their wounds, scars, and marks of their stripes. (15)