Medieval II: Total War

Kill them all, God will recognise his own.

- Arnaud Amaury, Abbot of Citeaux Nothing is to be feared but fear.

- Francis Bacon In order for a war to be just, three things are necessary. First, the authority of the sovereign. Secondly, a just cause. Thirdly, a rightful intention.

- Thomas Aquinas The fields have eyes, and the woods have ears.

- Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, The Knights Tale Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.

- Christopher Columbus War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it.

- Erasmus Fortune favours the audacious.

- Erasmus The most disadvantageous peace is better than the most just war.

- Erasmus If you do not leave this pasturage, Saladin will come and attack you here. And if you retreat from this attack the shame and reproach will be very great.

- Gerard of Ridefort, letter written to King Guy The strength of God will enable us, a small but faithful band, to overcome the multitude of the faithless.

- Robert Guiscard It is better to live one day as a lion than a hundred years as a sheep.

- Italian proverb Do you know, my son, with what little understanding the world is ruled?

- Pope Julius III A safe stronghold our God is still. A trusty shield and weapon.

- Martin Luther Faith must trample under foot all reason, sense, and understanding.

- Martin Luther Nothing good ever comes of violence.

- Martin Luther War is the greatest plague that can affect humanity; it destroys religion, it destroys states, it destroys families. Any scourge is preferable to it.

- Martin Luther Since love and fear can hardly coexist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved.

- Niccoló Machiavelli The princes who have done great things are the ones who have taken little account of their promises.

- Niccoló Machiavelli So far as he is able, a prince should stick to the path of good but, if the necessity arises, he should know how to follow evil.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Men should either be treated generously or destroyed, because they take revenge for slight injures - for heavy ones they cannot.

- Niccoló Machiavelli The prince must be a fox... to recognize the traps and a lion to frighten the wolves.

- Niccoló Machiavelli The sinews of war are not gold, but good soldiers.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Among other evils which being unarmed brings you, it causes you to be despised.

- Niccoló Machiavelli The best fortress which a prince can possess is the affection of his people.

- Niccoló Machiavelli No enterprise is more likely to succeed than one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution.

- Niccoló Machiavelli A prince should therefore have no other aim or thought... but war and its organisation and discipline.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Whoever conquers a free town and does not demolish it commits a great error and may expect to be ruined himself.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Good order and discipline in any army are to be depended upon more than courage alone.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Good order makes men bold, and confusion, cowards.

- Niccoló Machiavelli He who wishes to be obeyed must know how to command.

- Niccoló Machiavelli One should never risk one's whole fortune unless supported by one's entire forces.

- Niccoló Machiavelli It is not titles that honour men, but men that honour titles.

- Niccoló Machiavelli To ensure victory the troops must have confidence in themselves as well as in their commanders.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Strike up the drum and march courageously.

- Christopher Marlowe Better to reign in hell than serve in heav'n.

- John Milton For what can war, but endless war, still breed?

- John Milton Will no one revenge me of the injuries I have sustained from one turbulent priest?

- Henry II, King of England Luck is the residue of design.

- John Milton Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than War.

- John Milton What does not destroy me, makes me strong.

- John Milton If some among them are innocent, it is expedient that they should be assayed like gold in the furnace and purged by proper judicial examination.

- Royal letter opening the enquiry into the Templar Knights He doth nothing but talk of his horse.

- Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, i, 2 All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players.

- Shakespeare, As You Like It, ii, 7 I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways.

- Shakespeare, As You Like It, v, 1 Here I and sorrows sit; Here is my throne, bid kings come bow to it.

- Shakespeare, King John, iii, 1 Go, bid the soldiers shoot.

- Shakespeare, Hamlet, iv, 2 Come the three corners of the world in arms, and we shall shock them.

- Shakespeare, King John, iv, 7 A man can die but once.

- Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part:II. iii, 2 Give me another horse: bind up my wounds.

- Shakespeare, King Richard III, v, 3 A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!

- Shakespeare, King Richard III, v, 4 The better part of valour is discretion.

- Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part:I, v, 4 To whom God will, there be the victory.

- Shakespeare, King Henry the Sixth, Part:III, ii, 5 A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers.

- Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, i, 1 We are ready to try our fortunes To the last man.

- Shakespeare, King Henry IV, Part:II, iv, 2 And many strokes, though with a little axe, hew down and fell the hardest-timbered oak.

- Shakespeare, King Henry VI, Part:III, ii, 1 Upon his royal face there is no note how dread an army hath enrounded him;

- Shakespeare, King Henry V, iv prologue There's daggers in men's smiles.

- Shakespeare, Macbeth, II, 3 It is better to be on hand with ten men than absent with ten thousand.

- Tamerlane And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, see that ye be not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

- Matthew, ch. XXIV, V.6 Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight.

- Psalm, CXLIV Inflict not on an enemy every injury in your power, for he may afterwards become your friend.

- Moslih Eddin Saadi No one conquers who doesn't fight.

- Gabriel Biel An emperor is subject to no one but God and justice.

- Fredrick I, Barbarossa Wars begin when you will, but they do not end when you please.

- Niccoló Machiavelli Let the boy win his spurs.

- Edward III, King of England, Battle of Crecy 1345 We who are the rest of the people raised our heart and eyes to heaven crying for God to have compassion upon us, and to turn away from us the power of the French.

- Thomas Elthem, Henry V's Chaplain at Agincourt There are some defeats more triumphant than victories.

- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne Tis so much to be a king, that he only is so by being so.

- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne The souls of emperors and cobblers are cast in the same mould. ...The same reason that makes us wrangle with a neighbour causes a war betwixt princes.

- Michel Eyquem de Montaigne He who knows not how to dissimulate, can not reign.

- Louis XI, King of France So many great nobles, things, administrations, so many high chieftains, so many brave nations, so many proud princes, and power so splendid; In a moment, a twinkling, all utterly ended.

- Jacobus de Benedictus It is more honourable to be raised to a throne than to be born to one. Fortune bestows the one, merit obtains the other.

- Petrarch He who defends everything defends nothing.

- Fredrick II, Holy Roman Emperor I am the King of Rome, and above grammar.

- Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor When you see contention amongst your enemies, go and sit at ease with your friends; but when you see them of one mind, string your bow, and place stones upon the ramparts.

- Moslih Eddin Saadi Disasters teach us humility.

- Saint Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury I have loved justice and hated inequity; and therefore I die in exile.

- Pope Gregory VII, Tuscan Pope It is easy to be brave behind a castle wall.

- Welsh proverb In a fight, anger is as good as courage.

- Welsh proverb Undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the Kingdom of Heaven!

- Urban II, Pope To carry on war, three things are necessary: money, money, and yet more money.

- Gian Jacopo Trivulzio Fight to the last gasp.

- Shakespeare, King Henry VI, part 1, i, 1 I'll fight, till from my bones my flesh be hacked.

- Shakespeare, Macbeth, v, 3 Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!

- Shakespeare, King Henry V, iii, 1 Let the world tremble as it senses all you are about to accomplish.

- Luis Camóes, The Lusóads, canto 1:15 Having done everything practical to make ready for so long a voyage, we prepared our souls to meet death, which is always on a sailor's horizon.

- Luis Camóes, The Lusóads, canto 4:86 I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse.

- King Charles V King of France Had I been present at the creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.

- Alfonso X, the Wise, King of Castile Every man should arm himself as quickly as he could, and come to the King.

- Charles Oman Let those who once fought against brothers and relatives now rightfully fight against barbarians.

- Pope Urban II On both sides the troops were commanded by royal princes and they massacred each other mercilessly.

- Matthew of Edessa The fighting was fierce and lasted for the greater part of a day; blood ran in rivers.

- Matthew of Edessa Many of the common people in the armies were desolate, fearing future poverty; and so they sold their bows and the cowards returned to their own homes.

- Fulcher of Chartres Let anyone who has zeal for God come with me! Let us fight for our brothers! Let Heaven's will be done!

- Conrad III, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire God has aroused the spirit of kings and princes to root up from the earth the enemies of the Christian name.

- Bernard of Clairvaux Whoever devotedly undertakes and performs this most holy journey...shall have the enjoyment of eternal reward from the repayer of all men.

- Pope Eugenius III Surrender before you all die by the sword, for I do not wish you to perish.

- Imad ad-Din Zanghi We shall not surrender.

- Archbishop Hugh Come on soldiers! Guardians and agents of the supreme law! Here is a sacrifice of dogs ready for your swords!

- Il-Ghazi At the first sound of the bugle, everyone should make haste to put on arms and armour.

- Walter, Chancellor to Roger of Salerno Put an end to so great an evil and arrive at a peace settlement whatever the outcome, and whatever the conditions.

- William of Tyre Take up the weapons of the glorious army for the salvation of many thousands.

- Adela, wife of Stephen of Blois If they wish to fight today, let them come like men.

- Bohemund They assembled from all sides, one after another, with arms and horses and all the panoply of war...

- Anna Comnenus, The Alexiad Alas! How many noble and valiant knights we lost.

- Fulcher of Chartres There is now no hope of escaping. If you fight you will conquer, but if you flee you will fall.

- Fulcher of Chartres When he caught sight of their army, he was terrified and groaned in his mind.

- Fulcher of Chartres The Frankish duke wept bitterly to see his soldiers massacred.

- Matthew of Edessa He withdrew, himself wounded, and was compelled to return home inglorious, weeping - he who had once vainly hoped for the glory of a triumph.

- William of Apulia Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of Christ.

- Bernard of Clairvaux Set out on pilgrimage and triumph gloriously over the infidels in the East.

- Orderic Vitalis

Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms - Americas Campaign

Following the light of the sun, we left the Old World.

- Christopher Columbus You can't wake a person who is pretending to be asleep.

- Navajo proverb You can't win them all.

- Navajo proverb There is nothing as eloquent as a rattlesnake's tail.

- Navajo proverb Wisdom comes only when you stop looking for it and start living the life the Creator intended for you.

- Hopi proverb You cannot see the future with tears in your eyes.

- Navajo proverb The one who tells the stories rules the world.

- Hopi proverb One finger cannot lift a pebble.

- Hopi proverb In death, I am born.

- Hopi proverb Walk lightly in the spring; Mother Earth is pregnant.

- Kiowa proverb After dark all cats are leopards.

- Zuni proverb A good man does not take what belongs to someone else.

- Pueblo proverb Cherish youth, but trust old age.

- Pueblo proverb Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.

- Lakota proverb The weakness of the enemy makes our strength.

- Cherokee proverb All who have died are equal.

- Comanche proverb We dared not charge them except all together... For they were so numerous that they could have blinded us with clods of earth if God, of His great mercy, had not aided and protected us.

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo Then Cortés told them that the King's laws decreed such treachery should not go unpunished, and that they must die for their crime.

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo ...Then he ordered a musket to be fired, which was the signal we had agreed on; and they received a blow they will remember for ever, for we killed many of them, and the promises of their false idols were of no avail.

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the water, and other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico, we were astounded...

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo It was all so wonderful that I do not know how to describe this first glimpse of things never heard of, seen or dreamed of before...

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo As for us, we were scarcely four hundred strong, and we well remembered the word and warning...we had received to beware of entering the city of Mexico, since they would kill us as soon as they had us inside.

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo What men in all the world have shown such daring?

- Hernan Cortes For I assure Your Majesty that if God had not mysteriously assisted us and the victory had gone to Narváez, it would have been the greatest harm that Spaniards had done to each other for a long time past.

- Hernan Cortes Furthermore, they had calculated that if 25,000 of them died for every one of us, they would finish with us first, for they were many and we were but few.

- Hernan Cortes These Aztecs then came and I told them to observe how they could not triumph, and how each day we did them great harm and killed many of them and we were burning and destroying their city.

- Hernan Cortes They no longer had nor could find any arrows, javelins or stones with which to attack us...

- Hernan Cortes ...and our allies fighting with us were armed with swords and bucklers, and slaughtered so many of them on land and in the water that more than forty thousand were killed or taken that day.

- Hernan Cortes So loud was the wailing of the women and children that there was not one man among us whose heart did not bleed at the sound...

- Hernan Cortes We went there to serve God, and also to get rich.

- Bernal Díaz del Castillo It is not good to look at the clouds or your work will not progress.

- Mayan proverb

Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms - Britannia Campaign

A certain bloody man ... who had been chief of brigands in Scotland

- Lanercost the chronicler on William Wallace Evil priests are the cause of the people's ruin, so the ruin of the realm of Scotland had its source within the bosom of its own church

- Lanercost the chronicler The common folk of the land followed him as their leader and ruler; the retainers of the great lords adhered to him...

- Walter of Guisborough on the leadership of William Wallace ... and even though the lords themselves were present with the English king in body, at heart they were on the opposite side.

- Walter of Guisborough on the leadership of William Wallace From that time there gathered to him all who were of bitter heart and were weighed down beneath the burden of bondage under the intolerable rule of English domination and he became their leader.

- Scottish chronicler Fordun on William Wallace My lord if we cross the bridge we are dead men.

- Traitorous Scottish knight Richard Lundie at the battle of Stirling Bridge They flayed him and divided pieces of his skin between them, not as keepsakes but out of hatred of him.

- Guisborough on the demise of Hugh Cressingham, treasurer of Scotland, at the hands of the Scots' We shall then defeat the whole lot of them in one go!

- King Edward I of England upon hearing of his Welsh allies threats to desert to the Scots' I have brought you to the revel, now dance if you can!

- William Wallace, rallying his men before the battle of Falkirk Before them and on every hand foul lanes and deep dykes and many hedges with hills and valleys: a right evil place to approach, as could have been devised.

- from the 'Arrivall' on the land near Tewkesbury ...Henry seeing he could not resist the multitude of the Scots, turned his horse with the intention of returning to his companions; but Robert opposed him and struck him on the head with an axe.

- Account of the duel between Robert the Bruce King of Scotland and English knight Henry de Bohun That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears.

- Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales. The Knightes Tale. Yet in our ashen cold is fire yreken.

- Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales. The Reves Prologue. In his owen grese I made him frie.

- Geoffrey Chaucer, Canterbury Tales. The Reves Tale. Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our English dead!

- William Shakespeare, Henry V, scene i. Cry 'God for Harry! England and Saint George!

- William Shakespeare, Henry V, scene i. Will no one revenge me of the injuries I have sustained from one turbulent priest?

- Henry II, King of England O, Thou hast damnable iteration; and art, indeed, able to corrupt a saint.

- William Shakespeare, Henry IV, part:I, act i, scene ii There live not three good men unhanged in England; and one of them is fat and grows old.

- William Shakespeare, Henry IV, part:I, act ii, scene iv We come here with no peaceful intent, but ready for battle, determined to avenge our wrongs and set our country free.

- William Wallace, rallying his men before the battle of Stirling Bridge If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough.

- Irish quote It is easy to be brave behind a castle wall.

- Welsh proverb In a fight, anger is as good as courage.

- Welsh proverb The better part of valour is discretion.

- William Shakespeare, Henry IV, part:I, act v, scene iv Castles were built a stone at a time.

- Irish proverb A king's son is not nobler than his food.

- Irish proverb Drink is the curse of the land. It makes you fight with your neighbour. It makes you shoot at your landlord and it makes you miss him.

- Irish proverb A man is a lion in his own cause.

- Scottish proverb Twelve highlanders and a bagpipe make a rebellion

- Scottish proverb

Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms - Crusades Campaign

Tuitio Fidei et Obsequium Pauperum - Support the faithful and serve the poor.

- Motto of the Knights Hospitaller A mighty persecutor of the Christian name and faith, a just prince, valiant and wise, and according to the traditions of his race, a religious man.

- William of Tyre speaking of Nur ad-Din We should sympathize with their grief and in pity spare them, because they have lost a prince such as the rest of the world does not possess today.

- Nur ad-Din on the death of King Baldwin III of Jerusalem After Jerusalem had been captured, Saladin had the cross taken down from the Temple of the Lord and, beating it with clubs, had it carried on display for two days throughout the city.

- Letter written by Terricus, acting commander of the Templars to Henry II in 1188 If some among them are innocent, it is expedient that they should be assayed like gold in the furnace and purged by proper judicial examination.

- Royal letter opening the Enquiry into the Templars 1307 After entering Asia Minor, the crusaders experienced the treachery of the Greek emperor. Our forces, however, had indulged in certain excesses and had incurred his displeasure.

- William of Newburgh On the failure of the 2nd Crusade And in this battle, brother William, Master of the Templars, lost an eye; and he had lost the other on the previous Shrove Tuesday; and that lord died as a consequence, may God absolve him!

- John of Joinville 11th February 1250 Then he caused the Temple of the lord to be washed with rose water, inside and out, above and below, and, with an astonishing commotion, had his law acclaimed from on high in four places.

- Letter written by Terricus, acting commander of the Templars, speaking of Saladins capture of Jerusalem in 1187 On this morning of May 17 rabi II, two days after the victory, the Sultan sought out the Templars and Hospitallers who had been captured and said "I shall purify the land of these two impure races".

- Recorded by Imad-ad-Din, Secretary and Chancellor to Saladin 1187 When the Saracens came to attack ... they threw Greek fire onto the barrier ... and the fire caught easily ... the Turks did not wait for the fire to burn itself out, but rushed upon the Templars among the scorching flames.

- John of Joinville 11th February 1250 Deus lo vult! - God wills it!

- Pope Urban II, speaking about the first Crusade And you should know that there was at least an acre of land behind the Templars, which was so covered with arrows fired by the Saracens, that none of the ground could be seen.

- John of Joinville 11th February 1250 And by their arrogant and uncontrolled behavior, they had fired the anger of Almighty God as well against them.

- William of Newburgh On the failure of the 2nd Crusade If you do not leave this pasturage, Saladin will come and attack you here. And if you retreat from this attack the shame and reproach will be very great.

- Gerard of Ridefort, letter written to King Guy The strength of God will enable us, a small but faithful band, to overcome the multitude of the faithless.

- Robert Guiscard Let anyone who has zeal for God come with me! Let us fight for our brothers! Let Heaven's will be done!

- Conrad III, ruler of the Holy Roman Empire God has aroused the spirit of kings and princes to root up from the earth the enemies of the Christian name.

- Bernard of Clairvaux Whoever devotedly undertakes and performs this most holy journey...shall have the enjoyment of eternal reward from the repayer of all men.

- Pope Eugenius III Surrender before you all die by the sword, for I do not wish you to perish.

- Imad ad-Din Zanghi Come on soldiers! Guardians and agents of the supreme law! Here is a sacrifice of dogs ready for your swords!

- Il-Ghazi Put an end to so great an evil and arrive at a peace settlement whatever the outcome, and whatever the conditions.

- William of Tyre Take up the weapons of the glorious army for the salvation of many thousands.

- Adela, wife of Stephen of Blois If they wish to fight today, let them come like men.

- Bohemund They assembled from all sides, one after another, with arms and horses and all the panoply of war...

- Anna Comnenus, The Alexiad Therefore gird yourselves manfully and take up joyful arms for the name of Christ.

- Bernard of Clairvaux Set out on pilgrimage and triumph gloriously over the infidels in the East.

- Orderic Vitali

Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms - Teutonic Campaign