The Captive Trumpeter. A trumpeter who had been captured by the enemy said, "Don't kill me! For I am unarmed and I have nothing at all except for this trumpet." The enemy soldiers replied, "That is exactly why we will kill you: even though you yourself are incapable of fighting, you are in the habit of exciting others to battle."
Tubicen Captus. Tubicen, ab hostibus captus, "Ne me" inquit "interficite; nam inermis sum, neque quidquam habeo praeter hanc tubam." At hostes "Propter hoc ipsum" inquiunt "te interimemus: quod, cum ipse pugnandi sis imperitus, alios ad pugnam incitare soles."
Notes. This is Via Latina 11, which is Fable 370 in Perry's classification scheme. While we may not use trumpeters to rouse troops to battle any longer, the question of just how non-combatants are responsible for the waging of war is still a difficult one to answer.
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