Literary notes about Depredation (AI summary)
The term “depredation” has been used in literature to evoke images of severe violence and plundering across various contexts. In historical narratives such as Livy’s account, it denotes the systematic ravaging of enemy territories to accumulate glory and booty, underscoring the calculated brutality of military campaigns [1]. In contrast, Theodor Herzl employs the term to highlight the broader spectrum of suffering and violation experienced by Jews, incorporating depredation within a litany of abuses that speak to deep-seated communal atrocities [2]. Additionally, James Mooney’s reference to depredation when describing conflicts among indigenous peoples illustrates its application in portraying the havoc wrought by intertribal raids [3]. Together, these examples reflect how "depredation" consistently encapsulates acts of destructive aggression, whether in the pursuit of conquest, subjugation, or cultural conflict.
- The consul, after he had repeatedly carried depredation through the entire country of the enemy, returned to Rome with great glory and booty.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - In the meantime, Jews in a thousand different places would suffer insults, mortifications, abuse, blows, depredation, and death.
— from The Jewish State by Theodor Herzl - As before, most of the depredation was by Chickamaugas and Creeks, with some stray Shawano from the north.
— from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
