War and Peace and War: The Rise and Fall of Empires

by Peter Turchin

When a raiding party returned, the town council announced a day on which everyone had to bring to the town plaza whatever booty they captured. All spoils, including livestock, clothing, arms, and precious metals, were auctioned. A portion of the proceeds was used to reward acts of heroism, but the bulk was distributed to everybody who participated in the expedition, with the size of the share dependent on the equipment. (Thus, cavalrymen received greater shares than those who fought on foot.) Anybody who tried to conceal an item was punished. The system curbed self-serving behavior that could be detrimental to the collective effort—all too many battles in history were lost because soldiers were more intent on plundering the captured camp of the enemy instead of nailing down victory. By making sure that each received his fair share, this method of booty division promoted cooperation on the battlefield. Clearly, the system was designed by a bunch of moralists!