having endured. 7.t Concerning the gathering and movement of an army and concerning allowing merchants to enter and spy 7.1 Upon hearing of the preparation and movement of a large army, at the time when large armies are most accustomed to be gathered, that is, in the month of August—for at such a time multitudes would come up from Egypt, Palestine, Phoenicia, and Coele-Syria into Cilicia and into the regions of Antioch, of Aleppo, and taking Arabs as well, in the month of September they would make their expedition against the Romans—at such a time, therefore, when the gathering of the enemy army is about to take place, to send out more frequently the money-changers, that is, the tasinakia, and very many of the useful and faithful spies. 7.2 To allow merchants to enter, and to feign friendship toward the ruling emirs of the castles lying near our borders, and to write to them and send men with baskets of gifts, so that through this manifold meddling he may be able to be clearly informed of the enemy's plans and preparations, and the numbers of the assembling armies, both cavalry and infantry, and their leaders, and in what regions they wish to make their attack. 7.3 And when he is informed of the departure of the army and by what road it intends to make its expedition against Roman territory, to gather all the troops and come to the borders, and to send a most experienced tourmarch or some other of the great and useful commanders with elite cavalry to meet the enemy before they make their invasion into our lands, so that they may both follow them and shadow them and report their movements to the general. 8.t Concerning shadowing an army and pursuit 8.1 Their shadowing ought to be done thus. The general with all the people moving along in a suitable and fortified place, and the villagers being made to flee by the guides into the castles, or, if there are no castles, into high and very strong and secure mountains, likewise also all their livestock, it is necessary to send out the one who is to do the shadowing from the second or even the third hour of the day. 8.2 And receiving the general's blessing, to take up his force 8.2 and the stragglers and set out toward the road along which the enemy are passing, leaving his baggage and the spare horses with the general, carrying nothing else but one day's food, and that sparingly, only bread and cheese or even salted fish, and the rations for the horses and mules. 8.3 Making camp in a place and finding provisions and fodder for the animals, let him rest his force there and the fodder for the animals for the day, keeping watch from higher places. And that same commander of the force, going up to a very high vantage point, to look out and watch for the dust clouds and smoke of the enemy, and from this to understand and conjecture where they are passing and where they intend to make camp; for the places where it is suitable to make camp are recognized by experienced men. And when they perceive the place where the enemy has encamped, they immediately report this to the general. 8.4 And he with his own army, with them putting on their breastplates and the so-called over-cuirasses that are not white, let each man take in hand the weapon he uses, and let them make their march. And when the sun is setting and the enemies who go out from the army for plunder are returning to their tents and the pickets guarding them, then he too should enter with them and approach the enemy's army. Let him march with purpose and with careful and secret attention, and let him conceal himself so as not to be seen by the enemy. And as night is already falling, let him get near the camp. 8.5 And if there is a hill

ὑποστάντες. 7.τ Περὶ συναθροίσεως καὶ κινήσεως φοσσάτου καὶ περὶ τοῦ παραχωρεῖν τοὺς πραγματευτὰς εἰσέρχεσθαι καὶ κατασκοπεῖν 7.1 Παρασκευὴν δὲ καὶ κίνησιν μεγάλου φοσσάτου ἀκούων, ἐν ᾧ καιρῷ μάλιστα εἰώθει τὰ μεγάλα συναθροίζεσθαι φοσσᾶτα, ἤγουν τῷ Αὐγούστῳ μηνίἐν γὰρ τῷ τοιούτῳ καιρῷ ἀπό τε Αἰγύπτου, Παλαιστίνης τε καὶ Φοινίκης καὶ τῆς Κοίλης Συρίας πλήθη ἀνήρχοντο ἐν Κιλικίᾳ καὶ ἐν ταῖς χώραις Ἀντιοχείας, τοῦ Χάλεπε, καὶ προσλαμβάνοντες καὶ Ἄραβας τῷ Σεπτεμβρίῳ μηνὶ τὴν κατὰ Ῥωμαίων ἐποιοῦντο ἐξέλευσιν, ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ τοίνυν καιρῷ, ὅτε ἡ συνάθροισις τοῦ φοσσάτου τῶν πολεμίων μέλλει γίνεσθαι, συνεχέστερον τοὺς τραπεζίτας ἀποστέλλειν ἤτοι τὰ τασινάκια καὶ κατασκόπους πλείστους τῶν χρησίμων καὶ πιστῶν. 7.2 Παραχωρεῖν δὲ καὶ πραγματευτὰς εἰσέρχεσθαι, προσποιεῖσθαι δὲ καὶ φιλίαν πρὸς τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἀμηράδας τῶν ταῖς ἄκραις ἡμῶν παρακειμένων κάστρων, καὶ γράφειν πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀνθρώπους μετὰ κανισκίων ἀποστέλλειν, ὅπως διὰ τῆς πολυειδοῦς ταύτης πολυπραγμοσύνης δυνηθῇ σαφῶς ἀναδιδάσκεσθαι τὰς τῶν πολεμίων βουλὰς καὶ μελέτας καὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἐπισωρευομένων φοσσάτων, ἱππέων τε καὶ πεζῶν, καὶ τοὺς τούτων ἀρχηγοὺς καὶ ἐν ποίαις χώραις τὴν ἐπέλευσιν ποιεῖν βούλονται. 7.3 Καταμηνυόμενος δὲ τὴν τοῦ φοσσάτου ἀποκίνησιν καὶ διὰ ποίας ὁδοῦ τὴν ἐξέλευσιν κατὰ Ῥωμανίας ποιεῖσθαι μέλλει, ἐπισυνάγειν ἅπαντα τὰ στρατεύματα καὶ πρὸς τὰς ἄκρας παραγίνεσθαι, ἀποστέλλειν δὲ τουρμάρχην ἐμπειρότατον εἴτε ἕτερόν τινα τῶν μεγάλων καὶ χρησίμων ἀρχόντων μετὰ ἱππέων ἐπιλέκτων προσυπαντῆσαι τοῖς πολεμίοις πρὸ τοῦ τὴν εἰσβολὴν εἰς τὰς ἡμῶν χώρας ποιήσασθαι, ἵνα καὶ ἐπακολουθῶσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ παραμένωσι καὶ τὰς ἀποκινήσεις αὐτῶν τῷ στρατηγῷ καταμηνύωσιν. 8.τ Περὶ παραμονῆς φοσσάτου καὶ ἀκολουθήσεωσ 8.1 Ἡ δὲ παραμονὴ αὐτῶν οὕτως ὀφείλει γίνεσθαι. Τοῦ στρατηγοῦ μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ καὶ ὀχυρῷ τόπῳ παρατρέχοντος, καὶ τῶν χωρίων διὰ τῶν ἐκσπηλατόρων φυγαδευομένων ἐν τοῖς κάστροις ἤ, μὴ ὄντων κάστρων, ἐν ὄρεσιν ὑψηλοῖς καὶ ὀχυρωτάτοις καὶ ἀνεπιβουλεύτοις, ὁμοίως καὶ πάντα τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν, δέον ἀποστέλλειν καὶ τὸν ὀφείλοντα παραμένειν ἀπὸ δευτέρας ὥρας ἢ καὶ τρίτης τῆς ἡμέρας. 8.2 Καὶ εὐχὴν λαμβάνοντα τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, ἀναλαμβάνεσθαι τὸν λαὸν 8.2 αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς παρασυρτάτους καὶ ὁρμᾶν πρὸς τὴν ὁδόν, καθ' ἣν οἱ πολέμιοι διέρχονται, τὴν ἀποσκευὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς παριππαράτους καταλιμπάνων μετὰ τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, μηδὲν ἄλλο ἐπιφερομένους ἢ μιᾶς ἡμέρας τροφήν, καὶ αὐτὴν μετὰ ἐνδείας, ἄρτους μόνους καὶ τυρὸν ἢ καὶ τάριχα, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἵππων καὶ ἡμιόνων ταγάς. 8.3 Εἰς χωρίον δὲ ἀπληκεύων τάς τε χρείας καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων τροφὴν ἐφευρίσκων, διαναπαυσάτω ἐκεῖσε τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων τροφὴν τῆς ἡμέρας, βίγλας κρατῶν ἐν ὑψηλοτέροις τόποις. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ τοῦ λαοῦ ἀρχηγὸς ἐν περιωπῇ ὑψηλοτάτῃ ἀνερχόμενος, ἀποσκοπεῖν καὶ βλέπειν κονιορτοὺς τῶν πολεμίων καὶ καπνούς, καὶ ὡς ἐκ τούτου κατανοεῖν καὶ στοχάζεσθαι ἐν οἷς διέρχονται καὶ ἀπληκεῦσαι μέλλουσιν· ὑπὸ γὰρ τῶν ἐμπείρων ἀνδρῶν καὶ οἱ τόποι ἐφ' οἷς προσήκει ἄπληκτα γίνεσθαι διαγινώσκονται. Ἡνίκα δὲ αἴσθονται τοῦ τόπου ἐν ᾧ ηὐλίσαντο οἱ πολέμιοι, παραυτίκα δηλοῦσι τῷ στρατηγῷ περὶ τούτου. 8.4 Κἀκεῖνος μετὰ τοῦ ἰδίου στρατοῦ, θώρακας ἀμπεχομένων καὶ τὰ λεγόμενα ἐπανωκλίβανα μὴ λευκὰ ὄντα, ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἕκαστος τὸ μεταχειριζόμενον ὅπλον κατέχων, τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ποιείτω. Τοῦ δὲ ἡλίου ὑποκλίναντος καὶ τῶν εἰς λείαν ἐκ τοῦ φοσσάτου ἐξερχομένων πολεμίων ὑποστρεφόντων πρὸς τὰς σκηνὰς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ φοῦλκα τὰ τούτους φυλάττοντα, τότε συνεισέρχεσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν καὶ πλησιάζειν τῷ τῶν ἐχθρῶν φοσσάτῳ. Μετὰ σκοποῦ δὲ ὁδοιπορείτω καὶ προσοχῆς ἀκριβοῦς καὶ λαθραίως, καὶ ἑαυτὸν ὑποκρυπτέτω τοῦ μὴ θεαθῆναι παρὰ τῶν πολεμίων. Νυκτὸς δ' ἤδη καταλαμβανούσης πλησίον γενέσθω τοῦ ἀπλήκτου. 8.5 Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐστὶ βουνὸς