De strategematibus

 in this book for both construction and use, proceeding in order, we have set it forth, having written it down systematically. And let no nitpicker of

 it is necessary first to go through and inspect the positions of the cities accurately, and having made the protection of one's own people unharmed ab

 from a weaving of freshly-cut willow rods or of tamarisk or linden, these also being pointed at the front up to the ridge at the top. And the so-calle

 to have in exchange. But if we wish to take the city by a theft in the night, with the citizens being ignorant of our arrival and unprepared, when win

 with slender and close-set posts, rather than thick and widely-spaced ones, with a plank placed above and below, so that the posts, giving way at the

 entering under and turning back upon the so-called socket-plate or a kind of headpiece, with a rule lying on the ground which brings 221 it forward an

 concerning their limbs and the suspensions belonging to the single timbers at intervals on both ram-bearing tortoises and towers and double ladders, a

 to be brought forward easily and constructed from small pieces of wood, and not one very large one, because it is made from large and hard-to-find tim

 the movement. If we wish to ascertain the thickness of the walls and to observe the actions of the enemy and to survey the host from behind, to see th

 Let them be 30 each and at the height of 20 let them receive the pin and 20 is two-thirds of 30. And let the parts coming down from the uprights be

 they made and on all they always set aside from the top the fifth part of the base. But Apollodorus, constructing the tower more impressively at its

 he made these uprights equal, so that their joints might not be near one another, but every joint alternate, being distant from the other, and it migh

 so that both the 60 cubits of the height and the 17 of the length of the base itself will have the same proportion to the feet, and likewise also the

 of a place, they batter the upper parts of the walls with rams for anything standing up and projecting is easily broken and easily demolished, as it

 projecting from the mouths to which it is necessary to be wound with the tensioner by means of shoulder or back sinews of all animals except pigs, pa

 let it admit the construction of the aforementioned ladders. And let the one that is about to be raised be decked with planks over its whole length, a

 from below, in front of the enemy they fall easily and are held fast from behind, but from above they are cut to a fine point, converging at the top a

 will be shown in the account for the two and a half cubits of the diameter measure the 15 six times, and the 10 four times, and the 30 twelve times,

 the ships, 270 the machine may be preserved upright and without falling, And against the winds it is necessary to have ready the prepared defenses aga

 places it against the other bank of the river, fitting it along its entire length, with the multitude gathered and ready for the battle line. And thos

the movement. If we wish to ascertain the thickness of the walls and to observe the actions of the enemy and to survey the host from behind, to see the works and preparations, by day and by night, being performed inside the wall around the city, we shall construct such a watchtower. Taking two rectangular timbers of unequal sides, having a width of ˉιˉβ fingers each, and a thickness of ˉη each, we shall set them upright, the one between two timbers lying on their narrow side, that is on their thickness, they themselves also having unequal sides, and separated from each other enough for the 233 upright to fit in thickness; and likewise the other between another two timbers, equal and similar and similarly placed; and opposite the two pairs lying down, let another be placed on the ground in the middle, opposing and joining the pairs lying down with the two uprights standing on them; and let the base be formed like an H with double lines on the sides; and from the ends of the two pairs lying down we shall place four timbers, two on each, bracing from above and supporting the uprights standing on them; and let these uprights receive in their middle two other timbers, being ˉη fingers in width, and in thickness ˉ, standing apart from each other not less than three feet. And let these four be drilled in a straight line with one another, and let them be pinned together, the uprights at their upper two-thirds point, and the inserted timbers at their lower sixth part. And let them come down from the uprights and go up again, moved easily by a pin; and let they themselves be drilled again at their two-thirds point from the pin, and this is at the remaining sixth part; and by two-thirds of the whole length, here understand what is between the holes towards the ends, that is, towards the two sixths, which make a third part of the whole length. Therefore, let these, coming down in the middle, receive a light ladder pinned with two pins through the aforesaid hol-234-es. And let the side-pieces forming the ladder be not less than ˉ fingers in width, and ˉδ in thickness. And from the lower pin on the uprights, which has been run through to the raised sixth part of the lowered timbers, let a windlass be inserted, engaging some rung or a bundle of ropes or passing under iron rings for the purpose of pulling; it is a piece of wood, both curved and strong, about ˉη feet in length, for pulling sufficiently and bringing down through the middle of the uprights the raised sixth part; and the whole inclined part together with the ladder it raises to a lofty height. It will happen therefore, that as this part is pulled downward by the windlass, the scout is raised to a height by the other part in a surprising way, and the ladder remains upright, because it is yoked by two pins. But the lower part, being held by the windlass, must be held fast for stability, if possible; but if not, being locked by the projections of transverse timbers or rollers, it must be kept motionless at the time of its stationing. And it is necessary to know that the upper third part of the uprights is raised for the security of the inclined timbers; and the upper sixth part of the inclined timbers, that is the fourth of their middle part (as was shown above) is for the support of the li-235-ght ladder pinned in two places from above; and their lowest sixth, on account of the insertion of the windlass into it, for the strong pull made from below, and at the same time for the raising of the remaining five-sixths and of the ladder, has been included. And let it be assumed that the height of the standing uprights, up to their two-thirds point, is as much as the height of the third part of the wall; and from it up to the two-thirds point of the inclined timbers, that is at the first pin of the ladder's joint, as much as half of the wall; and the ladder itself, as much as the half; and the height composed of the three will raise the scout above the wall by a third part. And this is evident. For since the height of the wall was supposed to be ˉξ spans or feet or cubits or some other units of measure, the uprights standing at the base

τὴν κίνησιν. Ἐὰν θελήσωμεν τὸ σύμπαχον τῶν τειχῶν καταμαθεῖν καὶ τὰς γινομένας τῶν πολεμίων πράξεις καὶ τὸ πλῆθος ἐκ τῶν ὄπισθεν σκοπῆσαι, ἐργασίας καὶ συσκευὰς ἡμερινάς τε καὶ νυκτερινὰς ἔνδον τοῦ τείχους περὶ τὴν πόλιν πραττομένας θεάσασθαι, σκοπὸν κατασκευάσομεν τοιοῦτον. ∆ύο ξύλα τετράγωνα ἑτεροπλατῆ λαβόντες, πλάτος ἔχοντα ἀνὰ δακτύλων ˉιˉβ, τὸ δὲ πάχος ἀνὰ ˉη, ὀρθὰ ἐπιστήσομεν τὸ μὲν ἓν μεταξὺ δύο κατὰ κρόταφον κειμένων ἤτοι κατὰ πάχος, ἑτεροπλατῶν καὶ αὐτῶν ὄντων, ἀποκεχωρισμένων δὲ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ὅσον κατὰ πάχος χωρηθῆναι τὸ 233 ὀρθόν· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ τὸ ἕτερον πρὸς ἄλλα δύο ἴσα τε καὶ ὅμοια καὶ ὁμοίως κείμενα· ἀπεναντίον δὲ τῶν κειμένων δύο διπλῶν κατὰ μέσον ἄλλο πρὸς τῇ γῇ τιθέσθω ἀντικείμενον καὶ συμβαλλόμενον τοῖς κειμένοις διπλοῖς πρὸς τοῖς ἐφεστῶσι δυσὶν ὀρθοῖς· καὶ σχηματιζέσθω ἡ βάσις καθάπερ ἦτα λυτὸν ἐκ πλαγίων διπλόγραμμον· ἀπ' ἄκρων δὲ τῶν κειμένων δύο διπλῶν τέσσαρα παραστήσομεν ξύλα, δύο ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ, ἀντιβαίνοντα ἄνωθεν καὶ ἐπιστηρίζοντα τὰ ἐφεστῶτα ὀρθά· ταῦτα δὲ ὀρθὰ δεχέσθωσαν κατὰ μέσον δύο ἕτερα ξύλα, πλάτους ὄντα ἀνὰ δακτύλων ˉη, κατὰ δὲ πάχος ἀνὰ ˉ, ἀπ' ἀλλήλων ἀπέχοντα ποδῶν οὐκ ἔλασσον τριῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ τέσσαρα τρυπάσθωσαν ἐπ' εὐθείας πρὸς ἄλληλα, καὶ συμπερονάσθωσαν τὰ μὲν ὀρθὰ πρὸς τὸ δίμοιρον αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω, τὰ δὲ ἐμβαλλόμενα ἐπὶ τὸ ἕκτον αὐτῶν μέρος τὸ πρὸς τὰ κάτω. Κατερχέσθωσαν δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρθῶν καὶ πάλιν ἀνερχέσθωσαν ὑπὸ περόνης εὐλύτως φερόμενα· τρυπάσθωσαν δὲ καὶ αὐτὰ πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς περόνης ἐπὶ τὸ δίμοιρον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔστι πρὸς τὸ ἐπίλοιπον ἕκτον μέρος· δίμοιρον δὲ τοῦ ὅλου μήκους ἐνταῦθα νόει τὸ μεταξὺ τῶν τρημάτων πρὸς τὰ ἄκρα γινόμενον, τουτέστι τὸ πρὸς τὰ δύο ἕκτα, ἅπερ ποιοῦσι τρίτον μέρος τοῦ ὅλου μήκους. Ταῦτα τοίνυν κατερχόμενα κατὰ μέσον δεχέσθωσαν κλίμακα ἐλαφρὰν πεπερονημένην δυσὶ περόναις πρὸς τὰς ῥηθείσας τρή234 σεις. Οἱ δὲ τὴν κλίμακα ποιοῦντες μηροὶ ἔστωσαν κατὰ πλάτος δακτύλων μὴ ἔλασσον ˉ, ἐπὶ δὲ πάχος ˉδ. Ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς κάτω περόνης τῆς ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρθοστατῶν διεκβληθείσης ἐπὶ τὸ ἀναχθὲν ἕκτον μέρος τῶν καταχθέντων ἕλκυστρον ἐμβαλλέσθω βαθμίδα τινὰ περιλαμβάνον ἢ σχοινίων δεσμὸν ἢ πρὸς κρίκους σιδηροῦς διὰ τὴν ἕλξιν ὑπεμβαῖνον· ξύλον δέ ἐστι περικαμπές τε καὶ εὔτονον, μήκους ὡσεὶ ποδῶν ˉη πρὸς τὸ ἱκανῶς ἑλκύειν καὶ κατάγειν διὰ μέσου τῶν ὀρθίων τὸ ἀναχθὲν ἕκτον μέρος· τὸ δὲ ἐγκλιθὲν ὅλον σὺν τῇ κλίμακι εἰς ὕψος ἀνάγει μετάρσιον. Συμ βήσεται οὖν, τοῦ μέρους τούτου ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑλκύστρου ἐπὶ τὸ κάτω ἑλκομένου, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου παραδόξως εἰς ὕψος ἀρθῆναι τὸν κατάσκοπον, καὶ ὀρθὴν τὴν κλίμακα διαμένειν, διὰ τὸ δυσὶν ἐπεζεῦχθαι περόναις. ∆εῖ δὲ τὸ κάτωθεν μέρος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἑλκύστρου κρατούμενον, εἰ δυνατόν, πρὸς τὴν στάσιν ἐπέχεσθαι· εἰ δὲ μή, ὑπὸ πλαγίων διερχομένων ξύλων ἢ στροφωματίων παρεξοχαῖς ἐγκλειόμενον κατὰ τὸν τῆς στάσεως καιρὸν ἀτρεμεῖν. Καὶ δεῖ εἰδέναι ὅτι τὸ ὑπερανέχον τρίτον μέρος τῶν ὀρθῶν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῶν ἐγκλινομένων ἀνίσταται· τὸ δὲ ἀνώτερον ἕκτον μέρος τῶν ἐγκλινομένων, ἤτοι τὸ τοῦ μέσου αὐτῶν τέταρτον (ὡς ἀνωτέρω ἐδηλώθη) εἰς ὑποστήριξιν τῆς δισσῶς ἄνωθεν πεπερονημένης ἐλα235 φρᾶς κλίμακος· τὸ δὲ κατώτατον αὐτῶν ἕκτον, διὰ τὴν τοῦ ἑλκύστρου πρὸς αὐτὸ ἐμβολήν, ἐπὶ τῇ γινομένῃ σφοδρᾷ κάτωθεν ἕλξει, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἐπ' ἀναφορᾷ τοῦ λοιποῦ πενταπλασίου καὶ τῆς κλίμακος, παρείληπται. Ἔστω δὲ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν τὸ ὕψος τῶν ἑστώτων ὀρθίων, ἕως τοῦ διμοίρου αὐτῶν, ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ ὕψος τοῦ τρίτου μέρους τοῦ τείχους· καὶ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ ἄχρι τοῦ διμοίρου τῶν ἐγκλινομένων, ἤτοι ἐπὶ τῇ πρώτῃ περόνῃ τῆς συμβολῆς τῆς κλίμακος, ὅσον ἐστὶ τὸ τοῦ τείχους ἥμισυ· καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ κλῖμαξ, ὅσον τὸ ἥμισυ· τὸ δ' ἐκ τῶν τριῶν συντιθέμενον ὕψος τρίτῳ μέρει ὑπὲρ τὸ τεῖχος ἀνάξει τὸν κατάσκοπον. Καὶ ἔστι φανερόν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὸ τοῦ τείχους ὕψος σπιθαμῶν ἢ ποδῶν ἢ πηχῶν ἤ τινων ἄλλων καταμετρούντων ὑπετέθη ˉξ, τὰ πρὸς τῇ βάσει ὀρθὰ ἑστῶτα