De velitatione bellica

 combative, not because we single this out from the other stratagems and practices of tactics, but because for the best generals it has become the best

 going out. 1.5 And to send out faithful and most experienced men to watch over them, to see if they are guarding their posts well and vigilantly. 1.6

 to hold and block with shield-bearing hoplites and javelin-men, and behind these, those who throw stones by hand, and with them also archers and sling

 It is less suitable, and perhaps the effort happened to be in vain because the infantry army cannot be assembled so quickly in a few days and be well

 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 prepar

 high, where the enemy camped, on one or even two sides near their encampment, they will keep watch in that place without difficulty for having dismou

 he will station squads behind the three pairs of scouts, the first squad to watch the third pair of scouts, and the second squad likewise to watch the

 to have [someone] behind the cavalry watching and observing the battle line of the emir and matters concerning it, and, as it marches, to report to hi

 let him set up an ambush, guarding the places situated near the enemy's passage. And the general himself must stand concealed in a suitable place with

 fame for even if the Roman army does not find the winning hand in the war against them, at any rate it will suffer no harm. 10.10 But if they remaine

 despising death for the seizure of the spoils because of the hope of gain and they will easily overcome these by the grace of Christ. But if he does

 will be made successful by cooperation. 11.4 But if it should happen that these are pursued by the enemy, it is necessary to go out to meet them with

 they will by no means dare to sally forth completely, and then only a few for the majority, suspecting war from the general, will not desert the emir

 the day's army and those stationed in the tetradia, as we have said above, to take from the general two of the most experienced and brave men from tho

 of those sent out, in the place where the battle line of the enemy is that has their commander, the general, taking a few men with him and going up to

 among them prisoners of ours or even to become deserters and to learn from them in what place he is encamped. 15.2 So that they do not, taking up thei

 having followed the raiding party negligently and not having searched the ambushes well, has unexpectedly fallen into the hiding place. And so that su

 they hasten unexpectedly to pursue and overcome them, you yourself must also display every precaution so as not to be found unexpectedly by them, but

 they may prepare then, by slackening the reins of their horses, they may with a charge distance themselves a little from their pursuers, so that they

 from long experience, we have written. It is fitting for you to act against the likely impending circumstance for not as the counsels of men, but as

 so that, if enemy multitudes should attack those in the ambush, the night, having fallen and having broken off the battle, you may keep the people und

 the strategos possessed authority over the theme, judging those bringing charges in military matters and administering the affairs arising in the them

 entering into their lands, sometimes they themselves, and sometimes sending some of their people, as was possible they would inflict heavy casualties

 of all other things, whatever are able to defend and help the besieged. For we will omit setting these forth in detail in the present writing on accou

 citizens of the country, and to urge them and to prepare them to save all their belongings in castles and fortified places, and to continuously wound

 by his grace. 23.2 When you have identified the road by which the enemy has set out, four stages, or camps, away, it is fitting for you, the leader of

 profitable according to what seems best to them, and when they perceive you have arrived, they will encamp for the night, having pitched their tents,

 they will break camp, having pitched their tents, and it is not easy for a night battle to be arranged in such a place, the general must again get ahe

let him set up an ambush, guarding the places situated near the enemy's passage. And the general himself must stand concealed in a suitable place with all his people, and from a high vantage point watch the crossing of the enemy. 10.4 So when the enemy horsemen, who are searching the nearby adjoining villages for the collection of supplies, enter into the guarded villages and, having dismounted from their horses, search the houses of the villagers, let the hundred horsemen stationed in the ambush charge against them and as many as they are able to kill or take alive, they will immediately turn to flight, retreating along the road that passes between the two hidden positions, drawing the enemy into pursuit; and being pursued, they will cause the enemy to fall into the ambushes. Then, therefore, let the hidden positions stationed on either side come out and make their charge against them forcefully; and they will make many of the enemy the work of the sword. And when the general sees these things, let him also immediately, with the greater part of the force with him, make the attack on the enemy's battle line with a most forceful charge, and let him arrange for the remainder of his force to get behind the enemy and join battle. And unless some impediment arises from our sins, they will prevail over the enemy. 10.5 But if the enemy, fighting strongly, are able to hold out and stand in that same place, unloading the beasts of burden and pretending to make camp, out of great necessity, and they attempt to draw up in opposition, they will find much difficulty in this, but nevertheless the general must bring the war against them from all sides and, if it is possible for an infantry force to arrive with great speed on the same day of the battle, to arrange for it to be present. But if this is impossible because they happen to be far away, let him order the appropriate number of horsemen to dismount from their horses and fight the enemy on foot along with the knights, using bows and slings and spears with shields. 10.6 Therefore the general must bring up both his own baggage train and the touldon, if it happens to be nearby, and make camp very near the enemy to their astonishment and despair. And if there is no water at all in that place, this also will cause them much despondency. And if he does not completely defeat them, he will at least enslave many of them, and kill very many and wound others, and cast down their arrogant spirit, so that they do not dare to make raids against the Roman lands without fear. 10.7 But if the general does not learn beforehand of their movement from their camp to another camp either, as I said, through deserters or through prisoners, so that having sent men by night he might prepare ambushes on their route, then in the daytime, as the enemy are marching, having openly prepared, let him arrange the war against them, if indeed he does not possess an altogether small and easily-counted army. For war against their touldon has in short never caused opposition or harm to our army, as it has few fighting horsemen for its own protection; but as often as war was joined against them, the Roman army both enslaved and killed many of them, and they captured many of their laden pack-animals and mules. 10.8 And if the infantry army should also be present on the day of battle, that is the one armed and trained for wars, and he strategically prepares the war against them from all sides, he will deliver them to complete destruction. 10.9 For we have both seen such things happen in the enemy's touldon, and also from them in ours, and we have read of them in historical accounts and learned of them from our elders. For these reasons, therefore, war against the touldon is beneficial, as bringing no harm or opposition, but rather victory and

εἰς λόχον καταστησάτω, χωρία φυλάττοντας τὰ πλησίον τῆς παρόδου τῶν πολεμίων διακείμενα. Καὶ αὐτὸν δὲ τὸν στρατηγὸν χρὴ ἐν ἐπιτηδείῳ τόπῳ μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ἵστασθαι κεκρυμμένον καὶ ἐκ περιωπῆς ἐφορῶντα τὴν τῶν πολεμίων διάβασιν. 10.4 Οἱ οὖν ἱππεῖς τῶν πολεμίων, οἱ εἰς συλλογισμὸν χρειῶν τὰ χωρία διερευνώμενοι τὰ πλησίον τούτοις συμπαρακείμενα, ἡνίκα ἐν τοῖς φυλαττομένοις χωρίοις εἰσέλθωσι καὶ τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες οἰκίας ἀναψηλαφῶσι τῶν χωριτῶν, κατ' αὐτῶν οἱ εἰς τὸν λόχον ἱστάμενοι ἑκατὸν ἱππεῖς ὁρμησάτωσαν καὶ ὅσους ἀνελεῖν δυνηθῶσιν εἴτε ζωγρῆσαι παραυτίκα πρὸς φυγὴν ὁρμήσουσιν, ὑποφεύγοντες τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν ἀναμεταξὺ τῶν δύο ἐγκρυμμάτων διερχομένην, ἐφελκόμενοι τοὺς πολεμίους πρὸς δίωξιν· καταδιωκόμενοι δὲ ταῖς ἐνέδραις περιπεσεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους παρασκευάσουσι. Τότε οὖν ἐξερχέσθωσαν τὰ ἑκατέρωθεν ἱστάμενα ἐγκρύμματα καὶ σφοδρῶς τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν ὁρμὴν ποιησάτωσαν· καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν πολεμίων ἔργον μαχαίρας ποιήσονται. Τοῦ δὲ στρατηγοῦ ταῦτα ὁρῶντος, παραυτίκα καὶ αὐτὸς μετὰ τῶν πλειόνων τοῦ σὺν αὐτῷ λαοῦ ὁρμήματι σφοδροτάτῳ τὴν προσβολὴν εἰς τὴν παράταξιν τῶν πολεμίων ποιείτω, τοὺς δέ γε ὑπολοίπους τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ κατὰ νώτου τῶν πολεμίων γενέσθαι καὶ συνάψαι πόλεμον παρασκευασάτω. Καὶ εἰ μή τι ἐμπόδιον ἐξ ἡμετέρων ἁμαρτιῶν γένηται, τῶν πολεμίων ὑπερισχύσουσιν. 10.5 Εἰ δέ γε ἰσχυρῶς μαχόμενοι οἱ πολέμιοι ἀντισχεῖν δυνηθῶσι καὶ στῶσιν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ τόπῳ, τὰ ἀχθοφόρα ζῷα ἀποφορτίσαντες ἄπληκτον δῆθεν ποιούμενοι, ἐκ πολλῆς περιστάσεως, καὶ πειρῶνται τοῦ ἀντιπαρατάξασθαι, πολλὴν ἐν τούτῳ ἐφεύρωσι τὴν δυσχέρειαν, ἀλλ' ὅμως χρὴ καὶ τὸν στρατηγὸν κύκλῳ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπαγαγεῖν τὸν πόλεμον καί, εἰ δυνατὸν καὶ πεζικὸν λαὸν τῇ αὐτῇ τοῦ πολέμου ἡμέρᾳ καταλαβεῖν τάχει πολλῷ, παραγενέσθαι τοῦτο παρασκευάσαι. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀδύνατόν ἐστι διὰ τὸ πόρρω τούτους τυγχάνειν, τοὺς προσήκοντας τῶν ἱππέων τῶν ἵππων ἀποβῆναι διορισάτω καὶ πεζῇ τοῖς πολεμίοις μετὰ τῶν ἱπποτῶν μάχεσθαι, τόξοις καὶ σφενδόσι καὶ δόρασι σὺν ἀσπίσι χρωμένους. 10.6 ∆εῖ οὖν τὸν στρατηγὸν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἀποσκευὴν ἀγαγεῖν καὶ τὸ τοῦλδον, εἴγε πλησίον τυγχάνει, καὶ σύνεγγυς τῶν πολεμίων ἀπληκεῦσαι εἰς ἔκπληξιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπόγνωσιν. Εἰ δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ τόπῳ ὕδωρ τοπαράπαν οὐκ ἔστι, καὶ τοῦτο πολλὴν ἀθυμίαν αὐτοῖς προξενήσει. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τελέως τούτους καταγωνίσηται, ἀλλ' οὖν πολλοὺς καὶ τούτων ἀνδραποδίσῃ, πλείστους δὲ καὶ θανατώσῃ καὶ τραυματίας ἐργάσηται καὶ τὸ ἀλαζονικὸν αὐτῶν καταβάλῃ φρόνημα, ὥστε μὴ ἀδεῶς κατατολμᾶν κατὰ τῶν ῥωμαϊκῶν χωρίων τὰς ἐφόδους ποιεῖσθαι. 10.7 Εἰ δὲ μὴ πρότερον ὁ στρατηγὸς ἐπιγνῷ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπλήκτου αὐτῶν ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἀπλήκτῳ μετάβασιν ἤ, ὡς ἔφην, δι' αὐτομόλων ἢ διὰ δεσμωτῶν, ὅπως ἐν νυκτὶ ἀποστείλας παρασκευάσῃ ἐν τῇ παρόδῳ αὐτῶν τὰ ἐγκρύμματα, καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, ὁδοιπορούντων τῶν πολεμίων, φανερῶς παρασκευασάμενος τὸν κατ' αὐτῶν διάθηται πόλεμον, εἴ γε οὐ πάντη ὀλιγοστὸν καὶ εὐαρίθμητον κέκτηται στράτευμα. Ὁ γὰρ κατὰ τούλδου αὐτῶν πόλεμος συντόμως οὐδέποτε ἐναντίωσιν ἢ βλάβην τῷ ἡμετέρῳ στρατῷ προεξένησεν, ὀλίγους ἔχον μαχίμους ἱππεῖς εἰς φυλακὴν ἑαυτοῦ· ἀλλ' ὁσάκις ἂν κατ' αὐτῶν συνήφθη πόλεμος, πολλοὺς αὐτῶν ὁ τῶν Ῥωμαίων στρατὸς καὶ ἠνδραποδίσατο καὶ ἀνεῖλε, καὶ πολλὰ τῶν ὑποζυγίων καὶ ἡμιόνων αὐτῶν πεφορτισμένα ἀνελάβοντο. 10.8 Εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ πεζικὸν στράτευμα ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου τύχῃ, τὸ ὡπλισμένον δηλονότι καὶ πρὸς πολέμους ἐγγεγυμνασμένον, καὶ κύκλῳ κατ' αὐτῶν στρατηγικῶς παρασκευάσει τὸν πόλεμον, τελείῳ τούτους ἀφανισμῷ παραδῷ. 10.9 Τοιαῦτα γὰρ γενέσθαι ἐν τῷ τούλδῳ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλὰ καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ ἡμετέρῳ καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ ἐν ἱστορικοῖς ἀνέγνωμεν καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἀρχαιοτέρων μεμαθήκαμεν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὠφέλιμος ὁ κατὰ τοῦ τούλδου πόλεμος, ὡς μὴ φέρων τινὰ βλάβην ἢ ἐναντίωσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ νίκην καὶ