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 their cavalry forces at night, ride out to overtake you and fall upon you unexpectedly, for these reasons it is necessary for those who are staying behind, whenever they perceive a commotion of the enemy people towards movement, to report immediately with great speed that the people have been stirred up for a movement, and again, when they are moving off, by whatever road they make their march, and again to report that a multitude of people has moved off and they are marching by this road, whether all together with the infantry, or the cavalry alone. 15.3 But let the general not trust only in the messages coming to him from those staying near the enemy, but let him also have double watches, outer watches and inner watches, and sometimes even triple; and at night to guard the roads and those places where a crossing of the enemy is suspected; and in the day for the watchmen not only to guard the roads, but also to go up to the highest places in order to be able to see easily not only smoke and dust clouds, but also the enemy forces, if they are coming. We said that the watches should be numerous, so that, if it should ever happen that the first is captured by the enemy, the one after it, seeing the enemy, may report the enemy's approach to the general. 15.4 And the general must change camp twice at night and likewise in the day. And when changing camp, let him take the watchmen with him, but let him leave behind in the place where he was encamped six or eight men, those called the reception party, with some useful officer, so that those who are sent from those staying near the enemy bringing messages, when they approach, may be brought to the general by them. And in whatever place the general again makes camp, let him send out the outer watches. Let there be four men in each post, so that while two are sleeping at night, the other two may be awake. 16.t Concerning the separation of the baggage train 16.1 It is necessary for you, general, to observe this also, and, whenever you are about to approach the enemy, to separate the baggage train from you and send it to a distance in a fortified place or in a fortress, appointing some useful and experienced man to take care of it, and to provide a few horsemen of combat troops to the commander of the baggage train, so that through them the watches may be maintained for the protection of the baggage train. And whenever you are again in need of it, to signal to the commander entrusted with its care to come to the place appointed for it to be united with you. However, with the baggage train being separated from you, it is necessary for you to take up provisions for the army and rations for the horses for two or three days, carried on swift mules or also on horses with packsaddles. 16.2 And whenever you are about to pursue an enemy raiding party at night, let the entire combat force be armored, with each man having in his hands the weapon suitable for fighting. But also have the so-called baggage train following behind you. And if the march of the enemy takes place through difficult terrain, it is necessary for each theme individually, or also a tagma if they are present, to march; the general in front, following the tourmarch who is pursuing the enemy from a great distance, and then thus also the rest, whether they be themes or tagmata, one following the other, in order to march well at night and without shouting and noise. 16.3 And to command the tourmarch who is following the raiding party and to ensure that he has excessive accuracy and vigilance, lest the enemy, perceiving that they are being followed by you, should separate their chosen warriors, the greater part of the force under him, and hide them in ambush and unexpectedly attack you, since we have seen such an ambush made by the Tarsians in former times; for when the general at that time saw the dust clouds of those riding out for plunder—not in reality, but in the guise of a raiding party—of a few men, and those rather insignificant, and was hastening to attack them, and the tourmarch

παρ' αὐτοῖς δεσμώτας τῶν ἡμετέρων ἢ καὶ αὐτομόλους γενέσθαι καὶ παρ' αὐτῶν μαθεῖν ἐν ποίῳ τόπῳ αὐλίζῃ. 15.2 Ἵν' οὖν μὴ νυκτὸς τὰς ἱππικὰς δυνάμεις αὐτῶν ἀνελόμενοι ἐξελάσωσι καταλαβεῖν σε καὶ ἀδοκήτως ἐπιπέσωσι, διὰ ταῦτα δέον τοὺς παραμένοντας, ἡνίκα τῆς ταραχῆς τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν πολεμίων αἴσθονται πρὸς κίνησιν, εὐθέως τάχει πολλῷ καταμηνῦσαι ὅτι τε ὁ λαὸς διεταράχθη πρὸς κίνημα, πάλιν δὲ ἀποκινούντων δι' οἵας ἂν ὁδοῦ τὴν πορείαν ποιῶνται, καὶ αὖθις καταμηνύειν ὅτι τε πλῆθος λαοῦ ἀπεκίνησαν καὶ τήνδε ὁδὸν πορεύονται, εἴτε ἅπαντες σὺν τῷ πεζικῷ, εἴτε οἱ ἱππεῖς μόνοι. 15.3 Ὁ δὲ στρατηγὸς μὴ θαρρείτω μόνον εἰς τὰ ἐρχόμενα πρὸς αὐτὸν μανδᾶτα τῶν παραμενόντων τοῖς πολεμίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ βίγλας ἐχέτω διπλᾶς, ἐξώβιγλα καὶ ἐσώβιγλα, ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ τριπλᾶς· καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ μὲν τὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάττειν καὶ ἐν οἷς τόποις διάβασις ὑφορᾶται πολεμίων· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ δὲ μὴ μόνον τὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάττειν τοὺς βιγλάτορας, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τόπους ἀνέρχεσθαι ὑψηλοτάτους πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι αὐτοὺς εὐχερῶς ὁρᾶν μὴ μόνον καπνοὺς καὶ κονιορτούς, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαοὺς τῶν πολεμίων, εἴπερ ἔρχονται. Πλείονας δὲ εἶναι τὰς βίγλας ἔφημεν, διὰ τό, εἴ ποτε συμβῇ τὴν πρώτην ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἁλῶναι, ἡ μετ' ἐκείνην τοὺς πολεμίους θεωροῦσα τῷ στρατηγῷ τὴν τῶν ἐχθρῶν καταμηνύει ἔλευσιν. 15.4 Καὶ δὶς δὲ ἐν νυκτὶ μεταπληκεύειν δεῖ τὸν στρατηγὸν καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὡσαύτως. Καὶ μεταπληκεύων μὲν τοὺς βιγλάτορας μετ' αὐτοῦ λαμβανέτω, καταλιμπανέτω δὲ ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ηὐλίζετο ἓξ ἄνδρας ἢ ὀκτώ, τοὺς ὑποδοχαρίους καλουμένους, μετὰ καί τινος ἄρχοντος τῶν χρησίμων, ἵνα οἱ πεμπόμενοι παρὰ τῶν παραμενόντων τοῖς ἐχθροῖς μανδᾶτα φέροντες προσερχόμενοι, δι' αὐτῶν τῷ στρατηγῷ ἀποκομίζωνται. Ἐν ᾧ δὲ πάλιν τόπῳ ὁ στρατηγὸς ἀπληκεύσει, τὰ ἐξώβιγλα ἀποστελλέτω. Ἔστωσαν δὲ ἀνὰ τέσσαρες ἄνδρες ἐν ἑκάστῳ στασιδίῳ, ἵνα τῶν δύο καθευδόντων νυκτὸς οἱ δύο γρηγορῶσιν. 16.τ Περὶ διαχωρισμοῦ τοῦ τούλδου 16.1 ∆εῖ οὖν σε, στρατηγέ, καὶ τοῦτο παραφυλάττειν καί, ἡνίκα πλησιάσαι μέλλεις τοῖς πολεμίοις, τὸ τοῦλδον ἀπὸ σοῦ διαχωρίζειν καὶ ἀποστέλλειν μήκοθεν ἐν ὀχυρῷ τόπῳ ἢ ἐν κάστρῳ, ἄνδρα τινὰ τῶν χρησίμων καὶ ἐμπείρων ἐφιστῶν προνοεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἱππεῖς μαχίμων ἀνδρῶν ὀλίγους τινὰς παρέχειν τῷ ἄρχοντι τοῦ τούλδου, ὅπως δι' αὐτῶν αἱ βίγλαι κρατῶνται εἰς φυλακὴν τοῦ τούλδου. Ἡνίκα δὲ πάλιν ἐν χρείᾳ τούτου γένῃ, καταμηνύειν τῷ ἐμπεπιστευμένῳ τὴν πρόνοιαν αὐτοῦ ἄρχοντι ἐλθεῖν ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ διωρίσθη τοῦ ἑνωθῆναί σοι. Τοῦ μέντοι τούλδου ἀπὸ σοῦ διαχωρι ζομένου, ἀναλαμβάνειν σε δεῖ ἐπισιτισμὸν τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ταγὰς τῶν ἵππων δύο ἡμερῶν ἢ τριῶν βασταζομένας εἰς ταχεῖς ἡμιόνους ἢ καὶ ἵππους ἐν τοῖς σαγμοσελλίοις. 16.2 Ἡνίκα δὲ μέλλεις κούρσῳ τῶν πολεμίων ἀκολουθῆσαι νυκτός, ἅπαν τὸ μάχιμον στράτευμα τεθωρακισμένον ἔστω, ἑκάστου τὸ ἐπιτήδειον πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν ὅπλον ἐν χερσὶν ἔχοντος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον σάκα ὄπισθεν ἔχε ἐπακολουθοῦν σοι. Καὶ εἰ μὲν διὰ δυσβάτων τόπων ἡ πορεία τῶν πολεμίων γένηται, δέον ἰδίως ἓν ἕκαστον θέμα, ἢ καὶ τάγμα εἰ πάρεισιν, ὁδοιπορεῖν· ὁ μὲν στρατηγὸς ἔμπροσθεν, ἑπόμενος τῷ τουρμάρχῃ τῷ ἀκολουθοῦντι τοῖς πολεμίοις κατὰ πολὺ πόρρω, εἴθ' οὕτως καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ εἴτε θέματα εἶεν εἴτε τάγματα, καθὲν τῷ ἑτέρῳ ἐφεπόμενον, διὰ τὸ καὶ καλῶς ὁδοιπορεῖν ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἄνευ κραυγῆς καὶ θορύβων. 16.3 Τῷ δὲ τουρμάρχῃ τῷ ἐπακολουθοῦντι τῷ κούρσῳ παραγγεῖλαι καὶ ἐξασφαλίσασθαι ἀκρίβειαν ἔχειν ὑπερβάλλουσαν καὶ ἐγρήγορσιν, μή ποτε οἱ πολέμιοι αἰσθόμενοι ἐπακολουθεῖσθαι αὐτοὺς παρὰ σοῦ, διαχωρίσωσι μὲν τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς αὐτῶν μαχίμους τοὺς πλείονας τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτὸν λαοῦ καὶ ἀποκρύψωσιν εἰς λόχους καὶ ἀδοκήτως κατὰ σοῦ ἐπίθωνται, ἐπειδὴ τοιαύτην ἐνέδραν παρὰ τῶν Ταρσιτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἄνω χρόνοις γενομένην εἴδομεν· τοῦ γὰρ στρατηγοῦ τότε θεωμένου κονιορτοὺς τῶν εἰς λείαν ἐξελαυνόντωνοὐκ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν σχήματι κούρσουὀλίγων καὶ τούτων εὐτελεστέρων, καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπελθεῖν ἐπειγομένου, καὶ τοῦ τουρμάρχου