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 rather to devise a counter-plan to rout them and accomplish something noble and worthy of account. And when they are wounded by you, they will by no means spend time plundering our lands. 17.2 It is necessary for you therefore to reconnoiter suitable places into which enemy raiders enter for the sake of searching for provisions and booty, and to set up a cavalry ambush in them that is to attack them. Let the cavalry sent into the ambush be more than two hundred, having a brave commander who is very experienced in such ambushes. But the commander of the whole army, having five or six thousand warrior horsemen and the help of God, will have no need of more. 17.3 Having divided these in two, therefore, let him set up the two thousand in front in a suitable ambush, in which there is also a high watch-tower with a good view, for seeing from afar both his people being pursued and the pursuers. And behind the two thousand, to set up the three thousand and an infantry force with them in ambush in a hidden place, that is, one having natural strength. 17.4 And if there happens to be a fort nearby, he will have that too for assistance; but let the general not consider, nor have this in mind, if multitudes of enemies attack him and the battle becomes fierce, to get inside the fort in order to save his own people; for this brings not only disgrace and contempt, but also harm and the devastation and utter destruction of the country. But if compelled by necessity, let him fight back strongly outside in the fortifications near the fort with the infantry force, since he has much help from the location and the fort's infantry as his allies. 17.5 The commander of the three hundred, therefore, who were sent to guard the villages, standing on a lookout point and seeing the enemy entering the villages, when, having dismounted from their horses, they are searching the houses of the villagers, let him separate one hundred and a few more from the force of three hundred and send them out, having ordered them to attack the enemy swiftly. Let those who are sent out be more numerous than the enemies who are entering the villages. And attacking them thus, by the grace of Christ they will both destroy many and take them prisoner. 17.6 And the rest of our people will diligently pursue those of the enemy who are able to mount their own horses and take to flight, until they are pursued by the enemy formations standing guard over their comrades. And the commander of the three hundred, seeing that the pursuers are not numerous, but are pursuing in a disorderly and unrestrained way, let him hold fast in the hiding place, until those of his people who are being pursued have reached and passed by. Then let him also, coming out from the hiding place with those with him, rush fiercely against the enemy, and he will succeed by the power and grace of Christ; for he will take captives, and will both kill and wound many. 17.7 Therefore, as the enemy is still being reinforced and growing in number and pursuing fiercely, let him send the captured prisoners, and their horses and weapons, on ahead to reach the place where the general is stationed. And let him withdraw in an orderly fashion with those with him, provoking the enemy to pursuit and skillfully drawing them on. And let no one of his people know in which places the general's ambushes are set, except only their commander. 17.8 And with the enemy attacking him with a multitude of people and pursuing unrestrainedly, let those who are brave and most noble and have vigorous horses make counter-attacks and strike the pursuers, in order both to save their own wounded and to mount others when horses tire or are struck

αὐτοὺς ἀδοκήτως σπεύδουσι διῶξαί τε καὶ καταγωνίσασθαι, ὀφείλεις καὶ αὐτὸς πᾶσαν ἀσφάλειαν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι τοῦ μὴ ἀδοκήτως εὑρεθῆναι παρ' αὐτῶν, ἀντιμηχανήσασθαι δὲ μᾶλλον πρὸς τὸ αὐτοὺς τροπώσασθαι καὶ γενναῖόν τι καὶ ἀξιόλογον ἐργάσασθαι. Καὶ αὐτῶν τραυματιζομένων παρὰ σοῦ, οὐδαμῶς χρονίσουσι τὰς ἡμετέρας χώρας ληϊζόμενοι. 17.2 Χρεὼν οὖν ἐστί σοι διασκοπῆσαι χωρία ἐπιτήδεια ἐν οἷς οἱ ἐκτρέχοντες τῶν πολεμίων εἰσέρχονται τροφῶν καὶ λαφύρων ἀναψηλαφήσεως ἕνεκα, καὶ λόχον ἐν αὐτοῖς ἱππικὸν καταστῆσαι τὸν κατ' αὐτῶν ἐπιθέσθαι μέλλοντα. Ἔστωσαν δὲ οἱ ἱππεῖς οἱ εἰς τὸν λόχον ἀποστελλόμενοι τῶν διακοσίων ἐπέκεινα, ἀρχηγὸν ἔχοντες ἀνδρεῖον καὶ πάνυ εἰς τὰς τοιαύτας ἐνέδρας ἐμπειρότατον. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ ὅλου στρατεύματος ἀρχηγός, ἓξ ἢ πέντε χιλιάδας ἱππέων ἔχων πολεμιστὰς καὶ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βοήθειαν, οὐ πλειόνων ἐν χρείᾳ γενήσεται. 17.3 Ταύτας τοίνυν διχῆ διελών, τοὺς μὲν δισχιλίους ἔμπροσθεν εἰς ἐπιτήδειον λόχον καταστησάτω, ἐν ᾧ καὶ σκοπιά ἐστιν ὑψηλὴ ἀπόβλεψιν ἔχουσα, τοῦ μήκοθεν τοὺς διωκομένους τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ διώκοντας ὁρᾶν. Ὄπισθεν δὲ τῶν δισχιλίων τοὺς τρισχιλίους καὶ πεζὸν στράτευμα σὺν αὐτοῖς ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ τόπῳ εἰς ἐνέδραν καταστῆσαι, δηλαδὴ τοῦ τόπου ὀχυρότητα ἔχοντος. 17.4 Εἰ τύχῃ δὲ καὶ κάστρον πλησίον, ἕξει κἀκεῖνο εἰς βοήθειαν· μὴ σκοπείτω δὲ ὁ στρατηγός, μηδὲ κατὰ νοῦν τοῦτο ἐχέτω, ἐὰν πλήθη πολεμίων ἐπιτεθῶσιν αὐτῷ καὶ σφοδρὸς γένηται πόλεμος, ἔνδοθεν τοῦ κάστρου γενέσθαι πρὸς τὸ τὸν ἴδιον περισῶσαι λαόν· τοῦτο γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἀδοξίαν καὶ καταφρόνησιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλάβην ἐπάγει καὶ τῆς χώρας ἀφανισμὸν καὶ πανωλεθρίαν. Ἀλλ' ἔξωθεν ἐν τοῖς ὀχυρώμασι τοῖς πλησίον τοῦ κάστρου μετὰ τοῦ πεζικοῦ στρατεύματος ἰσχυρῶς ἀντιμαχέσθω, ἀνάγκῃ περιπεσών, ἅτε πολλὴν ἐκ τοῦ τόπου ἔχων βοήθειαν καὶ τὸν τοῦ κάστρου πεζὸν λαὸν εἰς συμμαχίαν αὐτοῦ. 17.5 Ὁ οὖν ἀρχηγὸς τῶν τριακοσίων τῶν εἰς φυλακὴν τῶν χωρίων ἀποσταλέντων εἰς περιωπὴν ἱστάμενος καὶ ὁρῶν τοὺς πολεμίους ἐν τοῖς χωρίοις εἰσερχομένους, ἡνίκα τῶν ἵππων ἀποβάντες τὰς οἰκίας τῶν χωριτῶν ἀναψηλαφῶσιν, ἑκατὸν καὶ μικρόν τι πλεῖον ἐκ τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν τριακοσίων διαχωρίσας ἀποστειλάτω, διορισάμενος αὐτοῖς ὀξέως κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐπιθέσθαι. Πλείονες δὲ ἔστωσαν οἱ ἀποστελλόμενοι τῶν εἰς τὰ χωρία εἰσερχομένων πολεμίων. Καὶ κατ' αὐτῶν οὕτως ἐπιθέμενοι, χάριτι Χριστοῦ πολλοὺς καὶ ἀνέλωσι καὶ δεσμώτας λάβωσι. 17.6 Οἱ δὲ περιττεύοντες τοῦ λαοῦ ἡμῶν, ὅσοι τῶν πολεμίων τῶν ἰδίων ἵππων ἐπιβῆναι δυνηθῶσι καὶ φυγῇ χρήσωνται, ἐπιμελῶς τούτους ἐπιδιώξουσιν, ἕως ἂν παρὰ τῶν ἱσταμένων φούλκων τῶν πολεμίων εἰς φυλακὴν τῶν ἑταίρων αὐτῶν ἐπιδιωχθῶσιν. Ὁρῶν δὲ τοὺς διώκοντας ὁ τῶν τριακοσίων ἄρχων μὴ εἰς πλῆθος ὄντας, ἀλλ' ἀσυντάκτως καὶ ἀκρατῶς διώκοντας, καρτερησάτω ἐν τῷ ἐγκρύμματι, ἕως οὗ οἱ διωκόμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καταλάβωσι καὶ διέλθωσιν. Εἴθ' οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸς σφοδρῶς κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐγκρύμματος ἐξελθὼν μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ ὁρμησάτω, καὶ εὐοδωθήσεται τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δυνάμει καὶ χάριτι· λήψεται γὰρ καὶ δορυαλώτους, καὶ πολλοὺς καὶ ἀναιρήσει καὶ τραυματίσει. 17.7 Τῶν οὖν πολεμίων ἔτι προστιθεμένων καὶ εἰς πλῆθος αὐξανομένων καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐπιδιωκόντων, τοὺς μὲν κατασχεθέντας δεσμίους, τούς τε ἵππους αὐτῶν καὶ ὅπλα ἔμπροσθεν ἀποστειλάτω τοῦ καταλαβεῖν ἐν ᾧ τόπῳ ὁ στρατηγὸς ἵσταται. Κἀκεῖνος εὐτάκτως ὑποφευγέτω μετὰ τῶν σὺν αὐτῷ, ἐρεθίζων τοὺς πολεμίους πρὸς δίωξιν καὶ ἐμπείρως ἐφελκόμενος. Μηδεὶς δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ γινωσκέτω ἐν οἷς τόποις τὰ ἐγκρύμματα τοῦ στρατηγοῦ ἵστανται, εἰ μὴ μόνος ὁ ἄρχων αὐτῶν. 17.8 Τῶν δὲ πολεμίων ἐπιτιθεμένων αὐτῷ μετὰ πλήθους λαοῦ καὶ ἀκρατῶς διωκόντων, ὑποστροφὰς ποιείτωσαν οἱ ὄντες ἀνδρεῖοι καὶ γενναιότατοι καὶ ἵππους εὐτόνους ἔχοντες καὶ πληττέτωσαν τοὺς διώκοντας, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς τραυματίας τῶν ἰδίων διασώσωσιν καὶ ἵππων ἀτονούντων ἢ καὶ πληττομένων ἑτέρων ἐπιβῆναι