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

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 those who have climbed up on the ladders, standing as if on a wall and feeling confident, will fight back. And when the startling engagement from the outwork turns back the enemy, the fastenings underneath the ladders are loosened, and the whole wall of the outwork tilts little by little, with the ladders obviously being pulled from under and falling upon the deck; and the whole space of the falling outwork becomes a path; and thus the crossing will be continuous. Let the outwork also be pierced secretly from below on the slanting planks nailed on the front, so as to hurl javelins and shoot arrows at the enemy also from the lower part, with the combatants being unseen, and to fight in a double line frontally; while the enemy look toward and fight only against the upper one. I have also added how the diagram is drawn correctly, so that both the position of the ladders and that of the outwork might become clear. And the 276 raft, loosed from the bank on our side, and as if a door were being opened with the downward rush of the river's current, one must assist, lest suddenly too far down the river toward the enemy ... wherefore it is necessary to rein it in and check it, restraining it from the bank on our side, and to pay out the ropes little by little, so that moving gently and gradually it will be placed safely against the other bank of the river. And the diagram is appended below. Therefore, when the commanders of the armies diligently construct these siege engines, compiled selectively for description and illustration, with reason and continuous practice, always contemplating divine justice, adorned with justice and piety, and being strengthened and guarded by the mighty hand, cooperation, and alliance of the God-crowned and Christ-loving emperors of Rome, they will easily take especially the cities of Hagar, themselves suffering nothing incurable from the god-robbing enemies.

παρατίθησι πρὸς τὸ ἕτερον χεῖλος τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὅλην κατὰ μῆκος ἐφαρμόζουσα, τοῦ πλήθους συνηγμένου καὶ ἑτοίμου ὄντος πρὸς τὴν τῆς μάχης ἀντιπαράταξιν. Οἱ δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς κλίμαξιν ἀναβάντες ὡς ἐπὶ τείχους ἑστῶτες καὶ τεθαρρηκότες ἀντιμαχήσονται. Ὅταν δὲ ἀποστρέψῃ τοὺς πολεμίους ἡ ἀπὸ τοῦ προτειχίσματος καταπλήττουσα συμβολή, λύονται τὰ κάτωθεν τῶν κλιμάκων δέσμα, καὶ πλαγιάζει κατ' ὀλίγον ὅλος ὁ τοῖχος τοῦ προτειχίσματος ὑποσυρομένων δηλονότι τῶν κλιμάκων καὶ ἐπιπιπτόντων τῷ κατα275 στρώματι· καὶ γίνεται ὁδὸς ὅλον τὸ μεσόχωρον τοῦ καταπίπτοντος προτειχίσματος· καὶ οὕτως διηνεκὴς ἡ διάβασις ἔσται. Τρυπάσθω δὲ κρυφίως καὶ κάτωθεν τὸ προτείχισμα ἐπὶ ταῖς κατὰ πρόσωπον προσηλωθείσαις πλαγίαις σανίσιν, ὥστε ἀκοντίζειν καὶ τοξεύειν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κάτωθεν μέρους, ἀφανῶν [δὲ] τῶν μαχομένων ὄντων, διπλῇ τε μάχεσθαι τάξει κατὰ πρόσωπον· πρὸς μόνην δὲ τὴν ἄνωθεν τοὺς πολεμίους ἀφορᾶν τε καὶ διαμάχεσθαι. Ἐπεθέμην καὶ ὡς ὀρθογραφεῖται τὸ σχῆμα, ἵνα φανερὰ καὶ ἡ τῶν κλιμάκων γένηται θέσις καὶ ἡ τοῦ προτειχίσματος. Τὴν δὲ 276 σχεδίαν ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς χείλους ἀπολελυμένην, καὶ ὥσπερ θύρας διανοιγομένης ἐπὶ τῇ καταφορᾷ τοῦ ποταμίου ῥεύματος, βοηθεῖν δεῖ, μήπως ἀθρόως ἐπιπολὺ τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὸ πρὸς τοὺς πολεμίους ... ὅθεν χρὴ χαλινοῦν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀναχαιτίζειν ἀπὸ τοὺ πρὸς ἡμᾶς χείλους ἀποκρατοῦντας, τὴν δὲ τῶν σχοινίων ἐπίδοσιν κατὰ μικρὸν ποιεῖσθαι, ὅπως πραέως καὶ κατ' ὀλίγον διερχομένη ἐπὶ τὸ ἕτερον τοῦ ποταμοῦ χεῖλος ἀκινδύνως ἐπιτεθήσεται. Καὶ τὸ σχῆμα ὑπόκειται. Ταῦτα τοίνυν τὰ πρὸς ἀναγραφὴν καὶ σχηματισμὸν κατ' ἐκλογὴν συνταχθέντα πολιορκητήρια μηχανήματα οἱ τῶν στρατευμάτων ἐξάρχοντες μετὰ λόγου καὶ συνεχοῦς μελέτης ἐπιμελῶς κατεργαζόμενοι, τὴν θείαν διὰ παντὸς ἐνοπτριζόμενοι δίκην, ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ κεκοσμημένοι καὶ τῇ κραταιᾷ χειρὶ συνεργείᾳ τε καὶ συμμαχίᾳ τῶν θεοστεπτῶν καὶ φιλοχρίστων ἀνάκτων Ῥώμης ἐνδυναμούμενοί τε καὶ φρουρούμενοι, εὐχερῶς τὰς τῆς Ἄγαρ μάλιστα λήψονται πόλεις, αὐτοὶ μηθὲν ἀνήκεστον ὑπὸ τῶν θεολέστων ἐχθρῶν πάσχοντες.