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

De velitatione bellica

ON THE SKIRMISHING OF THE LORD NIKEPHOROS THE EMPEROR

Table 1 Concerning lookouts and how much distance each one ought to be separated from the others. Table 2 Concerning signal-fire posts and spies. Table 3 Concerning the movement of the enemy and the pre-occupation of the difficult passes. Table 4 Concerning making secret attacks against the enemy and concerning meeting the enemy as they are returning to their own land. Table 5 Concerning the pre-occupation of the waters which are in the narrow passes. Table 6 Concerning the skirmishing of single raiders and the estimation of the size of their army. Table 7 Concerning the assembling and movement of an army and concerning allowing merchants to enter and to spy. Table 8 Concerning the encampment of an army and pursuit. Table 9 Concerning the movement of a raiding party and pursuit. Table 10 Concerning the separation of the raiding party and of the army following behind. Table 11 Concerning stationing the infantry on this side and that in the difficult passes. Table 12 Concerning a sudden sortie of the enemy before the Roman armies can be assembled. Table 13 Concerning laying an ambush against the so-called mensouratores in the camps. Table 14 Concerning the withdrawal of the cavalry from the infantry when they are marching together. Table 15 Concerning security. Table 16 Concerning the separation of the baggage train. Table 17 Concerning enemies who raid our lands with a large force and the preparation with ambushes. Table 18 Concerning when it is necessary for the general to make a raid from two sides of the enemy. Table 19 Concerning the establishment, equipping, and training of an army. Table 20 Concerning enemies who linger in our land, so that our army may advance against their land. Table 21 Concerning the siege of a fortress. Table 22 Concerning the separation of an army of half the enemies or even of a third part. Table 23 Concerning the return of the enemy and the seizing of the mountain pass. Table 24 Concerning night warfare. Table 25 Concerning another seizure of a road which makes for a difficult passage in the descent. prol.t ON THE SKIRMISHING OF THE LORD NIKEPHOROS THE EMPEROR prol.1 Wishing to hand down the method of skirmishing, although perhaps at the present time it is not needed in the eastern regions since Christ our true God has blunted much of the power and might of the descendants of Ishmael against us and has checked their attacks, nevertheless, so that time, by introducing forgetfulness and ignorance, may not destroy its usefulness and cause it to disappear, we thought it necessary to hand this down in writing, so that, if at some time in the future Christians should need it, when some occasion calls, it may be a ready and good helper both for the whole community and for those employing it. prol.2 We, at any rate, have not received this by hearing alone, but we were also taught some experience from it, on the one hand having as teachers and instructors those who, so to speak, invented this method, and on the other hand having used it ourselves alone and having embraced some experience of it, as far as was possible for us. prol.3 This, therefore, has its usefulness in this, that those who employed it with a small fighting force accomplished the greatest and most memorable deeds; for indeed what the entire Roman army was not strong enough or did not dare to achieve, when the affairs of the Cilicians and of Hamdan flourished, one of the best generals at times, with only the army of the theme under him, having managed the enemy prudently and skillfully and having arranged and commanded wisely, accomplished it alone. prol.4 And we say this, not because we prefer the few to the many

De velitatione bellica

ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΡΑ∆ΡΟΜΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ

πιναχ.1 Περὶ βιγλῶν καὶ πόσον διάστημα ὀφείλουσιν ἀπ' ἀλλήλων μία ἑκάστη διίστασθαι. πιναχ.2 Περὶ τῶν καμινοβιγλίων καὶ κατασκόπων. πιναχ.3 Περὶ κινήσεως ἐχθρῶν καὶ τοῦ προκατασχεθῆναι τὰς δυσχωρίας. πιναχ.4 Περὶ τοῦ ποιεῖσθαι λάθρα τὰς κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπιθέσεις καὶ περὶ τοῦ προσυπαντᾶν τοὺς πολεμίους πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπαναστρέφοντας. πιναχ.5 Περὶ προκατασχέσεως ὑδάτων τῶν ἐν τοῖς στενώμασιν ὄντων. πιναχ.6 Περὶ παραδρομῆς τῶν μονοκούρσων καὶ στοχασμοῦ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτῶν ποσότητος. πιναχ.7 Περὶ συναθροίσεως καὶ κινήσεως φοσσάτου καὶ περὶ τοῦ παραχωρεῖν τοὺς πραγματευτὰς εἰσέρχεσθαι καὶ κατασκοπεῖν. πιναχ.8 Περὶ παραμονῆς φοσσάτου καὶ ἀκολουθήσεως. πιναχ.9 Περὶ τῆς κινήσεως τοῦ κούρσου καὶ ἀκολουθήσεως. πιναχ.10 Περὶ τοῦ διαχωρισμοῦ τοῦ κούρσου καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ὄπισθεν ἐπακολουθοῦντος. πιναχ.11 Περὶ τοῦ ἔνθεν κἀκεῖθεν ἵστασθαι τοὺς πεζοὺς ἐν ταῖς δυσχωρίαις. πιναχ.12 Περὶ ἀθρόας ἐξελεύσεως τῶν πολεμίων πρὸ τοῦ τὰ ῥωμαϊκὰ ἐπισυναχθῆναι στρατεύματα. πιναχ.13 Περὶ τοῦ ἐνεδρεῦσαι κατὰ τῶν λεγομένων μινσουρατόρων ἐν τοῖς ἀπλήκτοις. πιναχ.14 Περὶ τῆς ὑποχωρήσεως τῶν ἱππέων ἀπὸ τῶν πεζῶν ὁδοιπορούντων ὁμοῦ. πιναχ.15 Περὶ ἀσφαλείας. πιναχ.16 Περὶ διαχωρισμοῦ τοῦ τούλδου. πιναχ.17 Περὶ τῶν μετὰ πολλῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτρεχόντων πολεμίων τὰς χώρας ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς μετὰ ἐγκρυμμάτων παρασκευῆς. πιναχ.18 Περὶ τοῦ πότε δεῖ τὸν στρατηγὸν ἐκ δύο μερῶν τῶν πολεμίων παραδρομὴν ποιῆσαι. πιναχ.19 Περὶ καταστάσεως καὶ ἐξοπλίσεως καὶ γυμνασίας στρατοῦ. πιναχ.20 Περὶ τῶν ἐγχρονιζόντων πολεμίων κατὰ τῆς χώρας ἡμῶν, ἵνα ἡμέτερος στρατὸς κατὰ τῆς χώρας αὐτῶν ἐπέλθῃ. πιναχ.21 Περὶ πολιορκίας κάστρου. πιναχ.22 Περὶ διαχωρισμοῦ λαοῦ τῶν ἡμισέων πολεμίων ἢ καὶ τοῦ τρίτου μέρους. πιναχ.23 Περὶ τῆς ὑποστροφῆς τῶν πολεμίων καὶ τῆς κατασχέσεως τῆς κλεισούρας. πιναχ.24 Περὶ νυκτοπολέμου. πιναχ.25 Περὶ ἑτέρας κατασχέσεως ὁδοῦ τῆς εἰς τὴν κατάβασιν δυσχωρίαν ἀποτελούσης. προλ.τ ΠΕΡΙ ΠΑΡΑ∆ΡΟΜΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΝΙΚΗΦΟΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ προλ.1 Τὴν τῆς παραδρομῆς μέθοδον παραδοῦναι βουλόμενοι, εἰ τάχα καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν μὴ χρειώδης ἐστὶν εἰς τὰ τῆς ἕως μέρηἅτε Χριστοῦ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν τὸ πολὺ τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν δυνάμεως καὶ ἰσχύος τῶν τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ ἐκγόνων ἀμβλύναντος καὶ τὰς ἐφόδους αὐτῶν ἀναχαιτίσαντος, ἀλλ' οὖν, ἵνα μὴ τὴν λήθην καὶ ἄγνοιαν ἐπεισαγαγὼν ὁ χρόνος φθείρῃ τὸ ταύτης ἐπωφελὲς καὶ ἐξαφανίσειε, δεῖν ᾠήθημεν γραφῇ παραδοῦναι ταύτην, ἵν', εἴ ποτε ταύτης δεήσει Χριστιανοῖς καιροῦ τινος πρὸς τὸ μέλλον καλοῦντος, ἕτοιμός ἐστι συνεργὸς ἀγαθὴ τῷ τε κοινῷ παντὶ καὶ τοῖς αὐτὴν μεταχειριζομένοις. προλ.2 Ἡμεῖς γοῦν ταύτην οὐ μονονοὺκ ἀκοῇ παρειλήφαμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πεῖράν τινα παρ' αὐτῆς ἐδιδάχθημεν, τὸ μὲν αὐτοὺς σχόντες διδασκάλους καὶ παιδευτὰς τοὺς ταύτην σχεδὸν εἰπεῖν ἐφευρόντας τὴν μέθοδον, τὸ δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ μόνοι ταύτῃ χρησάμενοι καὶ πεῖραν αὐτῆς ἐγκολπωσάμενοί τινα κατὰ τὸ ἡμῖν ἐφικτόν. προλ.3 Αὕτη τοίνυν κατὰ τοῦτο ἔχει τὸ χρήσιμον, ὅτι περ οἳ ταύτην μετήλθοσαν μετ' ὀλίγου μαχίμου λαοῦ μέγιστα καὶ ἀξιομνημόνευτα ἐξετέλεσαν ἔργα· καὶ γὰρ ἅτινα μὴ κατορθῶσαι ἴσχυσεν ἢ ἐτόλμησεν ἡ Ῥωμαίων σύμπασα στρατιά, ὅτε τὰ τῶν Κιλίκων καὶ τοῦ Χαμβδᾶ ἤκμαζεν, εἷς ἐνίοτε τῶν ἀρίστων στρατηγῶν σὺν μόνῳ τῷ τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτὸν θέματος λαῷ, φρονίμως καὶ ἐμπείρως τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπιτηδευσάμενος καὶ συνετῶς διατιθεὶς καὶ στρατηγήσας, μόνος ἀπήρτισε. προλ.4 Τοῦτο δέ φαμεν, οὐχ ὅτι τοῦ πλείονος τὸ ὀλίγον προκρίνομεν