η’ Ὅτι οἱ πλείους τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῆς τῶν ὁπλιτῶν φάλαγγος μυρίων ἑξακισχιλίων τριακοσίων ὀγδοήκοντα τεσσάρων ἐποίησαν ἀπὸ μονάδος κατὰ διπλασιασμὸν ἐκβαίνοντα καὶ σύμμετρον ὄντα. Ὅτι ἥμισυν τούτου τὸν τῶν ψιλῶν, ἔτι δὲ τούτου ἥμισυν τὸν τῶν ἱππέων καὶ διὰ τί.
θ’ Ἡ φάλαγξ.
ι’ Πόσοι ἡγεμόνες ἐν τῇ φάλαγγι.
ια’ Πόσον τόπον κατέχει ὁ ὁπλίτης τεταγμένος.
ιβ’ Πῶς δεῖ καθοπλίζεσθαι τοὺς ὁπλίτας, καὶ μέτρα τῶν ὅπλων καὶ δοράτων.
ιγ’ Ὅτι δεῖ τὸ πρῶτον ζυγὸν ἀρίστων ἀνδρῶν εἶναι καὶ στομώματος τάξιν ἐπέχειν.
ιδ’ Ὡς ἡ Μακεδονικὴ φάλαγξ ἐν τούτοις παρετάσσετο.
ιε’ Περὶ τῶν ψιλῶν· πῶς αὐτοὺς δεῖ τετάχθαι.
ις’ Ὅτι χιλίους εἴκοσι τέσσαρας λόχους τῶν ψιλῶν δεῖ τετάχθαι.
ιζ’ Περὶ τῆς εὐχρηστίας τῶν ἀκροβολιστῶν.
ιη’ Πόσα εἴδη τῆς ἱππικῆς συντάξεως τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἐπενοήθη.
ἰθ’ Πῶς τῶν ῥομβοειδῶν ἱππέων.
κ’ Ὅτι αἱ εἶλαι ποτὲ μὲν πρὸ τῆς φάλαγγος τάσσονται, ποτὲ δὲ ἐκ δεξιῶ· καὶ εὐωνύμων, ποτὲ δὲ ὀπισω τῶν ψιλῶν.
κα’ Περὶ τῶν ἱππέων.
κβ’ Περὶ συντάξεως ἐλεφάντων καὶ δρεπανηφόρων.
κγ’ Περὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων, οἷς χρώμενοι οἱ τακτικοὶ τὰ παραγγέλματα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον χρειώδη σημαίνουσιν.
κδ’ Τί ἐστι κλίσις καὶ μεταβολή καὶ ἐπιστροφή.
κε’ Τί ἐστι στοιχεῖν. Τί ἐστι ζυγεῖν. Τί ἐστιν εἰς ὀρθὸν ἀποδοῦναι.
κς’ Ὅτι ἑκάστου γένους ἐξελιγμῶν εἴδη γ, ὁ μὲν Μακεδονικός, ὁ δὲ Λακωνικός, ὁ δὲ Κρητικὸς ἢ χόριος ἢ Περσικός.
κζ’ Πῶς ἐν τοῖς λόχοις γίνεται ὁ Μακεδονικὸς ἐξελιγμός, καὶ εἰς τί χρειώδης· καὶ ὁμοίως ὁ Λάκων καὶ Κρητικός.
κη’ Ὅτι διπλασιασμῶν γένη δύο ἢ κατὰ ζυγὰ ἢ κατὰ στίχον.
κθ’ Τί ἐστι πλαγία φάλαγξ καὶ τί ὀρθία. Τί ἐστι λοξὴ φάλαγξ.
λ’ Τί ἐστι παρεμβολή. Τί ἐστι πρόσταξις. Τί ἐστιν ἔνταξις. Τί ἐστιν ὑπόταξις.
λα’ Πῶς ἐπὶ δόρυ περισπᾶται τὰ συντάγματα καὶ πῶς ἀποκαθίσταται, καὶ πῶς ὁμοίως ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα.
λβ’ Πῶς ἐπὶ τὸ δεξιὸν κέρας ἡ φάλαγξ πυκνοῦται καὶ πῶς ἀποκαθίσταται. Πῶς ἐπὶ τὸ εὐώνυμον κέρας πυκνοῦται ἡ φάλαγξ καὶ πῶς ἀποκαθίσταται. Πῶς ἐπὶ μέσην τὴν φάλαγγα πύκνωσις γίνεται καὶ πῶς ἀποκαθίσταται.
λγ’ Ὅτι τὰ εἰρημένα παραγγέλματα ἀναγκαῖά ἐστι πρὸς τὰς αἰφνιδίους ἐφόδους πολεμίων.
λδ’ Ὅτι τὰς δυνάμεις ἐθίζειν δεῖ τοῖς παραγγέλμασι χρῆσθαι ἢ διὰ σημείων ἢ διὰ φωνῆς ἢ διὰ σάλπιγγος.
λε’ Περὶ πορειῶν καὶ ἐπαγωγῆς καὶ παραγωγῆς καὶ πῶς κοιλέμβολον.
λς’ Τί ἐστι παραγωγή.
λζ’ Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ ἀντίστομος.
λη’ Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ ἀμφίστομος.
λθ’ Τί ἐστι διφαλαγγία ἀντίστομος.
μ’ Τί ἐστι διφαλαγγία περίστομος.
μα’ Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ ὁμοιόστομος πῶς πλινθίον.
μβ’ Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ ἑτερόστομος.
μγ’ Περὶ τῶν ῥομβοειδῶν ἱππέων. Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ μηνοειδής.
μδ’ Τί ἐστι ἑτερομηκης. Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ πλαγία.
με’ Περὶ τῶν ῥομβοειδῶν ἱππέων. Τί ἐστι ἐπικάμπιος εμπροσθία.
μς’ Τί ἐστι ἐπικάμπιος ὀπισθία καὶ τί φάλαγξ κυρτὴ.
μζ’ Περὶ τῆς τετράγωνος τῶν ἱππέων καὶ τί φάλαγξ ἔμβολον.
μη’ Τί ἐστι φάλαγξ πλαίσιον καὶ τί φάλαγξ πεπλεγμένη.
μθ’ Τί ἐστιν ὑπερφαλάγγησις καὶ τί ὑπερκέρασις.
ν’ Ὅτι πέντε τρόποι τῆς τῶν σκευοφόρων ἀγωγῆς, καὶ πότε δεῖ ἑκάστῳ τρόπῳ χρῆσθαι.
να’ Περὶ τῶν ἐξοπλισίας παραγγελμάτων, καὶ πῶς δεῖ μὴ ἀμφίβολα αὐτὰ εἶναι.
νβ’ Περὶ τῶν σιωπὴν καὶ προσέχειν.
νγ’ Περὶ τῶν παραγγελμάτων.
The Contents of the Chapters of the Book
1. On the arrangement of tactics.
2. On the nine distinct parts of the army: hoplites, peltasts, light troops, lancers, mounted javelineers, mounted archers, heavy cavalry, chariots and elephants.
3. How the ancients defined the tactical arts.
4. What is a file and the distribution within the file.
5. How men of ancient times were arranged in the file and the numbers that make up the formation.
6. Joining files.
7. The depth of the phalanx, its width and the files. The division of the men of the phalanx and the position of the light troops and cavalry.
8. How the phalanx is made up of various numbers increasing from one to 16,384 men; how there is half this number of light troops and half this number again of cavalry.
9. The phalanx.
10. The officers within the phalanx.
11. How large an interval each armed man occupies.
12. How the men are armed and the size of the shield and spear.
13. How the best men hold the positions at the front of the formation and where the ‘mouth’ of the line is located.
14. How the Macedonian phalanx is organized.
15. Light troops, how they are organized.
16. On the 1,024 files of light troops.
17. On the use of missile troops.
18. What the ancients thought about cavalry formations.
19. On the cavalry rhombus formation.
20. How the cavalry is positioned before or to the right of the phalanx or behind the light infantry.
21. Concerning cavalry.
22. The arrangement of elephants and scythe-bearing chariots.
23. The names and uses of the tactical manoeuvres conducted by the army.
24. Facing, turning and wheeling.
25. Forming files and ranks and restoring the original position.
26. Counter-marching, the different techniques: the Macedonian, the Lakonian and the Cretan/Choral/Persian methods.
27. How to execute the Macedonian, lakonian and the Cretan counter-march and their uses.
28. Doubling, either by rank or by file.
29. The transverse phalanx, the even phalanx and the oblique phalanx.
30. Parembolē, prostaxis, entaxis and hypotaxis.
31. Wheeling to the left and right, and returning to the original position.
32. Closing the formation to the right, left and middle, and returning to the original position.
33. Concerning sudden movements of the army.
34. The advantages and use of commands given by signal, voice and trumpet.
35. Marching, induction and deduction, and the koelembolus formation.
36. Paragogē or ‘deduction’.
37. The antistomos formation.
38. The amphistomos formation.
39. The antistomos diphalangarchia formation.
40. The peristomos diphalangarchia formation.
41. The homoiostomos formation and the plinthium formation.
42. The heterostomos formation.
43. The cavalry rhombus and the ‘half-moon’ infantry formation.
44. The heteromēkēs cavalry formation and the transverse infantry phalanx.
45. The cavalry rhombus and the epicampios emprosthia infantry formation.
46. The epicampios opisthia infantry formation and the kyrtē infantry formation.
47. The square cavalry formation and the infantry wedge.
48. The plaision infantry formation and the peplegmenē infantry formation.
49. Outflanking and ‘over-fronting’ an enemy formation.
50. The various methods for leading the baggage train, and when each method should be used.
51. The words of command for those under arms, and how encompassing they should be.
52. On silence and attention.
53. Various words of command.
α’ Περὶ τῶν τὰ τακτικὰ συνταξάντων
Πρῶτος μὲν ὧν ἴσμεν δοκεῖ τὴν τακτικὴν θεωρίαν Ὅμηρος ἐπεγνωκέναι θαυμάζειν [τε]a τοὺς ἐπιστήμονας αὐτῆς, ὥσπερ [Μνεσθέα]b
τῷ δ’ [οὔτις μὲν]c ὁμοῖος ἐπιχθόνιος γένετ’ ἀνὴρ κοσμῆσαι ἵππους τε καὶ ἀνέρας ἀσπιδιώτας.
καὶ περὶ τῆς καθ’ Ὅμηρον τακτικῆς ἐνετύχομεν συγγραφεῦσι Στρατοκλεῖ καὶ Ἑρμείᾳ, καὶ Φρόντωνι τῷ καθ’ ἡμᾶς [ὑπατικῷ ἀνδρὶ].d ἐξειργάσαντο δὲ τὴν θεωρίαν, Αἰνείας τε διὰ πλειόνων [ὁ]e καὶ στρατηγικὰ βιβλία [ἱκαως]f συνταξάμενος, ὧν ἐπιτομὴν ὁ Θετταλὸς Κινέας [ἐποίησε],g Πύρρος τε ὁ Ἠπειρώτης τακτικὰ [συνέγραψε]h καὶ Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ τούτου υἱὸς καὶ Κλέαρχος. ἔτι δὲ Παυσανίας, Εὐάγγελός τε καὶ Πολύβιος ὁ Μεγαλοπολίτης, ἀνὴρ πολυμαθὴς Σκιπίωνι συγγενόμενος, Εὐπόλεμός τε καὶ Ἰφικράτης. ὁ δὲ στωικὸς Ποσειδώνιος, καὶ τέχνην τακτικὴν ἔγραψεν. ἄλλοι τε πλείονες, οἱ μὲν εἰσαγωγάς, ὡς Βίων, οἱ δὲ καὶ τοπικὰς πραγματείας ἐξέδωκαν. οἷς πᾶσιν ἐγκυρήσας ἀπειρόκαλον ἡγοῦμαι πάντων μεμνῆσθαι. ἐπέγνων δέ, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τοὺς συγγραφεῖς ὡς εἰδόσι τὰ πράγματα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συντεταχότας. ὅπερ οὖν αὐτοὶ [πρῶτοι]i ἐφιέμενοι τῆς [γνώσεως]j τοῦ πράγματος ἐπάθομεν, μήτε τοὺς ὑφηγησομένους εὑρίσκοντες, μήτε ἀποχρώντως πρὸς παράδοσιν [ἀποβάλλοντες]k τὰς τῶν πρὸ [ἡμᾶς]l ἐκδόσεις ἔχειν, πειρασόμεθα καθ’ ὅσον οἷόν τέ ἐστι μὴ [ἄλλοις]m τὸ αὐτὸ παθεῖν ποιῆσαι. ὁσάκις δ’ ἄν μοι ὁ λόγος [ἐξανήσῃ ἐν τοῖς πῶς παραστῆσαί τῇ]n τῶν θεωρημάτων, ἐπίκουρον παραλήψομαι ἐπὶ καταγραφῆς τὴν τῶν [χρημάτων]o διατύπωσιν, [ἵνα]p τὴν ὄψιν τῇ νοήσει συλλήπτορα [παράσχων].q αὐταῖς μέντοι πειράσομαι ταῖς τῶν ἀρχαίων χρῆσθαι ἑκάστου λέξεσιν, ἵνα καὶ τοῖς [ὀνόμασι]r καὶ τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῶν πολλάκις παρ’ [αὐτοῖς]s λεγομένων [ὀνομάτων]t συγγυμνασθέντες οἱ τῇδε τῇ γραφῇ καθάπερ εἰσαγωγῇ προσέχοντες ἐν ἔθει γένωνται τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὀνόμασι παρὰ τοῖς τακτικὰ συντάξασι, καὶ μὴ ξενίζωνται, [ὅταν τοῖς ἐκείνων]u ἐντυγχάνωσιν. οἶμαι δὲ τὸν ἅπαξ εἰσαχθέντα ταῖς ὑφ’ ἡμῶν παραδιδομέναις ὁδοῖς εὐμαρῶς καὶ τὰ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων [κατανοήσαι].v
ὅτι μέντοι τὸ μάθημα τοῦτο πάντων ἐστὶ χρειωδέστατον, λάβοι τις ἂν ἐξ ὧν ὁ Πλάτων ἐν τοῖς νόμοις φησί. τὸν γὰρ [τῶν]w Κρητῶν νομοθέτην
τοὺς νόμους τεθεῖσθαι ὥσπερ εἰς πόλεμον [ἀεὶ]x τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρεσκευασμένων. εἶναι γὰρ φύσει πάσαις ταῖς πόλεσι πρὸς ἁπάσας πόλεμον ἀκήρυκτον.
πῶς οὖν ἄλλο τις ἡγήσεται προὐργιαίτερον μάθημα ἢ τὸ βιβλίον χρειωδέστερον τούτου.
1. On the arrangement of tactics1
The poet Homer seems to have been the first (at least that we read of) who had the skill of organizing an army, or at least recognized the skill in others. This is illustrated by Mnestheus, of whom Homer wrote:
No man yet born to the Earth was his equal in the marshalling of chariots and of fighting men.2
In regards to the tactics outlined by Homer, the works of Stratocles and of Frontinus, a man of consular dignity, are read in our time.3 Aeneas perfected military theory at length, publishing many volumes on warfare that were abridged by Cyneas the Thessalian.4 Likewise, Pyrrhus the Epirote set forth the art of war in writing, as did his son Alexander, as well as Clearchus, Pausanias, Evangelus, Polybius the Megalopolitan (a man of great learning and a companion of Scipio), Eupolemus, Iphicrates, and Poseidonius the Stoic philosopher.5 Many others, such as Bion, commented on tactics in their introductions, while others released large volumes on tactics. I have seen, and read, all of these works and yet I think it not of little importance to particularly mention, being not ignorant on such matters, that it has been the manner of these writers, for the most part, not to apply their style to the instruction of the ignorant, but only to those who are already acquainted with the themes that they discuss. As to the challenges that presented themselves to me, when I first set my mind to the study of this art, as I was unable to locate sufficient instructors nor to find clear meaning in the precepts that I read, I will endeavour, as much as I can, to remove these obstacles out of the reader’s way. Additionally, should words fail to express my meaning adequately, I will, for plainness’ sake, use figures and pictures, thereby joining what the eye can perceive from the images to the text as an aid and assistance to the understanding of the passage. I will also retain the terms used by the ancient authors so that whoever follows this book as an introduction, thereafter being accustomed to the use of the same words and the usage of the things that they express, may go more acquainted, and not consider himself a stranger, when he comes to read these other
works. By these ways prescribed by me, I have no doubt, these passages will be easily understood.
That this art is of most use above all others is illustrated by Plato in his work on Laws where he outlines what the Cretan Lawgiver said:
For (as he would say) ‘peace’, as the term is commonly used, is nothing more than a name. The truth is that all of the city-states, by their very nature, are perpetually engaged in an undeclared state of war against one another.6
If this is the case, then what discipline is to be more esteemed, or more necessary to a man’s life, than the art of war?
β’ Ὅτι τοῦ μαχομένου γένους ἐννέα διαφοραί· ὁπλιτῶν, πελταστῶν, ψιλῶν, ἱππέων δορατοφόρων, ἱππέων ἀκοντιστῶν, ἱππέων τοξοτῶν, ἱππέων καταφράκτων, ἁρμάτων, ἐλεφάντων
Λεκτέον δέ μοι πρῶτον περὶ τῶν εἰς τοὺς πολέμους τελειῶν παρασκευῶν. διτταὶ [δ’]a εἰσὶ τούτων δυνάμεις, ἡ μὲν πεζική, ἡ δὲ ναυτική. καὶ πεζικὴ μὲν ἡ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς μαχομένων, ναυτικὴ δὲ ἡ τῶν κατὰ θάλασσαν [ἢ]b ποταμοὺς ἐν ναυσὶ παρατασσομένων. καὶ περὶ μὲν τῶν ἐν [ταῖς]c ναυμαχίαις συντάξεων ὕστερον ἐροῦμεν, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τὴν πεζικὴν στρατείαν συντείνοντα νῦν ἀφηγησόμεθα.
τῶν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολέμους τοίνυν ἀθροιζομένων τὸ πλῆθος τὸ μέν ἐστι μάχιμον. τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὰς τούτου χρείας συνερχόμενον ἄμαχον. καὶ μάχιμον μὲν τὸ παρατασσόμενον ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι. καὶ δι’ ὅπλων ἀμυνόμενον τοὺς πολεμίους, ἄμαχον δὲ τὸ λοιπόν, οἷον ἰατρῶν, ἀγοραίων, [ὁτύλων]d καὶ ἄλλων, ὅσοι διὰ τὰς ὑπηρεσίας [ἐπακολουθοῦσιν].e τοῦ δὲ μαχίμου τὸ μέν ἐστι πεζικόν, τὸ δὲ ἐπ’ ὀχημάτων. τὸ μὲν ἰδίως πεζὸν τὸ ἐπὶ γῆς βεβηκός, τοῦ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ὀχημάτων τὸ μὲν ἐφ’ ἵππων φέρεται τὸ δὲ ἐπ’ ἐλεφάντων. τοῦ δὲ ἐφ’ ἵππων τὸ μὲν ἐφ’ ἁρμάτων, τὸ δὲ ἐπ’ αὐτῶν ἵδρυται τῶν ἵππων. [καὶ]f τῷ μὲν γένει τοσαῦται γίνονται διαφοραί.
The Tactics of Aelian Page 3