The Tactics of Aelian

by Christopher Matthew

  Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἐλεφάντων ὁ μὲν ἑνὸς ἐλέφαντος ἄρχων ζῴαρχος καλεῖται, ὁ δὲ τῶν δύο θήραρχος καὶ τὸ σύστημα θηραρχία, ὁ δὲ τῶν τεσσάρων ἐπιθήραρχος καὶ τὸ σύστημα [ἐπιθηραρχία],d ὁ δὲ τῶν ὀκτὼ ἰλάρχης καὶ τὸ σύστημα ἰλαρχία, ὁ δὲ τῶν ὲκκαίδεκῶν ἐλεφαντάρχης καὶ τὸ σύστημα ἐλεφανταρχία, ὁ δὲ [τῶν]e τριάκοντῶν δύο κερατάρχης [ἢ μεράρχης]f καὶ τὸ σύστημα κεραταρχία, τὸ δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἑξήκοντῶν τέσσαρες συνεστηκὸς φάλαγγα ὀνομάζομεν ἐλεφάντων καί, ἄν τις τὸν τῶν κεράτων ἡγούμενον βούληται προσονομάζειν, φαλαγγάρχην.

  22. The arrangement of elephants and scythe-bearing chariots1

  As to the method of drawing up chariots [harma, ἅρμα] and elephants [ἐλέφαντοι] in order for battle, although they are of small value, the works of previous writers will be drawn upon here lest this work seem deficient. In the joining of chariot to chariot, a group of two of them is called a zygarchia [ζυγαρχία]. Two zygarchiae [i.e. four chariots] is called a syzugia [συζυγία], and two syzugiae [i.e. eight chariots] is called an episyzugia [ἐπισυζυγία]. Two episyzugiae [i.e. sixteen chariots] form a harmatarchia [ἁρματαρχία], and two harmatarchiae [i.e. thirty-two chariots] make a keras [κέρας]. Two kerai [i.e. sixty-four chariots] make up a phalanx of chariots. It is allowable to employ many of these formations within an army and to make use of the same terms in every phalanx. Some armies use light chariots [psilois, ψιλοῖς] while others use those that are armed with scythes [drepanophoroi, δρεπανηφόροι].

  In the arrangement of elephants, the commander of one elephant is called a zoarch [ζῴαρχος]. The commander of two elephants is called a therarch [θήραρχος] and the two animals are called a therarchia [θηραρχία]. The leader of four elephants is called an epitherarch [ἐπιθήραρχος] and the four beasts called an epitherarchia [ἑπιθηραρχία]. He who commands eight elephants is called an ilarch [ιλάρχης] and his animals, taken together, form an ilarchia [ιλαρχία]. The commander of sixteen elephants is called an elephantarch [ἐλεφαντάρχης] and the whole body an elephantarchia [ἐλεφανταρχία]. The commander of thirty-two elephants is called a keratarch [κερατάρχης] and the animals take the name keratarchia [κεραταρχία]. A body of sixty-four elephants is called a phalanx of elephants, and the commander of the two combined keratarchiae is called a phalangarch [φαλαγγάρχης]. 2

  κγ’ Περὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων, οἷς χρώμενοι οἱ τακτικοὶ τὰ παραγγέλματα πρὸς τὸν πόλεμον χρειώδη σημαίνουσιν

  Τὰ μὲν οὖν εἴδη τῆς τελείας δυνάμεως καὶ τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν ἐν τούτοις συστημάτων τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον [ὧν]a τεθεωρημένον. ἑξῆς περὶ τῶν ὀνομάτων χρήσιμον εἰπεῖν, ὅπως, ὅταν [οὖν]b ὁ στρατηγὸς [παραγγέιλῃ τι γενέσθαι],c συνεθισθέντες ἐν ταῖς ἐξοπλισίαις τοῖς τε ὀνόμασι καὶ ταῖς τῶν σχημάτων κινήσεσι [ῥαδίως]d τὰ προστασσόμενα ποιεῖν δύνωνται.

  λέγεται δὲ τὸ [μέν τι]e κλίσις, καὶ τῆς κλίσεως ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ δόρυ, ἡ δὲ [ἐπ’]f ἀσπίδα. λέγεται δέ τις καὶ μεταβολὴ καὶ ἐπιστροφὴ καὶ ἀναστροφὴ καὶ περισπασμὸς [καὶ ἐκπερισπασμός],g στοιχεῖν τε καὶ ζυγεῖν καὶ [ἐπὶ ὀρθὴν]h ἀποδοῦναι καὶ ἐξελίσσειν καὶ διπλασιάζειν. λέγεται δέ [τις καὶ]i ἐπαγωγὴ καὶ δεξιὰ παραγωγὴ καὶ εὐώνυμος παραγωγὴ καὶ πλαγία φάλαγξ καὶ ὀρθία φάλαγξ ἢ λοξὴ φάλαγξ καὶ παρεμβολὴ καὶ [πρόταξις]j καὶ ἔνταξις καὶ ὑπόταξις καὶ ἐπίταξις καὶ [πρόσταξις].k ἑκάστου δὲ ὀνόματος τὴν σημασίαν διὰ [συντόμου]l δηλώσομεν. οὐκ ἀγνοῶ δ’ ὅτι [οὐ]m παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς τακτικοῖς τὰ παραγγέλματα ταῖς αὐταῖς ὀνομασίαις δεδήλωται.

  23. The names and uses of the tactical manoeuvres conducted by the army1

  Having detailed the various sorts of forces that form a complete army, and having assigned the names to the various parts, it seems proper to discuss other terms next, so that when the commander orders any manoeuvre to be performed, the soldiers, accustomed to the exercise and practised in the words of command and the necessary movements, will perform all that is required with ease.

  The general term klisis [κλίσις] may be regarded as the turning either to the pike or to the shield. Then there is the movement called metabolē [μεταβολή], or ‘facing about an individual’, that called epistrophē [ἐπιστροφή], or ‘wheeling’, anastrophē [ἀναστροφή], or ‘reverse wheeling’, and perispasmos [περισπασμός], or ‘facing about a formation’. There are also the commands to form ranks [zygein, ζυγεῖν] and files [stoichen, στοιχεῖν] and to return to the original position [es orthon apodounai, ἐς ὀρθὸν ἀποδοῦναι], to counter-march [exelissein, ἐξελίσσειν] and to double [diplasiazein, διπλασιάζειν]. There is also the term epagogē [ἐπαγωγή], or ‘induction’, and paragogē [παραγωγή], or ‘deduction’, to either the left or right. There is also the command to form the transverse phalanx [phalanx plagia, φάλαγξ πλαγία], the right-aligned phalanx [phalanx orthia, φάλαγξ ὀρθία], and the oblique phalanx [phalanx loxē, φάλαγξ λοξή], as well as the entaxis [ἐντάξις], or ‘insertion’, hypotaxis [ὑπόταξις], or ‘deploying in crescent’, epitaxis [ἐπίταξις], or ‘positioning behind’, and protaxis [πρόταξις], or ‘positioning before’. We shall now examine the meaning of these various terms, keeping in mind that other tactical writers have not used the same technical expressions.

  κδ’ Τί ἐστι κλίσις καὶ μεταβολή καὶ ἐπιστροφή

  Κλίσις μὲν οὖν ἐστιν ἡ κατ’ ἄνδρα κίνησις, ἢ ἐπὶ δόρυ [ἐπιστρέψαντος]a τοῦ ὁπλίτου, [τουτέστι]b ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ μέρη, ἢ ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα, [τουτέστι]c ἐπὶ τὰ εὐώνυμα μέρη, ὅπερ γίνεται εὔχρηστον πρὸς τὰς ἐκ τῶν πλαγίων ἐπιφανείας τῶν πολεμίων ὑπερκεράσεως χάριν ἢ ἀντιπορείας καὶ ἑτέρων χρειῶν, αἳ καθ’ ἕκαστον πρᾶγμα δηλωθήσονται. αἱ δὲ δύο ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ γινόμεναι κλίσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κατὰ νώτου ἐπιφάνειαν τὴν ὄψιν τοῦ ὁπλίτου μετατιθέασι. καὶ τὸ τοιοῦτο καλεῖται μεταβολή. γίνεται δὲ καὶ αὕτη ἡ μὲν ἐπὶ δόρυ, ἡ δὲ ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα. [[πρώτη στάσις, ἤ γουν ἡ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πρῶτη κλίσις ἐπὶ δόρυ δευτερα κλίσις. ἥτις καὶ μεταβολὴ λέγεται]d μεταβολὴ γὰρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰς τὰ ὀπισω [κατὰ]e ἄνδρα στοφή. ὅπερ δὲ ἐστι καθ’ ἕνα ὁπλιτην ἡ μεταβολὴ, ἔστι καὶ εἰς τὸ πᾶν σύνταγμα ὁ περισπασμός.]f δύο δέ εἰσι διαφοραὶ μεταβολῶν, ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων,
ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους. ὅρος δέ ἐστι τῆς μεταβολῆς μετάληψις τῆς προϋπαρχούσης ἐπιφανείας εἰς τὴν κατ’ οὐρὰν ἐπιφάνειαν ἢ ἀπὸ ταύτης ἐπὶ τὴν ἐναντίαν. καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων μεταβολὴ δὶς ἐπὶ δόρυ κλινάντων γίνεται, ἡ δὲ ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους δὶς ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα.

  ἐπιστροφὴ δέ ἐστιν, ὅταν [πεπυκνωμένου]g ὄντος τοῦ συντάγματος, καὶ μὴ δυναμένου κατ’ ἄνδρα ἤ κλίσιν ἤ μεταβολὴν ποιήσααθαι διὰ τὴν πύκνωσιν, [ἐπιστραφῇ]h ὅλον τὸ σύνταγμα ἡνωμένως, ὥσπερ πλοῖον, καὶ ἓν σῶμα μετακινούμενον ἀδιαλύτου μενούσης τῆς τάξεως. καὶ ὅτε μὲν περὶ δόρυ στρέφετι, παραγγέλλομεν τὸν τῆς δεξιᾶς ἄκρας λοχαγὸν ἱστᾶναι ἀμετακίνητον, `οἷον στρόφιγγα θύρας, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἅπαν σύνταγμα περισρχόμενον, ὥσπερ θύραν τὸν τοιοῦτον λοχαγόν ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιστροφήν. οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ γίνεται. [επιστροφή]i ἐστιν, ὅταν πυκνώσαντες τὰ συντάγματα κατὰ παραστάτην καὶ ἐπιστάτην ὅλον τὸ σύνταγμα ὡς ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς σῶμα, ἢ ἐπὶ δόρυ, ἢ ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα κλίνωμεν, ὡσἂν περὶ κέντρον τὸν πρῶτον λοχαγὸν ὅλου τοῦ τάγματος περιενεχθέντος, καὶ μεταλαβόντος τόπον μὲν τὸν ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπιφάνειαν δὲ τὴν ἐκ δεξιῶν διαμενόντων [ἑκάστων]j τῶν ἐπιστατῶν καὶ παραστατῶν, ὅπερ πῶς γίνεται δηλώσομεν.

  ἀναστροφὴ δέ ἐστιν ἀποκατάστασις ἐπιστροφῆς εἰς ὃν προκατεῖχε τὸ σύνταγμα τόπον πεπυκνωμένον πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι ταύτην τὴν ἐπιστροφήν.

  περισπασμὸς δέ ἐστιν [ἡ]k ἐκ δυεῖν ἐπιστροφῶν τοῦ τάγματος κίνησις, ὥστε μεταλαμβάνειν τὸν ὀπίσω τόπον. ἐκπερισπασμὸς δέ [ἐστιν]l ἡ ἐκ τριῶν ἐπιστροφῶν [συνεχῶν]m τοῦ τάγματος κίνησις, ὥστε μεταλαμβάνειν, ἐὰν περὶ δόρυ γίνηται, τὴν ἐξ ἀριστερῶν ἐπιφάνειαν. ἐὰν δὲ ἐπ’ ἀσπίδα, τὴν ἐκ δεξιῶν.

  24. Facing, turning and wheeling1

  Klisis [κλίσις], or facing, is the motion of each soldier turning to either the pike or the shield, that is to the right or left respectively. It is a movement that is of eminent use when an enemy appears on either flank, to be able to turn to the left or right wing, or to attack either of them or to accomplish any other purpose as will be examined in due order. A change of facing repeated twice turns the eyes of the soldier to a direction that is the reverse of the direction that he originally faced.2 This reversal of facing is called a metabolē [μεταβολή]. Metabolē consists of turning to a new facing that is in a contrary direction to that which existed at the commencement of the motion, and can be made to either the right or the left.3 Metabolē, correctly speaking, only applies to the facing about of individuals. When a whole body of men turns about, the proper term is perispasmos [περισπασμός]. There are two different forms of metabolē: one for turning away from an enemy, and one for turning towards an enemy. Metabolē can be defined like this: a change of direction from the front towards the rear, or vice versa. A metabolē away from the enemy is conducted by turning towards the spear [i.e. to the right]. A metabolē towards the enemy is conducted by turning towards the shield [i.e. to the left].4 (See Plate 11.)

  Epistrophē [ἐπιστροφή] is performed when the formation is so locked that individuals cannot change their facing once (klisis) or twice (metabolē).5 Under these circumstances, the entire formation wheels about, just as a ship is put about, with the individual soldiers preserving their relative position to each other without breaking. When it is necessary to wheel to the pike [i.e. to the right], the file leader on the right of the line stands fast, like the pivot on a gate, and the remainder of the entire formation wheels around him, not unlike the gate itself, and so completes the epistrophē. The epistrophē to the shield [i.e. to the left] is conducted in a similar manner.6

  The motion of reversing an epistrophē is called anastrophē [ἀναστροφή] and consists of a formation, in a close order, being led back to the position that it had occupied prior to the execution of an epistrophē.7

  A perispasmos [περισπασμός] is performed when the formation wheels twice, so that the front now faces to the rear. An ecperispasmos [ἐκπερισπασμός] takes place by the means of three consecutive wheelings, so that a formation that turns to the right ends up facing to the left, and a formation that turns to the left ends up facing the right.7

  κε’ Τί ἐστι στοιχεῖν. Τί ἐστι ζυγεῖν. Τί ἐστιν εἰς ὀρθὸν ἀποδοῦναι

  Στοιχεῖν δὲ λέγεται [τὸ]a ἕκαστον ἄνδρα ἐν τῷ ἑαυτοῦ λόχῳ [ἐπ’]b εὐθείας εἶναι τῷ λοχαγῷ καὶ τῷ οὐραγῷ [φυλάσσονται]c τὰ ἶσα ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων διαστήματα. ζυγεῖν δὲ τὸ ἐπ’ εὐθείας εἶναι κατὰ μῆκος [ἕκαστον]d τῶν ἐν [τῷ]e λόχῳ τῷ ζυγοῦντι αὐτῷ [ὁμοίως τὰ διαστήματα φυλάσσοντα. ζυγοῦσι δὲ τῷ μὲν λοχαγῷ]f οἱ λοχαγοὶ πάντες, τῷ δὲ τοῦ λοχαγοῦ ἐπιστάτῃ οἱ τῶν ἄλλων λοχαγῶν ἐπιστάται, καὶ κατὰ τὸ ἑξῆς οὕτως.

  [ἐπ’]g ὀρθὸν δὲ ἀποδοῦναί ἐστι τὸ εἰς τὴν προκαθεστῶσαν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς τοῦ ὁπλίτου ἐπιφάνειαν ἀποκαταστῆσαι τὴν ὄψιν, οἷον, ἐάν [τε]h ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τεταγμένος κελευσθῇ ἐπὶ δόρυ κλῖναι, εἶτα παραγγείλῃ εἰς ὀρθὸν ἀποκαταστῆσαι, δεήσει πάλιν ἐπὶ τοὺς πολεμίους τετράφθαι.

  25. Forming files and ranks and restoring the original position1

  To ‘form a file’ is the terminology used when individual soldiers stand in the proper places, in a straight line extending from the leader to the rear officer, while preserving equal distances from each other. To ‘form a rank’ is the terminology used when the soldiers in the files maintain a straight line longitudinally speaking, from flank to flank. In doing so, the file leaders will form one rank, as do their immediate followers (the epistatae) and the other followers in their appropriate order.2

  To restore the original position is to cause each soldier to face the direction in which he stood at first. For example, if a soldier faced towards the enemy, and was then ordered to turn to the left, when commanded to return to the original position, he would turn to face the enemy yet again.3

  κς’ Ὅτι ἑκάστου γένους ἐξελιγμῶν εἴδη γ, ὁ μὲν Μακεδονικός, ὁ δὲ Λακωνικός, ὁ δὲ Κρητικὸς ἢ χόριος ἢ Περσικός

  Ἐξελιγμῶν δέ ἐστι γένη δύο, τὸ μὲν κατὰ λόχους, τὸ δὲ κατὰ [ζυγούς].a εἴδη δὲ αὐτῶν ἑκάστου τρία. καλεῖται γὰρ ὁ μὲν Μακεδών, ὁ δὲ Λάκων, ὁ δὲ Χόριος, ὁ δ’ αὐτὸς [Κρητικὸς καὶ]b Περσικός.

&nbs
p; Μακεδὼν μὲν οὖν ἐστιν ὁ μεταλαμβάνων τῆς φάλαγγος τὸν ἔμπροσθεν τόπον, ἀντὶ δὲ τῆς κατὰ πρόσωπον ἐπιφανείας τὴν ὄπισθεν. Λάκων δὲ ὁ μεταλαμβάνων τῆς φάλαγγος τὸν ὀπίσω τόπον, ὁμοίως δὲ ἀντὶ τῆς ἔμπροσθεν ἐπιφανείας τὴν ὄπισθεν. ὁ δὲ [Περσικὸς καὶ Κρητικὸς καὶ χόρεῖος],c οὗτος δὲ τὸν αὐτὸν τόπον ἐπέχει τῆς φάλαγγος, τῶν κατὰ μέρος ὁπλιτῶν ἀνθ’ ὧν προκατεῖχον [τούτων]d ἑτέρους μεταλαμβανόντων, τοῦ μὲν λοχαγοῦ τὸν τοῦ οὐραγοῦ, [τοῦ δὲ οὐραγοῦ τὸν τοῦ λοχαγοῦ],e ἀντὶ δὲ τῆς κατὰ πρόσωπον ἐπιφανείας τὴν ὄπισθεν.

  οἱ δὲ κατὰ [ζυγούς]f ἐξελιγμοὶ γίνονται, ὅταν ἐπὶ τῶν ἀποτομῶν βούληταί τις τὰ κέρατα καθιστάνειν, τὰς δὲ ἀποτομὰς ἐπὶ τῶν κεράτων, χάριν τοῦ τὰ μέσα ἰσχυροποιεῖσθαι, καὶ ὁμοίως τὰ δεξιὰ [ἐκ]g τοῖς εὐωνύμοις καὶ τὰ εὐώνυμα [ἐκ]h τοῖς δεξιοῖς. οἱ δὲ φυλασσόμενοι κατὰ μείζονα μέρη τοὺς ἐξελιγμοὺς ποιεῖσθαι ἐγγὺς ὄντων τῶν πολεμίων κατὰ [τὰ]i συντάγματα [ποιοῦνται].j