μεράρχης [merarch]: commander of a merarchia: Ch. 9, 10
μεραρχία [merarchia]: two combined chiliarchiae; 124 files containing 2,048 men: Ch. 9, 10
μέρος [meros]: another name for a diphalangarchia; two combined phalangarchiae; 512 files containing 8,192 men: Ch. 9
μεταβολή [metabolē]: the turning of an individual through 180 degrees to the left or right: Ch. 23, 24, 33
μέτωπον [metopon]: ‘front’; one name for the rank of file-leaders: Ch. 7
μῆκος [mekos]: the width of a formation from left to right: Ch. 7, 18
μηνοειδής [menoeides]: a crescent-shaped infantry formation with its wings swept forward: Ch. 43
μονοπλευρά [monopleura]: a single-column formation: Ch. 35
μονοφαλαγγία [monophalaggia]: a single-phalanx formation: Ch. 35
ξεναγία [xenagia]: another name for a syntagma; two combined taxes; sixteen files containing 256 men: Ch. 9, 35; sixty-four files of light troops, containing 512 men: Ch. 16
ξεναγός [xenagos]: commander of a xenagia: Ch. 9
ξυστοφόροι [xestophori]: ‘pikemen’; mounted troops who carry a long lance but no shield: Ch. 2
ὁμοιόστομος [homoiostomos]: a marching formation with the different units following in a column: Ch. 41
ὄμφαλος [omphalos]: ‘navel’; one name for the line between two wings of a formation: Ch. 7, 32
ὁπλιται [hoplites]: those armed in the Classical Geek manner with shield, spear, helmet and armour: Ch. 2, 48
οὐρά [oura]: ‘tail’; one name for the left wing of a formation: Ch. 7
οὐραγός [ouragos]: the officer at the rear of a file: Ch. 5, 26, 27, 33; the officer placed at the rear of a formation: Ch. 9, 14, 16; the officer at the rear of a cavalry formation: Ch. 18, 42, 45
παραγωγή [paragogē]: the deduction of a formation to the right or left: Ch. 23, 35, 36
παραστάτης [parastates]: literally, ‘those who stand beside’; men standing to either side of a man in a file, who usually belong to an adjacent file: Ch. 6
παράταξις [parataxis]: ‘edge’; one name for the rank of file-leaders: Ch. 7
παρεμβολή [parembolē]: the insertion of the rear ranks into the front ranks: Ch. 30
πελταστάι [peltasts]: those armed with light armour, small shields and pikes (the forerunner of the hellenistic phalangite): Ch. 2, 48
πεντακοσιάρχης [pentacosiarch]: commander of two syntagmae; thirty-two files containing 512 men: Ch. 9; eight files of light troops containing sixty-four men: Ch. 16
πῆχυς [pēchus]: the cubit; a unit of measure equalling 48cm: Ch. 11, 13
πεπλεγμένη [peplegmenē]: a ‘saw-toothed’ infantry formation: Ch. 48
περισπασμός [perispasmos]: changing the facing of a formation by wheeling through 180 degrees: Ch. 23, 24, 31, 33
πλαγιοφύλακαι [plagiophylakai]: the ‘flank guards’ of a cavalry formation: Ch. 18, 42, 45
πλαίσιον [plaision]: a hollow, oblong infantry formation with light troops arranged in the centre: Ch. 48
πλινθίον [plinthium]: a square formation of heavy infantry: Ch. 41
πρόενταξις [proentaxis]: another term for prostaxis, the positioning of troops on the wings: Ch. 30
πρόσταξις [prostaxis]: the positioning of troops on the wings: Ch. 30
πρόσωπον [prosopon]: ‘face’; one name for the rank of file-leaders: Ch. 7
πρόταξις [protaxis]: positioning before the phalanx: Ch. 23, 30
πρωτολοχία [protolochia]: the ‘heads of the files’; one name for the rank of file-leaders: Ch. 7
πρωτοστάτης [protostates]: literally, ‘those who stand at the front’; another name for a file-leader (cf. λοχαγός): Ch. 5, 7, 30
πύκνωσις [puknosis]: one name for an intermediate-order formation, with each man occupying a space of 96cm: Ch. 11, 32
ῥομβοειδής [rhomboeidēs]: a rhomboid-shaped cavalry formation: Ch. 18, 19
σαλπιγκτής [salpigktēs]: trumpeter: Ch. 9, 16
σημειφόρος [semeiphoros]: standard-bearer: Ch. 9, 16
στάδιον [stade]: a unit of measure equalling 600 Greek feet, or 182m: Ch. 27
στίφος [stiphos]: 512 files of light troops, containing 4,096 men: Ch. 16
στόμα [stoma]: ‘mouth’; one name for the rank of file-leaders: Ch. 7; one name for the line between two wings of a formation: Ch. 7
στρατηγία [strategia]: another name for a phalangarchia; two combined telarchia or merarchia; 256 files, containing 4,096 men: Ch. 9
στρατηγός [strategos]: commander of a strategia: Ch. 9
στρατοκῆρυξ [stratokērux]: herald: Ch. 9, 16
συλλοχισμός [syllochismos]: the joining of two files: Ch. 6
συνασπισμοῖς [synaspismos]: the interlocking of shields or ‘shields brought together’; one name for a close-order formation of 48cm per man: Ch. 11
σύνταγμα [syntagma]: two combined taxes; sixteen files, containing 256 men: Ch. 9, 10
συνταγματάρχης [syntagmatarch]: commander of a syntagma: Ch. 9
σύστασις [systasis]: four files of light troops, containing 32 men: Ch. 16
σύστρεμμα [systremma]: 128 files of light troops, containing 1,024 men: Ch. 16
συζυγία [syzugia]: a group of four chariots: Ch. 22
ταξίαρχος [taxiarch]: commander of a taxis: Ch. 9
τάξις [taxis]: two combined tetrarchiae; eight files, containing 128 men: Ch. 9
Ταραντιναρχία [Tarantinarchia]: a troop of ‘Tarantine’ cavalry; two combined epilarchiae, containing 256 men: Ch. 20
τελειάρχης [teleiarch]: commander of a telos: Ch. 9
τέλος [telos]: another name for a merarchia; two combined chiliarchiae; 124 files, containing 2,048 men: Ch. 9; two combined ephipparchiae of cavalry, containing 2,048 men: Ch. 20
τετραπλευρά [tetrapleura]: a quadruple-column formation : Ch. 35
τετράρχης [tetrarch]: commander of a tetrarchia: Ch. 9
τετραρχία [tetrarchia]: two combined dilochiae; four files, containing sixty-four men: Ch. 9, 10, 35
τετραφαλαγγαρχία [tetraphalangarchia]: two combined diphalangarchiae; 1,024 files, containing 16,384 men: Ch. 9
τετραφαλαγγία [tetraphalaggia]: a quadruple-phalanx formation: Ch. 35
τριπλευρά [tripleura]: a triple-column formation: Ch. 35
τριφαλαγγία [triphalaggia]: a triple-phalanx formation: Ch. 35
ὑπερκέρασις [hyperkerasis]: outflanking an enemy on one wing: Ch. 49
ὑπερφαλάγγησις [hyperphalangisis]: outflanking an enemy on both wings: Ch. 49
ὑπηρέτης [huperetēs]: aide-de-camp : Ch. 9, 16
ὑπόταξις [hypotaxis]: deploying in a crescent-shaped formation: Ch. 23, 30
φαλαγγάρχης [phalangarch]: commander of a phalangarchia: Ch. 9, 10; commander of a group of sixty-four war elephants: Ch. 22
φαλαγγαρχία [phalangarchia]: two combined telarchia or merarchia; 256 files, containing 4,096 men: Ch. 9, 10
φάλαγξ [phalanx]: a complete formation of joined files; according to Aelian, 16,384 infantry in 1,024 files: Ch. 7; a group of sixty-four chariots: Ch. 22; a group of sixty-four war elephants: Ch. 22
φάλαγξ λοξὴ [phalanx loxē]: the oblique phalanx: Ch. 23, 29
φάλαγξ ὀρθία [phalanx orthia]: the right-aligned phalanx: Ch. 23, 29
φάλαγξ πλαγία [phalanx plagia]: the transverse phalanx: Ch. 23, 29, 44
χιλιάρχης [chiliarch]: commander of a chiliarchia: Ch. 9
χιλιαρχία [chiliarchia]: two combined pentecosiarchies; sixty-four files, containing 1,024 men: Ch. 9
ψιλαγία [psilagia]: thirty-two files of light troops, containing 256 men: Ch. 16
ψῖλοί [psiloi]: light-armed troops, often employed as skirmishers: Ch. 2, 15, 48
ψιλοῖς [psilois]: light chariots: Ch. 22
Bibliography
Ancient Texts
Aelian, Περί Στρατηγικών Τάξεων Ελληνικών (ed. F. Robertello) (Venice: Andream & Iacobum Spinellos, 1552)
Aelian, Tactica (trans. S. Arcerius) (Leyden: Lewis Elzevir, 1613)
Aelian, Tactics (trans. J. Bingham) (London: Eliot’s Court Press, 1616)
Aelian, Tactics (trans. H. Augustus) (London: E. Kerby, 1814)
Aelian, Tactics (ed. H. Köchly and W. Rüstow) (leipzig: Engelmann, 1855)
Aeneas Tacticus, Asclepiodotus, onasander (trans. Illinois Greek Club) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1923)
Aeschines, Speeches (trans. C.D. Adams) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1919)
Aeschylus, Suppliant Maidens, Persians, Prometheus, Seven Against Thebes (trans. H.W. Smyth) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1922)
Appian, Roman History, Vol. III (trans. H. White) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1913)
Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander, Vol. I (trans. P.A. Brunt) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1976)
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Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Vol. VIII (trans. C.B. Welles) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1963)
Frontinus, Stratagems (trans. M.B. Mcelwain) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1925)
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Livy, History of Rome, Vol. XIII (trans. A.C. Schlesinger) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1951)
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Plutarch, Lives, Vol. IX (trans. B. Perrin) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1920)
Plutarch, Lives, Vol. X (trans. B. Perrin) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1921)
Plutarch, Moralia, Vol. III (trans. F.C. Babbitt) (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Loeb Classical Library, 1931)
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Post, R., ‘Alexandria’s Colourful Tombstones’, Ancient Warfare 1.1 (2007), pp. 38–43
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Plates
Plate 1 (Chapter 5): The various forms of the file.
Plate 2 (Chapter 6): Eight joined files.
Plate 3 (Chapter 9): One syntagma (256 men in sixteen files with five supernumeraries).
Plate 4 (Chapter 11): The different orders of the phalanx.
Plate 5 (Chapter 14): one syntagma deployed for battle showing the projection of the pikes ahead of the formation.
Plate 6 (Chapter 16): One pentacontarchia of slingers (sixty-four men in eight files).
The Tactics of Aelian Page 23