The Tactics of Aelian

Page 23

by Christopher Matthew

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

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Aelian, Tactics (ed. H. Köchly and W. Rüstow) (leipzig: Engelmann, 1855)

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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).

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