Complete Works of Frontinus

by Frontinus

  [10] Pericles Atheniensis, a Peloponnensiis in eum locum compulsus, qui undique abruptis cinctus duos tantum exitus habebat, ab altera parte fossam ingentis latitudinis duxit velut hostis excludendi causa, ab altera limitem agere coepit, tamquam per eum erupturus. Hi qui obsidebant, cum per fossam, quam ipse fecerat, exercitum Periclis non crederent evasurum, universi a limite obstiterunt. Pericles, pontibus, quos praeparaverat, fossae iniectis, suos, quis non resistebatur, emisit.

  [10] Pericles the Athenian, being driven by the Peloponnesians into a place surrounded on all sides by precipitous cliffs and provided with only two outlets, dug a ditch of great breadth on one side, as if to shut out the enemy; on the other side he began to build a road, as if intending to make a sally by this. The besiegers, not supposing that Pericles’ army would make its escape by the ditch which he had constructed, massed to oppose him on the side where the road was. But Pericles, spanning the ditch by bridges which he had made ready, extricated his men without interference.

  [11] Lysimachus, ex his unus in quos opes Alexandri transierunt, cum editum collem castris destinasset, imprudentia autem suorum in inferiorem deductus vereretur ex superiore hostium incursum, triplices fossas intra vallum obiecit; deinde simplicibus fossis circa omnia tentoria ductis tota castra confodit et intersaepto hostium aditu, simul humo quoque et frondibus, quas fossis superiecerat, fallentibus, eruptione facta in superiora evasit.

  [11] Lysimachus, one of the heirs to Alexander’s power, having determined on one occasion to pitch his camp on a high hill, was conducted by the inadvertence of his men to a lower one. Fearing that the enemy would attack from above, he dug a triple line of trenches and encircled these with a rampart. Then, running a single trench around all the tents, he thus fortified the entire camp. Having thus shut off the advance of the enemy, he filled in the ditches with earth and leaves, and made his way across them to higher ground.

  [12] C. Fonteius Crassus in Hispania cum tribus milibus hominum praedatum profectus locoque iniquo circumventus ab Hasdrubale, ad primos tantum ordines relato consilio, incipiente nocte, quo tempore minime exspectabatur, per stationes hostium perrupit.

  [12] Gaius Fonteius Crassus, when in Spain, having set out with three thousand men on a foraging expedition, was caught in an awkward position by Hasdrubal. At nightfall, when such a movement was least expected, communicating his plan only to the centurions of the first rank, he burst through the enemy’s patrols.

  [13] L. Furius exercitu perducto in locum iniquum, cum constituisset occultare sollicitudinem suam, ne reliqui trepidarent, paulatim inflectit iter, tamquam circuitu maiore hostem adgressurus; converso agmine ignarum rei quae agebatur exercitum incolumem reduxit.

  [13] Lucius Furius, having led his army into an unfavourable position, determined to conceal his anxiety, lest the others take alarm. By gradually changing his course, as though planning to attack the enemy after a wider circuit, he finally reversed his line of march, and led his army safely back, without their knowing what was going on.

  [14] P. Decius tribunus bello Samnitico Cornelio Cosso consuli iniquis locis deprehenso ab hostibus suasit, ut ad occupandum collem, qui erat in propinquo, modicam manum mitteret, seque ducem his qui mittebantur obtulit. Avocatus in diversum hostis dimisit consulem, Decium autem cinxit obseditque. Illas quoque angustias noctu eruptione facta cum frustratus esset Decius, incolumis cum militibus consuli accessit.

  [14] When the consul Cornelius Cossus had been caught in a disadvantageous position by the enemy in the Samnite War, Publius Decius, tribune of the soldiers, urged him to send a small force to occupy a hill near by, and volunteered as leader of those who should be sent. The enemy, thus diverted to a different quarter, allowed the consul to escape, but surrounded Decius and besieged him. But Decius, extricating himself from this predicament by making a sortie at night, escaped with his men unharmed, and rejoined the consul.

  [15] Idem fecit sub Atilio Calatino consule is, cuius varie traditur nomen: alii Laberium, nonnulli Q. Caedicium, plurimi Calpurnium Flammam vocitatum scripserunt. Is cum demissum in eam vallem videret exercitum, cuius latera omniaque superiora hostis insederat, depoposcit et accepit trecentos milites, quos adhortatus, ut virtute sua exercitum servarent, in mediam vallem decucurrit; et ad opprimendos eos undique descendit hostis longoque et aspero proelio retentus occasionem consuli ad extrahendum exercitum dedit.

  [15] Under the consul Atilius Calatinus the same thing was done by a man whose name is variously reported. Some say he was called Laberius, and some Quintus Caedicius, but most give it as Calpurnius Flamma. This man, seeing that the army had entered a valley, the sides and all commanding parts of which the enemy had occupied, asked and received from the consul three hundred soldiers. After exhorting these to save the army by their valour, he hastened to the centre of the valley. To crush him and his followers, the enemy descended from all quarters, but, being held in check in a long and fierce battle, they thus afforded the consul an opportunity to extricate his army.

  [16] Q. Minucius consul in Liguria, demisso in angustias exercitu, cum iam omnibus obversaretur Caudinae cladis exemplum, Numidas auxiliares, tam propter ipsorum quam propter equorum deformitatem despiciendos, iussit adequitare faucibus, quae tenebantur. Primo intenti hostes, ne lacesserentur, stationem obiecerunt. De industria Numidae ad augendum sui contemptum labi equis et per ludibrium spectaculo esse affectaverunt. Ad novitatem rei laxatis ordinibus barbari in spectaculum usque resoluti sunt. Quod ubi animadverterunt Numidae, paulatim succedentes additis calcaribus per intermissas hostium stationes eruperunt; quorum deinde cum proximos incenderent agros, necesse Liguribus fuit avocari ad defendenda sua inclusosque Romanos emittere.

  [16] When the army of the consul Quintus Minucius had marched down into a defile of Liguria, and the memory of the disaster of the Caudine Forks occurred to the minds of all, Minucius ordered the Numidian auxiliaries, who seemed of small account because of their own wild appearance and the ungainliness of their steeds, to ride up to the mouth of the defile which the enemy held. The enemy were at first on the alert against attack, and threw out patrols. But when the Numidians, in order to inspire still more contempt for themselves, purposely affected to fall from their horses and to engage in ridiculous antics, the barbarians, breaking ranks at the novel sight, gave themselves up completely to the enjoyment of the show. When the Numidians noticed this, they gradually grew nearer, and putting spurs to their horses, dashed through the lightly held line of the enemy. Then they set fire to the fields near by, so that it became necessary for the Ligurians to withdraw to defend their own territory, thereby releasing the Romans shut up at the pass.

  [17] L. Sulla, bello sociali apud Aeserniam inter angustias deprehensus ab exercitu hostium, cui Duillius praeerat, colloquio petito de condicionibus pacis agitabat sine effectu. Hostem tamen propter indutias neglegentia resolutum animadvertens, nocte profectus relicto bucinatore, qui vigilias ad fidem remanentium divideret et quarta vigilia commissa consequeretur, incolumes suos cum omnibus impedimentis tormentisque in tuta perduxit.

  [17] In the Social War, Lucius Sulla, surprised in a defile near Aesernia by the army of the enemy under the command of Duillius, asked for a conference, but was unsuccessful in negotiating terms of peace. Noting, however, that the enemy were careless and off their guard as a result of the truce, he marched forth at night, leaving only a trumpeter, with instructions to create the impression of the army’s presence by sounding the watches, and to rejoin him when the fourth watch began. In this way he conducted his troops unharmed to a place of safety, with all their baggage and engines of war.

  [18] Idem adversus Archelaum praefectum Mithridatis in Cappadocia, iniquitate locorum et multitudine hostium pressus, fecit pacis mentionem interpositoque tempore etiam indutiarum et per haec avocata intentione adversari[or]um evasit.

  [18] The same Sulla, when fighting in Cappadocia against Archelaus, general of Mithridates, embarrassed by the difficulties of the terrain and the large numbers of the enemy, proposed peace. Then, taking advan
tage of the opportunity afforded by the truce, which served to divert the watchfulness of his adversary, he slipped out of his hands.

  [19] Hasdrubal, frater Hannibalis, cum saltum non posset evadere, faucibus eius obsessis, egit cum Claudio Nerone recepitque dimissum Hispania excessurum. Cavillatus deinde condicionibus dies aliquot extraxit, quibus omnibus non omisit per angustos tramites et ob id neglectos dimittere per partes exercituHave; ipse deinde cum reliquis expeditis facile effugit.

  [19] Hasdrubal, brother of Hannibal, when unable to make his way out of a defile the entrance of which was held by the enemy, entered into negotiations with Claudius Nero and promised to withdraw from Spain if allowed to depart. Then, by quibbling over the terms, he dragged out negotiations for several days, during all of which time he was busy sending out his troops in detachments by way of paths so narrow that they were overlooked by the Romans. Finally he himself easily made his escape with the remainder, who were light-armed.

  [20] Spartacus fossam, qua erat a M. Crasso circumdatus, caesis captivorum pecorumque corporibus noctu replevit et supergressus est.

  [20] When Marcus Crassus had constructed a ditch around the forces of Spartacus, the latter at night filled it with the bodies of prisoners and cattle that he had slain, and thus marched across it.

  [21] Idem, in Vesuvio obsessus ea parte, qua mons asperrimus erat ideoque incustoditus, ex vimine silvestri catenas conseruit; quibus demissus non solum evasit, verum etiam ex alio latere Clodium ita terruit, ut aliquot cohortes gladiatoribus quattuor et septuaginta cesserint.

  [21] The same Spartacus, when besieged on the slopes of Vesuvius at the point where the mountain was steepest and on that account unguarded, plaited ropes of osiers from the woods. Letting himself down by these, he not only made his escape, but by appearing in another quarter struck such terror into Clodius that several cohorts gave way before a force of only seventy-four gladiators.

  [22] Idem, cum ab L. Varinio proconsule praeclusus esset, palis per modica intervalla fixis ante portam erecta cadavera, adornata veste atque armis, alligavit, ut procul intuentibus stationis species esset, ignibus per tota castra factis. Imagine vana deluso hoste copias silentio noctis eduxit.

  [22] This Spartacus, when enveloped by the troops of the proconsul Publius Varinius, placed stakes at short intervals before the gate of the camp; then setting up corpses, dressed in clothes and furnished with weapons, he tied these to the stakes to give the appearance of sentries when viewed from a distance. He also lighted fires throughout the whole camp. Deceiving the enemy by this empty show, Spartacus by night silently led out his troops.

  [23] Brasidas dux Lacedaemoniorum, circa Amphipolim ab Atheniensium multitudine numero impar deprehensus, claudendum se praestitit, ut per longum coronae ambitum extenuaret hostilem frequentiam, quaque rarissimi obstabant, erupit.

  [23] When Brasidas, a general of the Spartans, was surprised near Amphipolis by a host of Athenians who outnumbered him, he allowed himself to be enveloped, in order to diminish the density of the enemy’s ranks by lengthening the line of besiegers. Then he broke through at the point where the line was most lightly held.

  [24] Iphicrates in Thracia, cum depresso loco castra posuisset, explorasset autem ab hoste proximum teneri collem, ex quo unus ad opprimendos ipsos descensus erat, nocte paucis intra castra relictis imperavit, multos ignes facerent, eductoque exercitu et disposito circa latera praedictae viae passus est transire barbaros; locorumque iniquitate, in qua ipse fuerat, in illos conversa, parte exercitus terga eorum cecidit, parte castra cepit.

  [24] Iphicrates, when campaigning in Thrace, having on one occasion pitched his camp on low ground, discovered through scouts that the neighbouring hill was held by the enemy, and that from it came down a single road which might be utilized to overwhelm him and his men. Accordingly he left a few men in camp at night, and commanded them to light a number of fires. Then leading forth his troops and ranging them along the sides of the road just mentioned, he suffered the barbarians to pass by. When in this way the disadvantage of terrain from which he himself suffered had been turned against them, with part of his army he overwhelmed their rear, while with another part he captured their camp.

  [25] Darius, ut falleret Scythas discessu, canes atque asinos in castris reliquit. Quos cum latrantes rudentesque hostis audiret, remanere Darium credidit.

  [25] Darius, in order to deceive the Scythians, left dogs and asses in camp at his departure. When the enemy heard these barking and braying, they imagined that Darius was still there.

  [26] Eundem errorem obiecturi nostris Ligures per diversa loca buculos laqueis ad arbores alligaverunt, qui diducti frequentiore mugitu speciem remanentium praebebant hostium.

  [26] To produce a like misconception in the minds of our men, the Ligurians, in various places, tied bullocks to trees with halters. The animals, being thus separated, bellowed incessantly and produced the impression that the Ligurians were still there.

  [27] Hanno, ab hostibus clausus, locum eruptioni maxime aptum aggestis levibus materiis incendit; tum hoste ad ceteros exitus custodiendos avocato milites per ipsam flammam eduxit, admonitos ora scutis, crura veste contegere.

  [27] Hanno, when enveloped by the enemy, selected the point in the line best suited for a sortie, and, piling up light stuff, set fire to it. Then, when the enemy withdrew to guard the other exits, he marched his men straight through the fire, directing them to protect their faces with their shields, and their legs with their clothing.

  [28] Hannibal, ut iniquitatem locorum et inopiam instante Fabio Maximo effugeret, noctu boves, quibus ad cornua fasciculos alligaverat sarmentorum, subiecto igne dimisit; cumque ipso motu adulescente flamma turbaretur pecus, magna discursatione montes, in quos actum erat, collustravit. Romani, qui ad speculandum concurrerant, primo prodigium opinati sunt; dein cum certa Fabio renuntiassent, ille insidiarum metu suos castris continuit. Varbari obsistente nullo profecti sunt.

  [28] Hannibal on one occasion was embarrassed by difficulties of terrain, by lack of supplies, and by the circumstance that Fabius Maximus was heavy on his heels. Accordingly he tied bundles of lighted fagots to the horns of oxen, and turned the animals loose at night. When the flames spread, fanned by the motion, the panic-stricken oxen ran wildly hither and thither over the mountains to which they had been driven, illuminating the whole scene. The Romans, who had gathered to witness the sight, at first thought a prodigy had occurred. Then, when scouts reported the facts, Fabius, fearing an ambush, kept his men in camp. Meanwhile the barbarians marched away, as no one prevented them.

  VI. De Insidiis in Itinere Factis

  VI. On Laying and Meeting Ambushes while on the March

  [1] Fulvius Nobilior, cum ex Samnio in Lucanos exercitum duceret et cognovisset a perfugis hostes novissimum agmen eius adgressuros, fortissimam legionem primo ire, ultima sequi iussit impedimenta. Ita factum pro occasione amplexi hostes diripere sarcinas coeperunt. Fulvius legionem, de qua supra dictum est, quinque cohortes in dextram viae partem direxit, quinque ad sinistram, atque ita praedationi intentos hostes explicato per utraque latera milite clausit ceciditque.

  [1] When Fulvius Nobilior was leading his army from Samnium against the Lucanians, and had learned from deserters that the enemy intended to attack his rearguard, he ordered his bravest legion to go in advance, and the baggage train to follow in the rear. The enemy, regarding this circumstance as a favourable opportunity, began to plunder the baggage. Fulvius then marshalled five cohorts of the legion I have mentioned above on the right side of the road, and five on the left. Then, when the enemy were intent on plundering, Fulvius, deploying his troops on both flanks, enveloped the foe and cut them to pieces.

  [2] Idem, hostibus tergum eius in itinere prementibus, flumine interveniente non ita magno, ut transitum prohiberet, moraretur tamen rapididate, alteram legionem in occulto citra flumen conlocavit, ut hostes paucitate contempta audacius sequerentur. Quod ubi factum est, legio, quae ob hoc disposita erat, ex insidiis hostem adgressa vastavit.

  [2]
The same Nobilior on one occasion was hard pressed from the rear by the enemy, as he was on the march. Across his route ran a stream, not so large as to prevent passage, but large enough to cause delay by the swiftness of the current. On the nearer side of this, Nobilior placed one legion in hiding, in order that the enemy, despising his small numbers, might follow more boldly. When this expectation was realized, the legion which had been posted for the purpose attacked the enemy from ambush and destroyed them.

  [3] Iphicrates in Thracia[m], cum propter condicionem locorum longum agmen deduceret et nuntiatum esset ei hostes summum id adgressuros, cohortes in utraque latera secedere et consistere iussit, ceteros suffugere et iter maturare; transeunte autem toto agmine lectissimos quosque retinuit et ita passim circa praedam occupatos hostes, iam etiam fatigatos, ipse requietis et ordinatis suis adgressus fudit exuitque praeda.

  [3] When Iphicrates was leading his army in Thrace in a long file on account of the nature of the terrain, and the report was brought to him that the enemy planned to attack his rearguard, he ordered some cohorts to withdraw to both flanks and halt, while the rest were to quicken their pace and flee. But from the complete line as it passed by, he kept back all the choicest soldiers. Thus, when the enemy were busy with promiscuous pillaging, and in fact were already exhausted, while his own men were refreshed and drawn up in order, he attacked and routed the foe and stripped them of their booty.