Marching Order of the Army against the Alans — Arrian, The Order of Battle against the Alans 1–11, Greek & English

§1

ἡγεῖσθαι¹ μὲν τῆς πάσης στρατιᾶς τοὺς κατασκόπους ἱππέας ἐπὶ δυοῖν τεταγμένους σὺν τῷ οἰκείῳ ἡγεμόνι. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ τοὺς ἱπποτοξότας τοὺς Πετραίους, καὶ τούτους ἐπὶ δυοῖν. ἀγόντων² δὲ αὐτοὺς οἱ δεκάδαρχοι. ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις ἐπιτετάχθων οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἴλης ᾗτινι Αὐριανοὶ ὄνομα. συντετάχθων δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ τῆς σπείρας τῆς τετάρτης τῶν Ῥαιτῶν, ἧς ἄρχων Δάφνης Κορίνθιος, ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς ἴλης ᾗ ὄνομα Κολῶνες. συντετάχθων δὲ αὐτοῖς Ἰτουραῖοι καὶ Κυρηναῖοι καὶ οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς πρώτης Ῥαιτικῆς.

First, the scout cavalry, drawn up two abreast, shall lead the entire army along with their own commander. Behind them, the Petraean horse-archers, these also two abreast. Let the decurions lead them. Behind them, let those of the squadron named Auriani be stationed. And with them, let those of the fourth cohort of Raetians, commanded by Daphnes the Corinthian, be marshaled; and behind them, those of the squadron named Colonae. And with them, let the Ituraeans, the Cyrenaeans, and those of the first Raetian cohort be marshaled.

§2

συμπάντων δὲ τούτων ἀρχέτω Δημήτριος. ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ οἱ Κελτοὶ ἱππῆς, καὶ οὗτοι ἐπὶ δυοῖν, καὶ τούτων ἡγείσθω ἑκατόνταρχος, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ στρατοπέδου.

Let Demetrius command all of these. Behind them, the Celtic cavalry, these also two abreast, and let a centurion lead them, just as in camp.

§3

πεζοὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις τετάχθων, τὰ σημεῖα ἀνατεταμένα πρὸ σφῶν ἔχοντες, οἵ τε Ἰταλοὶ καὶ Κυρηναίων οἱ παρόντες. πάντων δὲ ἡγείσθω Πούλχερ, ὅσπερ ἄρχει τοῖς Ἰταλοῖς. Βοσπορανοὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τούτοις πεζοὶ ἰόντων, ἡγεμόνα παρεχόμενοι Λαμπροκλέα, καὶ οἱ Νομάδες ἐπὶ τούτοις ὑποτεταγμένοι Οὐήρῳ τῷ σφετέρῳ ἄρχοντι.

Behind them, let the infantry be stationed, holding their standards raised high before them, both the Italians and those of the Cyrenaeans who are present. Let Pulcher, who commands the Italians, lead them all. Behind them, let the Bosporan infantry advance, having Lamprocles as their commander; and behind them, the Nomads, stationed under Verus, their own leader.

§4

ἡ τάξις δὲ ἔστω ἐς ὁπλίτας τέσσαρας.³ αὐτῶν δὲ τούτων ὅσοι τοξόται ἡγείσθων. τὰς δὲ πλευρὰς τῆς τάξεως φυλασσόντων ἑκατέρωθεν οἱ ἱππεῖς οἱ Ἀκεῖοι. ἐπὶ δὲ τούτοις οἱ ἐπίλεκτοι ἱππεῖς ἰόντων, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις οἱ ἀπὸ τῆς φάλαγγος ἱππῆς, ἔπειτα οἱ καταπέλται, ἔπειτα τὸ σημεῖον τῆς πεντεκαιδεκάτης φάλαγγος, καὶ ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ ὁ ἡγεμὼν τῆς φάλαγγος Οὐάλης, καὶ ὁ ὕπαρχος καὶ οἱ χιλίαρχοι οἷς τέτακται, καὶ οἱ ἑκατόνταρχοι οἱ τῆς πρώτης σπείρας ἐπιστάται. πρὸ δὲ τοῦ σημείου αὖ τῶν πεζῶν οἱ ἀκοντισταὶ τετάχθων. αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς πεζοὺς ἐπὶ τεσσάρων τεταγμένους ἰέναι.

Let the formation be four deep of heavy infantry. Of these, let those who are archers lead. Let the Aquean cavalry guard the sides of the formation from both flanks. Behind them, let the elite cavalry advance, and behind them, the cavalry of the phalanx, then the catapults, then the standard of the fifteenth phalanx, and around it Valens, the commander of the phalanx, and the lieutenant, and the tribunes to whom it has been assigned, and the centurions who oversee the first cohort. Before the standard of the infantry, let the javelin-throwers be stationed. The infantry themselves shall advance drawn up four deep.

§6

ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ φάλαγγι τετάχθω τὸ σημεῖον τῆς δωδεκάτης φάλαγγος, καὶ χιλίαρχοι ἀμφʼ αὐτῷ καὶ ἑκατόνταρχοι. ἐπὶ τεσσάρων ὡσαύτως καὶ ἥδε ἡ φάλαγξ ἴτω τεταγμένη.

Behind the fifteenth phalanx, let the standard of the twelfth phalanx be stationed, and the tribunes and centurions around it. This phalanx too shall advance drawn up four deep likewise.

§7

ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ ὁπλιτικῷ τετάχθω τὸ συμμαχικόν, οἵ τε ἀπὸ τῆς σμικρᾶς Ἀρμενίας καὶ Τραπεζουντίων, οἱ ὁπλῖται καὶ οἱ Κόλχοι καὶ Ῥιζιανοὶ οἱ λογχοφόροι. ἐπιτετάχθων δὲ αὐτοῖς οἱ Ἀπλανοὶ πεζοί. παντὸς δὲ τοῦ συμμαχικοῦ ἡγεμὼν ἔστω Σεκουνδῖνος, ὅσπερ τῶν Ἀπλανῶν ἡγεῖται.

Behind the heavy infantry, let the allied forces be stationed: the heavy infantry from Lesser Armenia and Trapezus, the Colchians, and the Rizians who carry lances. Behind them, let the Aplani infantry be stationed. Let Secundinus, who leads the Aplani, be the commander of all the allied forces.

§8

ἐπὶ τούτοις δὲ τὰ σκευοφόρα ἑπέσθω. οὐραγείτω δὲ ἡ ἴλη τῶν Γετῶν καὶ ὁ ταύτης ἴλαρχος.

Behind them, let the baggage-train follow. Let the squadron of Getae and its squadron commander bring up the rear.

§9

τὰς πλευρὰς δὲ τοῦ πεζικοῦ κοσμούντων μὲν ἑκατόνταρχοι καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τῷδε τεταγμένοι, φυλακῆς δὲ ἕνεκα ἴλη ἡ Ἀλλακτικὴ παριππευέτω ἐπὶ ἕνα στοῖχον ἑκατέρωθεν τεταγμένη, καὶ οἱ τῶν Ἰταλῶν ἱππῆς. ὁ δὲ ἴλαρχος αὐτῶν ἐπιφοιτάτω ταῖς πλευραῖς.

Let the centurions and those appointed for this task keep order on the flanks of the infantry; and for protection, let the Allactica squadron ride along in single file, drawn up on both sides, as well as the cavalry of the Italians. Let their squadron commander patrol the flanks.

§10

ὁ δὲ ἡγεμὼν τῆς πάσης στρατιᾶς Ξενοφῶν τὸ πολὺ μὲν πρὸ τῶν σημείων τῶν πεζικῶν ἡγείσθω, ἐπιφοιτάτω δὲ πάσῃ τῇ τάξει, καὶ ἐπισκοπείτω ὅπως τεταγμένοι ἰᾶσι, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀτακτοῦντας ἐς τάξιν ἐπαναγέτω, τοὺς δὲ ἐν κόσμῳ ἰόντας ἐπαινείτω. οὕτω μὲν τεταγμένους ἰέναι.

Let Xenophon, the commander of the entire army, lead for the most part before the infantry standards, and let him patrol the entire formation, inspecting how they march in order, bringing those who fall out of order back into formation, and praising those who advance in an orderly manner. Thus they shall march drawn up.

§11

ἐλθόντας⁴ δὲ ἐς τὸ ἀποδεδειγμένον χωρίον, τὴν μὲν ἵππον πᾶσαν περιστῆσαι ἐν κύκλῳ ἐς τετράγωνον τάξιν, τοὺς κατασκόπους δὲ πέμψαι ἐς τὰ ὑπερδέξια χωρία σκοπῆς ἕνεκα τῶν πολεμίων. ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀπὸ σημείου ὁπλίζεσθαι σιγῇ, ὁπλισαμένους δὲ ἐς τάξιν καθίστασθαι.

Upon arriving at the designated place, they shall station all the cavalry around in a square formation, and send the scouts to the high ground to watch for the enemy. There, at a signal, they shall arm themselves in silence, and once armed, they shall draw up in formation.

Syntax notes4 items

1ἡγεῖσθαι
The infinitive ἡγεῖσθαι (as well as ἰέναι in §4 and §10, and περιστῆσαι in §11, etc.) is used as an infinitive of command, which is typical in military regulations to express an imperative force.
1ἀγόντων
A third-person plural present active imperative with the ending -ντων (common in Attic Greek). The subject is the following phrase οἱ δεκάδαρχοι (the decurions).
4ἐς ὁπλίτας τέσσαρας
The preposition ἐς with the accusative expresses the depth of the tactical formation, meaning "four deep of heavy infantry" or "in a depth of four men."
11ἐλθόντας
An aorist active participle in the masculine plural accusative. It agrees in gender, number, and case with the unexpressed accusative subject (the soldiers) of the following infinitives of command (περιστῆσαι, πέμψαι, etc.).

Translated by Gemini 3.5 Flash (published 2026-05-22)urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0074.tlg006.humanitext-grc2:1-11