§23ἔστων δὲ ἀμφʼ αὐτὸν ας ἑκατὸν κούφων λογχοφόρων, ὡς πᾶσαν ἐπιφοιτῶν τὴν φάλαγγα ὅπου τι ἐνδεὲς καταμανθάνοι, ἐκεῖνο ἴδῃ καὶ θεραπεύσῃ.
And let there be about a hundred light-armed spear-bearers around him, so that he himself, going up and down the whole phalanx, wherever he might observe anything lacking, may see and remedy it.
§24ἡγείσθω δὲ τοῦ μὲν δεξιοῦ κέρως παντὸς σὺν τῷ ἱππικῷ Οὐάλης, ὅσπερ καὶ τῆς πεντεκαιδεκάτης φάλαγγος ἡγεμών ἐστιν· τοῦ δὲ ἀριστεροῦ οἱ χιλίαρχοι τῆς δωδεκάτης.
Let Valens, who is also the commander of the fifteenth phalanx, lead the entire right wing along with the cavalry; and the tribunes of the twelfth, the left.
§25οὕτω δὲ ταχθέντων σιγὴ ἔστω ἔστʼ ἂν πελάσωσιν ἐντὸς βέλους οἱ πολέμιοι·
When they are thus marshaled, let there be silence until the enemy come within bowshot.
πελαζόντων δὲ ἤδη ὡς μέγιστον καὶ φοβερώτατον ἀλαλάζειν σύμπαντας τῷ Ἐνυαλίῳ, καὶ βέλη τε ἀπὸ μηχανῶν καὶ λίθους ἀφίεσθαι καὶ βέλη ἀπὸ τόξων, καὶ τὰς λόγχας οἱ λογχοφόροι ἀκοντιζόντων, οἵ τε ψιλοὶ καὶ οἱ θειασταί.
But as they approach, let all raise the loudest and most terrifying war-cry to Enyalius, and let missiles from the artillery and stones and arrows from the bows be discharged, and let the spear-bearers, both the light-armed and the allies, hurl their javelins.
φερέσθων δὲ καὶ λίθοι ἐς τοὺς πολεμίους ἀπὸ τοῦ συμμαχικοῦ ἐκ τῶν ὑπερδεξίων, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἀκροβολισμὸς ἔστω πανταχόθεν ὡς ἔνι πυκνότατος ἐς τάραξίν τε τῶν ἵππων καὶ ὄλεθρον τῶν ἱππέων.
Let stones also be thrown at the enemy by the allied forces from the higher ground, and let there be a general skirmish from all sides, as dense as possible, to throw the horses into confusion and to destroy the riders.
§26καὶ ἐλπὶς μὲν ὑπὸ ἀδιηγήτου πλήθους τῶν βελῶν μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον πελάσειν τῇ πεζικῇ φάλαγγι ἐπελαύνοντας τοὺς Σκύθας· εἰ δὲ δὴ πελάζοιεν, ἐγχρίμψαντας ταῖς ἀσπίσι καὶ τοῖς ὤμοις ἀντερείσαντας δέχεσθαι τὴν προσβολὴν ὡς καρτερώτατα καὶ τῇ συγκλείσει πυκνοτάτῃ τὰς πρώτας τρεῖς τάξεις συνερειδούσας σφίσιν ὡς βιαιότατον οἷόν τε· τὴν τετάρτην δὲ ὑπερακοντίζειν τὰς λόγχας·
And there is hope that, under an unspeakable multitude of missiles, the charging Scythians will not approach any closer to the infantry phalanx; but if they should indeed approach, they must receive the assault as firmly as possible, pressing shield against shield and leaning with their shoulders, and in the closest lock the first three ranks must press together against them as violently as possible, while the fourth rank throws its javelins over their heads.
§27καὶ τὴν πρώτην παίειν ἢ ἀκοντίζειν τοῖς κοντοῖς ἀφειδῶς ἔς τε ἵππους καὶ αὐτούς.
And let the first rank strike or thrust unsparingly with their pikes against both the horses and the men themselves.
ἀπωσθέντων δὲ εἰ μὲν φυγὴ λαμπρὰ γένοιτο, διαχωρεῖν ἤδη τὰς πεζικὰς τάξεις καὶ ἐπελαύνειν τοὺς ἱππέας, μὴ πάντας τοὺς λόχους ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἡμίσεας·
If, when they are repulsed, a clear flight should ensue, let the infantry ranks now open up and let the cavalry charge—not all the squadrons, but half of them.
§28τετάχθαι δὲ πρώτους οἵτινες καὶ πρῶτοι ἐπελάσουσιν.
And let those who are to charge first be marshaled in front.
τοὺς δὲ ἄλλους ἡμίσεας ἕπεσθαι μὲν τοῖς ἐπελαύνουσιν, ἐν τάξει δὲ καὶ μὴ παντελεῖ τῇ διώξει χρωμένους, ὡς εἰ μὲν φυγὴ καρτερὰ κατάσχοι, ἐκδέξασθαι τὴν πρώτην δίωξιν ἀκμήτοις τοῖς ἵπποις, εἰ δέ τις ἐπιστροφὴ καταλαμβάνοι, ἐπιθέσθαι §29τοῖς ἐπιστρέφουσιν.
Let the other half follow those who charge, but in order and not engaging in a total pursuit, so that if a strong flight should continue, they may take over the primary pursuit with fresh horses, and if any turnback should occur, they may attack those who turn back.
ὁμοῦ δὲ οἵ τε Ἀρμένιοι τοξόται ἐπελαύνοντες τοξευόντων, ὡς μὴ παρασχεῖν ἀναστροφὴν τοῖς φεύγουσι, καὶ οἱ λογχοφόροι οἱ γυμνῆτες δρόμῳ ἑπέσθων·
At the same time, let the Armenian archers also shoot while charging, so as not to allow the fugitives any chance to wheel about, and let the light-armed spear-bearers follow on the run.
μένειν δὲ μηδὲ τὴν πεζικὴν τάξιν ἐν χώρᾳ ἔτι, ἀλλὰ προχωρεῖν θᾶττον ἢ βάδην, ὡς εἴ τι καρτερώτερον ἀπαντῴη ἀπὸ τῶν πολεμίων, αὖθις εἶναι προβολὴν πρὸ τῶν ἱππέων.
Let not even the infantry formation remain in its position any longer, but let it advance faster than at a walking pace, so that if any stronger resistance is met from the enemy, there may again be a barrier before the cavalry.
τάδε μὲν γίγνεσθαι, εἰ ἀπὸ τὴς πρώτης προσβολῆς §30φυγὴ κατάσχοι τοὺς ἐναντίους·
Let these things happen if, from the first assault, flight should overtake the enemy.
εἰ δὲ ἐπιστραφέντες ἐς κύκλους ὑπὲρ τὰ κέρατα παρελαύνειν ἐθέλοιεν, ἀνατείνεσθαι ἐς τὰ ὑπερδεξιώτερα ἔτι τὰ κέρατα αὐτῆς τῆς ψιλῆς τοξείας· ὡς οὐ δοκιμάζω μήποτε ἀσθενῆ τῇ ἀνατάσει τὰ κέρατα γιγνόμενα ἰδόντες διʼ αὐτῶν ὤσωνται καὶ διακόψωσι τὸ πεζικόν.
But if they should turn back and wheel in circles to ride past the wings, let the wings of the light-armed missile-shooters be extended still further to the higher ground; for I do not approve of the wings becoming weak through extension, lest they, seeing this, should force their way through them and cut through the infantry.
§31ὑπερβαλλόντων δὲ τὰ κέρατα ἑκάτερα ἢ ὁπότερον οὖν,πᾶσα ἤδη ἀνάγκη πλαγίους μὲν αὐτοῖς γίγνεσθαι τοὺς ἵππους, πλαγίους δὲ τοὺς κοντούς.
But if they should overlap both wings or either of them, it is then of absolute necessity that their horses and their flanks be exposed sideways to them.
ἐνταῦθα δὴ ἐμβαλλόντων ἐς αὐτοὺς οἱ ἱππῆς, μὴ ἀκοντισμῷ ἔτι ἀλλὰ ταῖς σπάθαις αὖ συμφερόμενοι, οἳ δὲ τοῖς πελέκεσιν.
There indeed let the cavalry charge them, engaging no longer with javelins but rather with swords, and some with axes.
οἱ δὲ Σκύθαι γυμνοί τε ὄντες καὶ τοὺς ἵππους γυμνοὺς ἔχοντες
And since the Scythians are themselves unprotected and have their horses unprotected,