Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

354 IV. Ближний Восток и его соседи and war engagement, is all in all rather positive. All things considered, Leo was always cautious to go to war against the Saracens and his main advice was to avoid a direct engagement with them: “It is very dangerous, as we have frequently said, for anyone to run the risk of a pitched battle, even when it seems perfectly clear that our forces far outnumber the enemy. The result of fortune is unseen”. 1 Those are the Saracens and in this way they plunder and ravage our lands, Leo sates; but: “If we are well armed and drawn up in formation, with God fighting along beside us, we charge against them bravely and in good spirits on behalf of the salvation of our souls, and we carry on the struggle without hesitation on behalf of God himself, our kinsmen, and our brothers the other Christians, then we place our hopes inGod. We shall not fail to achieve, rather, we shall certainly achieve the glory of victory over them”. 2 Leo goes further and suggests to counter attacking them, if they raid inside Taurus, following them in the passes of this mountainous region, in their return journey, when they are exhausted, carrying back some booty. Laying ambushes, barricading and other appropriate means should be used in pursuing them. 3 As appropriate moment to realize the attack against them, the right timing is according to Leo’s advice, when “their horses, the so-called pharia , are being shot at, as well as the Ethiopians or other archers being wounded, because they do not wear armor, so they will quickly rush off in flight”. 4 As noticed above, 5 among other remarks Leo notices that comparable tactics were utilized by the Saracens in land and sea battles. Specifically for the Saracens of Cilicia, he points out that “they place great value on thoroughly training all their infantry forces to engage in battle on two fronts, that is, on land along the road leading out from the Taurus mountains and on sea by means of their ships, called koumbaria ”. 6 Especially for this region, the actions of the enemies should be carefully 1 Taktika 18, 121, 589–591 (p. 482f. ). 2 Taktika 18, 127, 620–625 (p. 484f.). 3 Taktika 18, 128, 626–634 (p. 484f.). 4 Taktika 18, 129, 637–642 (p. 484–487). 5 Cf. above, footnotes 2, 4. 6 Taktika 18, 131, 654–660 (p. 486f.).