Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

359 Dimitrios G. Letsios. Leo VI the Wise and the Saracens... barbarians or of the Romans”. Consequently, the advice is to choose the battle field far from your country and close to the enemy’s country. 1 The elements of consultation and coordination are essential in Leo’s thinking for a successful engagement. Before the day of the battle, the commander should elaborate the battle plan in consultation with the officers under his command; “whatever this common counsel judges advantageous should be presented in detail and announced to the officers of the dromons so theymaybeprepared toput thoseplans intoaction”. 2 The commander should have a special ship, “called pamphylian ”, outstanding ship, compared to the dromons , lining up in the battle formation; the size and the armament of commander’s ship should be excellent and should bemanned by the elite soldiers. 3 The sub commanders, in charge of group of dromons , should likewise “select men from those dromons and enroll them among their personal troops, different from the others”. 4 In addition to the decisive elements for the battle formation already stressed, at the time of the battle the formation should be adapted, in a way “corresponding to the armament and battle line of the enemy”. 5 A “crescent-shaped or semicircular formation” could be chosen and properly organized, with the purpose “to cut off the enemy who have fallen into the encirclement”. 6 The front in the straight line was the choice, in order to fall upon the enemy with the prow and set ablaze 1 Taktika 19, 40, 329–339 (p. 518f.). Specifically, 338–339: “ὁλίγοι γὰρ οἱ ἐν καιρῷ παρατάξεως τὸ ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀδόξως φυγεῖν προκρίνοντες, εἴτε ἐν τοῖς βαρβάροις εἴπῃς εἴτε ἐν τοῖς Ῥωμαίοις”. Stressing especially this phrase, Haldon, A Critical Commentary , 8, notices that this is a “pragmatic advice and an illustration of Leo’s awareness of the serious problems in disci- pline and motivation facing east Roman forces at sea”. 2 Taktika 19, 41, 240–246 (p. 518f.). 3 Taktika 19, 42, 246–252 (p. 518–521). Whether the ship type called pamphylos was originally associated with Paphylia can’t be proven. It describes a subtype or variant of chelandia or dromons . Pryor — Jeffreys, The Age of the ΔΡΟΜΩΝ , 192; Haldon, A Critical Commentary , 399f., 409, with additional literature. 4 Taktika 19, 43, 253–258 (p. 520f.). 5 Taktika 19, 49, 287–391 (p. 522f.). 6 Taktika 19, 50, 292–298 (p. 522f.).