Судан и Большой Ближний Восток

360 IV. Ближний Восток и его соседи to their ships. 1 Other tactical formations advised are: dividing the dromons , in two or three groups, depending on their number and “fall upon the enemy, already heavily engaged, either from the rear or from the side”; 2 the ships could be arranged in ambushes, if the enemy is attacking in some disorder. 3 Light and fast dromons could be used to attack the enemy and pretend to flee; as the heavy enemy ships while have problems in pursuing them, other dromons with rested crews “will charge out against the exhausted foe and overpower them”. 4 The outcome and the success of the naval engagement do not depend on the number or the size of the ships; as with battles on land, 5 the courage of the soldiers is decisive, ships should be carrying men “who are robust, stout of heart, and eager to engage the enemy”. Soldiers’ morale together with God’s benevolence, granted for justice and purity, assure success: “That depends on their purity of life and their justice in relating to property owners, as well as to the enemy, that is, doing nothing unholy, shameful, or inhumane to the prisoners. If you have not been treated unjustly, do not act unjustly; with the help of God, ward off those acting unjustly”. 6 Bad treatment of prisoners and looting were most likely the more usual offences perpetuated, so Leo admonishes the army commanders to control troopers’ behavior and links this suggestion with the instruction and the general pattern of the “just war”, referred to at the opening remarks. 7 P. Magdalino stressed the fact that Leo’s conception of law and legislation extended beyond Justinian’s Corpus iuris and that his Taktika 1 Taktika 19, 51, 299–301 (p. 522f.). The presentation of the battle formations is short in Leo’s compendium, compared to Syrianos magistros, Naumachiae, 9.35–41. Dimitroukas, Ναυμαχικά , 265f.; Haldon, A Critical Commentary , 410f.; V. Christides, “Greek fire”, EI 3 , III, Leiden-Boston 2013, 146–148. 2 Taktika 19, 52, 302–306 (p. 524f.). 3 Taktika 19, 53, 307–309 (p. 524f.). 4 Taktika 19, 54, 310–315 (p. 524f.). Christides. Ibn al-Manqali (Mangli) and Leo VI (1995), 97. 5 Cf. above, p. 346, footnote 2. 6 Taktika 19, 39, 222–228 (p. 518f.). 7 Cf. above, p. 342, footnote 1.