Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/139

 STRATAGEMS, II. i. 4-6

tions of the Romans, while Postumius offered resist- ance by way of constant skirmishes, conducted by a small band before his entrenchments. As soon as the Carthaginian commander came to regard this as a matter of course, Postmnius quietly made ready all the rest of his troops within the ramparts, meet- ing the assault of the foe with a few, according to his former practice, but keej)ing them engaged longer than usual. When, after noon was past, they were re- treating, weary and suffering from hunger, Postumius,* with fresh troops, put them to rout, exhausted as they were by the aforementioned embarrassments.^

Iphicrates, the Athenian, having discovered that the enemy regularly ate at the same hour, commanded his own troops to eat at an earlier hour, and then led them out to battle. When the enemy came forth, he so detained them as to afford them no opportunity either of fighting or of withdrawing. Then, as the day drew to a close, he led his troops back, but nevertheless held them under arms. The enemy, exhausted both by standing in the line and by hunger, straightway hurried off to rest and eat, whereupon Iphicrates again led forth his troops, and finding the enemy disorganized, attacked their camp.^

When the same Iphicrates had his camp for sevei-al days near the Lacedaemonians, and each side Avas in the habit of going forth at a regular hour for forage and wood, he one day sent out slaves and camp- followers in the dress of soldiers for this service, holding back his fighting men ; and as soon as the enemy had dispersed on similar errands, he captured their camp. Then as they came running back from all quarters to the melee, unarmed and carrying their bundles, he easily slew or captured them.^

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