Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/177

 STRATAGEMS II. iv. 11-17

M yroiiides, the Athenian, in an indecisive battle which he was waging against the Thebans, suddenly darted forward to the right flank of his own troops and shouted that he had already won victory on the left. Thus, by inspiring courage in his own men and fear in the enemy, he gained the day.^

Against overwhelming forces of the enemy's cavalry Croesus once opposed a troop of camels. At the strange appearance and smell of these beasts, the horses were thrown into panic, and not merely threw their riders, but also trampled the ranks of their own infantry under foot, thus delivering them into the hands of the enemy to defeat.^

Pyrrhus, king of the Epirotes, fighting on behalf of the Tarentines against the Romans, employed elephants in the same way, in order to throw the Roman army into confusion.^

The Cai'thaginians also often did the same thing in their battles against the Romans.*

The 'olscians having on one occasion pitched their camp near some brush and woods, Camillus set fire to everything which could carry the conflagra- tion up to their entrenchments, and thus deprived his adversaries of their camp.

In the same way, Publius Crassus in the Social War narrowly escaped being cut off with all his forces.

The Spaniards, when fighting against Hamilcar, hitched steers to carts and placed them in the font line. These carts they filled with pitch, tallow, and sulphur, and when the signal for battle was given, set them afire. Then, driving the 'steers against the enemy, they threw the line into panic and broke through.^


 * Cf. II. V. 4. 5 029 B.C. Cf. Appian Hisp. 5.

K 2