Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/227

 STRATAGEMS, II. viii. lo 14

Tarquinius, when his cavalry showed hesitation in the battle against the Sabines, ordered them to fling away their bridles, put spurs to their horses, and break through the enemy's line.

In the Samnite War, the consul Marcus Atilius, seeing his troops quitting the battle and taking refuge in camp, met them witii his own command and declared that they would have to fight against him and all loyal citizens, unless they preferred to fight against the enemy. In this way he marched them back in a body to the battle. '^

When Sulla's legions broke before the hosts of Mithridates led by Archelaus, Sulla advanced with drawn sword into the first line and, addressing his troops, told them, in case anybody asked where they had left their general, to answer : " Fighting in Boeotia." Shamed by these words, they followed him to a man.^

The deified Julius, when his troops gave way at Munda, ordered his horse to be removed from sight, and strode forward as a foot-soldier to the front line. His men, ashamed to desert their commander, thereupon renewed the fight. ^

Philip, on one occasion, fearing that his troops would not withstand the onset of the Scythians, stationed the trustiest of his cavalry in the rear, and commanded them to permit no one of their com- rades to quit the battle, but to kill them if they persisted in retreating. This proclamation induced even the most timid to prefer to be killed by the enemy rather than by their own comrades, and enabled Philip to win the day.^

^ Justin. I. vi. 10-13 attributes a similar stratagem to Astyages.

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