Page:Frontinus - The stratagems, and, the aqueducts of Rome (Bennet et al 1925).djvu/241

 STRATAGEMS, II. xii. 2-'iii. i

structed trenches and drew up his line of battle in front of them. Then when the cavalry approached, as was their wont, he drew back his line. The enemy following close on his heels, fell into the trenches and thus were defeated. ^

Chares, the Athenian commander, on one occasion was ex})ecting reinforcements, but feared that mean- while the enemy, despising his small force, would attack his camp. He therefore ordered that a number of the soldiers under his command should pass out at night by the rear of the camp, and should return by a route Avhere they would be clearly observed by the enemy, thus creating the im- pression that fresh forces were arriving. In this way, he defended himself by pretended reinforcements, until he was equipped with those he was expecting.^

Iphicrates, the Athenian, being encamped on one occasion on level ground, happened to learn that the Thracians were intending to come down from the hills, over which there was but a single line of descent, with the ])ui'pose of plundering his camp by night. He therefore secretly led forth his troops and posted them on both sides of the road over which the Thracians were to pass. Then when the enemy descended upon the camp, in which a large number of watch-fires, built by the hands of a few men, produced the impression that a mighty host was still there, Iphicrates was enabled to attack them on the flank and crush them."^

XIII. On Retreateng

When the Gauls were about to fight with Attalus, they handed over all their gold and silver to trusty guards, with instructions to scatter it, in case their

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