There have been several military handbooks written by Byzantine authors, most notably the Strategikon by Emperor Maurice. But Sylogge Tacitorum stands out in my mind, perhaps because it is a surprisingly easy and even titillating read, divided as it is into short treatises on sundry subjects of interest to any properly educated military man of the time and gives interesting insight on military philosophy. While it is far less well-organized that the Strategikon, it poses some real human interest. It shows the intelligence and organization of the Byzantine army perhaps contrasted more favorably against western Europe of the time.
I will not go into detail surrounding all the literary significance of the piece, nor the so-called Macedonian Renaissance and subsequent literary revival that supposedly spurred on the creation of the Sylogge in the first half of the tenth century, presumably penned by the Emperor Leo VI. The average reader would much rather hear the more scintillating bits from the piece. So here it goes.
The Sylogge is divided into portions with such titles as “How the soldiers are overpowered by the enemy with wine” or “How horses will not neigh.” (That is, how to keep them quiet in times of ambush.) These are interspersed with gems of wisdom concerning the conduct of generals, as it is expected these or the sorts of people who will be reading this in the first place. Generals are advised to be patient and be able to bear hardship as well as the belief that in urgent matters, the general should be the first one to act in person.
A few cunning methods for gaining the upper hand against the enemy have been used since pre-history, including poisoning the water supple, destroying the land (this might include salting the fields to make them unusable for agriculture) and using sea turtle bile to incapacitate the horses.
The Sylloge Tacticorum gives instruction on how to make enemy equipment spontaneously ignite with the application of a mysterious brew. The recipe called to: “Put equal portions of of native sulphur, rock salt, ashes, cedar-tree, and pyrite stone in a black mortar, when the sun is at its peak. Mix together with black mulberry sap and free-flowing Zakynthian liquid asphalt, each in equal portions. You should grind it until it becomes sooty coloured. Then you should add the smallest amount of quicklime to the asphalt. However, as the sun is at its peak, you ought to pound it with diligence and to protect your face entirely. Then, it should be sealed in a copper vessel, so as for it never to see the rays of the sun. The wagons of the enemy should coated while it is still night. All will be suddenly burned, when the sun shines on them moderately.” (This is not be confused with Greek Fire, though there is a chapter entitled “How the so-called liquid fire may be put out and how it might not burn wood or walls when it is cast upon them”.)
Of course, there is always the age old tactic of poisoning your enemies which seems surprising considering that the Byzantines deemed poison the weapon of women and eunuchs. Nevertheless, instructions were given to poison wine with monkshood, hemlock and boxwood. Then abandon your wine, leaving for your eager opponents to find and “and drink their fill and thereby endanger themselves.” These instructions were given also that a general may be alert to the danger of their being used upon his own troops by the enemy. One could never be too cautious when drawing water from wells in enemy territory. He cautions his reader that the enemy may endeavor to add plague to bread and send back prisoners of war infected with plague. This was done by placing a toad or viper in a vessel and sealing it till both are dead. Then they are ground up and boiled and the water thereby obtained used to make plague bread. Naturally, those employed to make the bread would also end up dead. It leaves us to wonder if perhaps an elemental step was left out of the procedure and the infusion of viper was meant merely to be the vehicle by which infected buboes were carried into the bread.
At the same time, the author of the Sylloge Tacticorum admonishes the reader to behave humanely to cities that surrender. This in itself has tactical benefits. The inhabitants of a city, believing themselves to be in danger of brutality once they open their gates, will be all the more inclined to fight with their last breath. A commander’s reputation in warfare, as in everything else, was paramount.
The Sylogge carefully details how ranks of soldiers and cavalry should be arranged, discipline of soldiers, how to build a fort near enemy borders, how to take in traitors and defectors from the other side (while never completely giving them your trust). He advises soldiers to eat many small meals a day rather than twice as was customary so as to avoid fatigue from the sun. Instruction is given to boil water before drinking and to use an infusion of rue and wild marshmallow for digestive health.
The author sprinkles his adages and advice throughout with references to historical military leaders, such as Alexander the Great, Pompey, Dionysius and Themosticles, all names familiar to the Byzantine ear. If it was good enough for Alexander, it was good enough for the reader of the Sylogge!
In short, the Sylogge makes clear that while honorable battle is sought above all, as is fair treatment towards soldiers and humanity towards the enemy and prisoners of war, there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of a Byzantine military leader in the way of cunning and deceit. In fact, the majority of the military manual seems devoted to ways to deceive the enemy, from giving the impression that one has a larger army or horses than in reality to causing suspicion among enemy allies. The rest is divided largely between general tactics and ways to make the camp and military life safer, healthier and more efficient for your soldiers.
The Sylogge Tactitorum is a fascinating read, for the casual historian or one seeking more insight into Byzantine military life.