Five, eight, or ten leaders learned in the order of battle and
in strategy consult together concerning the business of war,
and command their bands after consultation. It is their wont
to take out with them a body of boys, armed and on horses, so
that they may learn to fight, just as the whelps of lions and
wolves are accustomed to blood. And these in time of danger
betake themselves to a place of safety, along with many armed
women. After the battle the women and boys soothe and re-
lieve the pain of the warriors, and wait upon them and encour-
age them with embraces and pleasant words. How wonderful
a help is this! For the soldiers, in order that they may acquit
themselves as sturdy men in the eyes of their wives and off-
spring, endure hardships, and so love makes them conquerors.
He who in the fight first scales the enemy's walls receives after
the battle of a crown of grass, as a token of honor, and at the
presentation the women and boys applaud loudly; that one who
affords aid to an ally gets a civic crown of oak-leaves; he who
kills a tyrant dedicates his arms in the temple and receives from
Hoh the cognomen of his deed, and other warriors obtain other
kinds of crowns.

Every horse-soldier carries a spear and two strongly tem-
pered pistols, narrow at the mouth, hanging from his saddle.
And to get the barrels of their pistols narrow they pierce the
metal which they intend to convert into arms. Further, every
cavalry soldier has a sword and a dagger. But the rest, who
form the light-armed troops, carry a metal cudgel. For if the
foe cannot pierce their metal for pistols and cannot make
swords, they attack him with clubs, shatter and overthrow him.
Two chains of six spans length hang from the club, and at the