Aeneas Tacticus 25.

25. Signs to accompany the password

1. A sign is sometimes employed as well as the password to prevent panics and for the better recognition of friends. 2. These signs must be as distinctive as possible, and such as an enemy will be least likely to recognize: here are some examples. On dark nights the challenger should also utter some further sound or simply make an audible signal, and the man challenged should give the password and also utter a prearranged sound or make some noise. But in god light the challenger should take off his cap [pilos], or, if he has it in his hand, put it on; 3. or he may press his cap down over his brow, or set it back on his head, 4. or plant his spear in the ground as he approaches, or pass it over to his left hand, or hold it aloft in his hand, or simply raise it; the other man should give the password in answer and also make some such prearranged movement.

25. Παρασυνθήματα

1. Ἔνιοι δὲ παρασυνθήμασι χρῶνται τῶν τε πανείων ἕνεκεν καὶ πρὸς τὸ γνωρίζειν μᾶλλον τοὺς φίλους. 2. εἶναι δὲ καὶ παρασυνθήματα ὡς ἰδιαίτατα καὶ δυσγνωστότατα τοῖς πολεμίοις. εἴη δ̓ ἂν τὰ παρασυνθήματα τοιάδε. ἐν μὲν ταῖς σκοτειναῖς νυξὶν τό τε σύνθημα ἐρωτᾶν καὶ φωνεῖν τι, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ψόφον ἐμφανίσαι, τὸν δὲ ἐρωτώμενον τό τε σύνθημα ἀποκρίνεσθαι καὶ ἄλλο τι προσυγκείμενον φωνῆσαι ἢ ψόφον ἐμφανίσαι: ἐν δὲ τοῖς φαεινοῖς χρόνοις τὸν μὲν ἐρωτῶντα τὸ σύνθημα τὸν πῖλον ἀφελέσθαι ἢ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ἔχοντα ἐπιθέσθαι, 3. ἔστιν δὲ καὶ ἐπαγαγέσθαι τὸν πῖλον ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ἀπαγαγέσθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου, 4. ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸ δόρυ καταπῆξαι προσιόντα ἢ εἰς τὴν ἀριστερὰν παραλαβεῖν, ἢ ἔχειν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ἄραντα ἢ ἀνελέσθαι, τὸν δὲ ἐρωτώμενον τό τε σύνθημα ἀποκρίνασθαι καὶ τούτων τι προσυγκείμενον ποιῆσαι.

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