Aeneas Tacticus 36.

36. Hindrances to the Placing of Ladders

1. The planning of scaling ladders against the wall should be resisted. If the ladder, when in position, projects over the top of the wall, you must wait until the man coming up reaches the top, and then push him or the ladder away with a pitchfork, supposing a discharge of missiles from below prevents you from stopping him in any other way. If the ladder is just level with the top of the wall, you will not be able to push it away: in that case you must push off the men who come over the top. 2. If this does not seem practicable, have a frame like a door made out of planks, and when the ladder is being placed against the wall, slip the frame out under its upper end before it touches the wall: when the ladder leans against the frame, the frame runs back of its own accord upon a roller placed ready under it, and the ladder falls down, so that it will be impossible to place it into position.

36. Κλιμάκων προσθέσει κωλύματα

1. Ταῖς δὲ τῶν κλιμάκων προσθέσεσιν ἀντιοῦσθαι ὧδε. ἐὰν μὲν ὑπερέχῃ τοῦ τείχους ἡ κλῖμαξ προστεθεῖσα, χρή, ὅταν ἐπ̓ ἄκρων ᾖ ὁ ἀναβαίνων, τότε ἀπῶσαι τὸν ἄνδρα ἢ τὴν κλίμακα ξύλῳ δικρῷ, ἐὰν μὴ ἄλλως κωλύειν δύνῃ διὰ τὸ ὑποτοξεύεσθαι: 2. ἐὰν δὲ ἀρτία ᾖ τῷ τείχει ἡ κλῖμαξ, τὴν μὲν κλίμακα οὐχ οἷόν τε ἀπωθεῖν, τὰ δὲ ὑπερβαίνοντα χρὴ ἀπῶσαι. ἐὰν δὲ ταῦτα μὲν ἀδύνατα δοκῇ εἶναι, πεποιῆσθαι χρὴ οἷον θύραν ἐκ σανίδων, ἔπειτ̓ ἐπὰν προσφέρηται ἡ κλῖμαξ, προϋποτιθέναι τῇ κλίμακι τῇ προσφερομένῃ: ὅταν δὲ προσίῃ ἡ κλῖμαξ πρὸς τὴν θύραν, ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὑπαχθείσης τῆς θύρας ἡ κλῖμαξ πίπτει, σπονδύλου προϋποτιθεμένου, οὐδὲ προσσταθῆναι δυνήσεται.

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