them conquerors. He who in the fight first scales the enemy's walls
receives after the battle a crown of grass, as a token of honour, 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 tempered 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 end of these are iron balls,
and when these aimed at the enemy they surround his neck and drag him to
the ground; and in order that they may be able to use the club more
easily, they do not hold the reins with their hands, but use them by
means of the feet. If perchance the reins are interchanged above the
trappings of the saddle, the ends are fastened to the stirrups with
buckles and not to the feet. And the stirrups have an arrangement for
swift movement of the bridle, so that they draw in or let out the rein
with marvellous celerity. With the right foot they turn the horse to the
left and with the left to the right. This secret, moreover, is not known
to the Tartars. For, although they govern the reins with their feet,
they are ignorant nevertheless of turning them and drawing them in and
letting them out by means of the block of the stirrups. The light-armed
cavalry with them are the first to engage in battle, then the men
forming the phalanx with their spears, then the archers for whose
services a great price is paid, and who are accustomed to fight in lines
crossing one another as the threads of cloth, some rushing forward in
their turn and others receding. They have a band of lancers
strengthening the line of battle, but they make trial of the swords only
at the end.

After the battle they celebrate the military triumphs after the manner
of the Romans, and even in a more magnificent way. Prayers by the way of
thank-offerings are made to God, and then the general presents