The Tactica () is a military treatise written by or on behalf of Eastern Roman Emperor Leo VI the Wise in c. 895–908 and later edited by his son, Constantine VII. Drawing on earlier authors such as Aelian, Onasander and the Strategikon of emperor Maurice, it is one of the major works on Byzantine military tactics, written on the eve of Byzantium's "age of reconquest". The original Greek title is ("short instruction of the tactics of war"). The Tactica elaborates on a wide variety of issues, such as infantry and cavalry formations, drills, siege and naval warfare etc. It is written in a legislative form of language and comprises 20 Constitutions (Διατάξεις Diataxeis) and an Epilogue and is concluded by 12 additional chapters, the latter mainly focusing on ancient tactics. Text The text of the Tactica is transmitted in several manuscript prototypes, of which the most authoritative date to within a generation of Leo himself. Leo mentions within the Tactica, that Christianity could adopt Islam's doctrine of a "holy war" for its military applications. An edition with English translation by G. T. Dennis (ed.), The Taktika of Leo VI. Text, Translation and Commentary ([CFHB 49] Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. 2010), was translated from a 10th-century Florentine manuscript. Contents Preface Chapter I - On Tactics and On the General Chapter II - On who the General should be Chapter III - On how the Decision should be taken Chapter IV - On the Division of the Host and the Condition of the Officers Chapter V - On Arms Chapter VI - On the Equipment of Cavalry and Infantry Chapter VII - On Drilling Infantry and Cavalry Chapter VIII - On Military Punishments Chapter IX - On Marching Chapter X - On Baggage Trains Chapter XI - On Camps Chapter XII - On Military Preparation Chapter XIII - On the Day before Battle Chapter XIV - On the Day of Battle Chapter XV - On Besieging a Town Chapter XVI - On the Actions after the War is Concluded Chapter XVII - On Surprise Attacks Chapter XVIII - On the Studying of Various Heathen and Roman Formations Chapter XIX - On Naval Warfare Chapter XX - On Various Maxims Epilogue Additions from the Sylloge Tacticorum Chapter XXXII - Their (Ancient Greek) Infantry Formations Chapter XXXIII - Their (Ancient Greek) Cavalry Formations Chapter XXXIV - Their (Ancient Greek) Mixed Formations Chapter XXXV -