Ἔκτακτοι

In olden times the company had these, just as their name shows, because they were supernumeraries of the company. They are 5 [in number]: camp-herald, trumpeter, standard-bearer, attendant, leader of the rear-guard.² But nowadays there are officers with this name both in the company and in the other [units]. The company, or even the battalion [syntagma], must have them:² the first one to communicate the orders with his voice, the second one [to do so] by the standard, if the voice is not heard because of hubbub;³ the trumpeter,⁴ whenever they cannot see even the standard because of dust; and the attendant, so as to carry over some of the things that are needed. Moreover, the special-duty leader of the rear-guard [is needed] to lead back any stragglers to the company; [it is he] who, of the four above-mentioned, is stationed in the rank below in the front line.⁵