in embatteling their armies and therefore we may the better rely vpon his authoritie Who albeit hee first affirmed the Phalange was of the number of 16000 yet after in numbring the depth and length alone he findeth 16000 and further expounding his owne meaning he sheweth there were more vpon the flanks of the ten parts into which the Phalange was diuided His words import That Antiochus diuided his Phalange into 10 equall parts giuing euery part in front 50 men in depth 32 which being multipliea together make vp the 16000. He addeth And in the flanke of euery part he set 22. If the meaning be he set 22 vpon each flanke of euery part the parts being 10 and the flanks 20 the number will arise to 440 where Aelian alloweth no more than 384. But if 22 were added to one of the flanks of each diuision which also being collectiuely taken are flanks in the plurall number we shall come short and finde no more than 220. Yet whether sense of both you admit it is plaine that Appian attributeth more than 16 thousand to that Macedonian Phalange And it may be there is an error in the number of the 22 and that it ought to be written 32. For if Antiochus had giuen 32 as he gaue 22 to one flanke of euery part and set 32 vpon the vttermost flanks of euery winge to strengthen them of the 12 times 32 had arisen the iust number of Aelians Phalange which number is the fittest for vse and for diuision of the Phalange in all doublings The armed foote then according to Aelian ought to be 16384. The light armed 4 Halfe so many The armed amongst the Graecians were accounted the strength of the field which was the cause their number was greatest For you shall not finde in their battailes for the most part that the light armed amounted to halfe the number of the armed The fact of Cyrus sheweth what account he made of light armed Xenophon reporteth it thus He led with him the Lydians those whom he saw to take delight in Armes horse and chariots and willingly doe what they were commanded he gaue armes to of those whom he saw followed him against their wils he gaue the horses to the Persians that were his first companions in Armes All that followed him vnarmed he exercised to the sling because he reckoned that weapon most seruile of all others How much you increase the number of the light armed so much you diminish the number of the armed and by consequent so much weaken your field For the light cannot maintaine any stable fight but in case of danger they are forced either to shew a faire paire of heeles or else retire to the armed for succor Yet serue they for many vses ioyned with the armed And the proportioÌ„ that Aelian setteth downe namely to haue halfe as many of them as there are armed standeth to good reason vse The Romans notwithstanding were more sparing in their light armed allowed not aboue the 4th part of them or litle more to the armed The Legion conteined saith Polybius 4200 footmen Of these they chose 600 Triarians 1200 hastati 1200 Principes which come to 3000 and the rest Velites which were 1200. And the Velites were the same in effect amongst the Romans that the light armed amongst the Graecians albeit their arming somewhat differed Aelian before shewed that the Graecian light armed had no manner of defensiue armour but offensiue only as bowes darts or stones Polybius describeth the Armes of the Velites to be a Sword a Parma which is a small Target and darts the sword a spanish sword the Target a litle round Target a foote and a halfe for so Casaubon correcteth Tripedon in breadth the darts in the steale 3 foote long and a finger thicke and the head almost a foote long And Livy mentioning the skirmishes that fell out betwixt the horsemen of King Philip of Macedonia and Sulpitius the Roman Consul compareth both thâ—ir Armies together telling that either party had their light armed ioyned to their horse and that comming to fight the Romans had the better So saith he neither the Kings horse vnaccustomed to a stedfast fight were able to match the Roman horse nor yet the foote skipping and leaping here and there and almost halfe naked in their kinde of Armes to be compared to the Roman Veles hauing a Target and a sword and being armed sufficiently both to defend himselfe and assaile his enemy The number then of Aelians light armed ought to be 8192 and these being ranged behinde the armed 8 deepe so they are fittest for seruice will make 1024 files as many as the armed did 5 Halte as many horse as c. The horse are in number 4096 and proportioned to the foote comprehending the light-armed as 1. to 6. The armed foot and light armed together make 24576 the horse 4096. And this was Alexanders proportion when he moued first against Darius For he had about 30000 foote and 5000 horse or not many more as Diodorus saith Iustin giues him 32000 foote 4500 horse Yet this number held not alwaies amongst the Macedonians themselues I meane Alexanders Captaines that possessed his kingdomes after his death The reason may be that in Ciuill warres they made their levies not as they would but as they could In the battaile betwixt Eumenes and Craterus I spake of that battell before Craterus had â—0000 foote 2000 horse Eumenes had 20000 foote 5000 horse Craterus the proportion of 1. to 10 Eumenes of â— to 4. Antigonus fighting against Eumenes in Cappadocia had in his Army aboue 10000 foote and 2000 horse Eumenes had as before Antigonus horse were to the foote as 1. to 5. The same Antigonus fighting against Alcetas the brother of Perdiccas had in his Army 40000 foote and more than 7000 horse the proportion well nigh of 1. to 6 Alcetas had no more than 16000 foote and 900 horse failing much of Aelians number Antigonus in his second battell against Eumenes had 28000 footmen and 800 horse which is 1. to 3. and halfe Eumenes had 35000 foote and 6000 horse very neare Aelians proportion Many other examples are to be read in Diodorus But as I said these are Ramasses proceeding not of choise but of necessitie which forced them to take such as came to hand as it alwaies falleth out in soddaine leuies And it seemeth the number of horse allowed to the foote by Aelian was King Philips proportion considering Alexander vsed it after he receiued his armie from Philip who by praemeditation and fore-choice had gathered it together with intent to invade Persia. And yet 1 finde that Philip himselfe when he fought against the Athenians and Beotians at Cheronea had more than 30000 joote and 2000 horse which is 1. to 15 and in diuers other fights differed from Aelian in the number both of horse and foote But the question is not what was done
Whoe will reade of Iphicrates let him goe to Aemilius Probus that writeth his life His actes are also declared by Xenophon and Diodorus Siculus and Polyaen and Iustin and divers others as they were incident to theire generall histories Hee was esteemed one of the best Generalls of his time and was called out by name by Darius King of Persia to bee generall of the Graecians his mercenaries in the warre hee had against the Aegyptians His fame and aestimation was soe great with Alexander the great that when his sonne whose name was also Iphicrates with other Graecians were taken prisoners by him for that they came embassadours into Persia to Darius he not onely spared him for the loue of the City of Athens and for the remembrance of his fathers glory the wordes of Arrian but held him about him in honour so long as hee liued and after his decease sent his reliques to Athens there to be interred by his friendes and kinsfolk 9 Posidonius the Stoick Posidonius in his time was a Philosopher of high renowne and of the sect that were called Stoicks Tully citeth him often in his workes In the second booke of Tusculan quaestions hee recounteth that Pompey the great on a time comminge to Rhodes was desirous to heare him But vnderstanding hee was extreame sick of the goute hee forbore not notwithstanding to visit him being a most noble philosopher whome after hee had seene and saluted and vsed with honorable wordes and told him hee was sory hee could not heare him discourse you may if you please quoth Posidonius and I will not suffer paine to bee cause that so great a man seeke mee in vaine Then as hee lay in his bed began hee gravely and copiously to dispute that nothing was good but that which was honest And when firebrands as it were of torment towched him to the quick amiddest his disputation he broke foorth often into these wordes Sorow all this is nothing Though thou trouble me never so much I will not yet confesse that thou art of thy self evill So Tully Pliny likewise telleth that Pompey after the warre of Mithridates going into the howse of Posidonius a man famous in Philosophy forbid his serieant to knock at the doore as the manner was and the serieants bundles of roddes saith he were submitted to a doore by him to whom East West had submitted theÌ„selues The same Tully attributeth to this Posidonius the invention of a Sphaere whose particuler conversions did worke the same in sonne moone and the other fiue planets that is wrought by the motion of heauen euery day and night The preparation of warlicke forces and division of them and how they are armed CHAP. II. I will then beginne with such 1 preparations as are absolutely necessary for service in warre the forces whereof are of two sortes the one Land forces the other ship forces Land forces are such as fight on land Ship forces such as are ordered for fight in shippes vppon Sea or Rivers But the order of Sea service I will reserue for another place and intreat now of things pertayning to Land service The levies then for land service are either of those that fight and mannage Armes or else of those that fight not but remaine in the campe for necessary vses They fight that stand ordered in battaile and with armes assaile or repulse the enemy The rest fight not as Phisitians merchants servants and other which follow the campe to minister vnto it Such as fight are either footemen or Riders footemen properly that serue on foote Of Riders some vse Horses some Elephants They that vse Horses are carye â—ither one Horse-back or else in Chariotts And these are the differences in generall But in speciall the foote and Horse receaue many other divisions onely the Elephants and Chariotts never varie Footemen then are reparted into three kindes one being Armed another Targettiers the third light or naked 2 The Armed beare the heaviest furniture of all footemen 3 vsing according to the Macedonian manner large round Targetts and 4 longe Pikes 5 The Light contrarywise beare the lightest having neither Curace nor Greue nor longe or round Targett of any weight but 6 flieng weapons onelie as 7 Arrowes 8 Dartes 9 Stones either for hand or sling To this kind is referred the 10 armour of the Argilos who hath his furniture like to the Macedonian but something lighter For hee carieth 11 a little slight Torgett 12 and his Pike is much shorter then the Macedonian Pike which manner of arming seemeth a meane betwixt the light or naked and that which is properlie called heavie as being lighter then the heavie and heavier then the light and that is the cause that many place it amongst the light The forces of Horse which wee distinguished before from Chariotts as being ordered in Troopes are either 13 Cataphracts or not Cataphracts They are Cataphracts that cover theire owne and theire horses bodies all over with armour Of not Cataphracts some are Launciers some Acrobolists 14 Launciers are such as joyne with the enemy and fight hand to hand with the Launce on horseback Of these some beare longe Targets and are therevppon called Targetiers Other some Launces alone without Targets who are properlie called 15 Launciers and of some Xestophori 16 Acrobolists on horseback are such as fight a far of with flieng weapons Of these some vse darts some bowes They vse darts whome wee call 17 Tarentines Of Tarentines there are two sortes for some throw little 18 darts a farre of and are termed Darters on horseback but properlie Tarentines others vse light darts 19 after they haue spent one or two close presently with the enemy like the Lanciers which wee spake of and fight hand to hand These in common speech are named light horsemen So that of Tarentines some are properly called Tarentines whose manner is to darte a far of Some light horsemen who joyne and fight hand to hand 20 The horsemen that vse bowes are termed Archers on Horseback and of some Scythians These then are the differences of such as are in the Campe the kinds of Souldiers being in nomber nyne Of footmen armed Targetiers Light armed or naked Of horsemen Lanciers Darters Archers Cataphracts And lastlie Chariots and Elephants Notes IN this Chapter the kindes of Souldiers are distinguished according to theire seueral armes borne in fight And therefore of foote some are called armed because they beare heavy armes other light-armed or naked because they weare no defensiue armes other some Targetiers because theire chief defence rested in a slight target wherewith they covered theire bodies The horse also haue theire appellation as theire armes are And some are Cataphracts because themselues horses were armed compleatly other Launciers for that they vsed a launce other some Acrobolists by reason they fought with flieng weapons a farre of The first thoughts of a Prince or State that is resolved to put an army into the field ought to
armes such as were given him was so led against the enemy They were beaten saith XenophoÌ„ receiving horse armes at al adventure not knowing whether they were fitt for service or not Whether armes be to bigge or to litle they hurt a like To litle they pinche the bearer make him not able to endure labour because he is in paine To great by theire slap and loose hanging about the body they hinder the motion of those partes that are to be imployed in fight Being fitte they differ litle from ordinary apparaile except it be in weight which inconvenience is easily remedied by vse and practise Tully writeth of the Roman souldier that his continuall vse of armes was such that hee noe more reconed his target sword head-piece other armes to bee burdenous vnto him theÌ„ his shoulders armes haÌ„ds said that armes were part of a souldiers body being so fitly made borne that need requiring they could throw down their burdens vse their ready armes in fight as the members of their bodies Yet must care be had that theire weight exceed not the strength of him that beareth them For whoe wil be able to centinâ—w long in fight that beside the labour of fight is charged with a burden more then he can well bear The proofe is plain in beasts which how strong soever they be faint tire vnder to much weight Alian after speaking of the length of pikes giveth this rule that they bee noe longer then a man may well vse wield in handling To much length maketh them to heavy vnfitte to be managed wherby they rest vnprofitable to offend the enemy In this property of fitnesse those armes weapons are compreheÌ„ded which are of most vse in the field For as in all other artes thinges of greatest effect are alwayes praeferred so is it in warr There is great advantage in armes which is the cause that one kinde hath been preferred before an other Aemilius Probus giveth a notable testimony of skill in matters of warre to Iphicrates of whom he writeth thus Iphicrates the Athenian invented many things in warr Hee chaunged the armes of the foote For whereas before they vsed great targets short pikes litle swordes he gaue them litle round targets called Peltae that they might be fitter for motions encounters and doubled the sise of their pikes made their swordes longer Hee likewise chaunged theire Curaces in stede of iron brasse brought in other wrought of linen wher by he made them nimbler at all assayes For lessening the weight hee brought to passe that they as much covered the body and yet were very light and fitte for vse Of these targets which Iphicrates invented the names of Peltati Targetiers sprong of whom wee shall heare more in this chapter And yet wee must not heereof coÌ„clude that Iphicrates chaunged all the armed foote into Targetiers for the Athenians had still their armed notwithstaÌ„ding this invention of Targetiers as Xenophon testifieth but where as the Athenians before had noe targetiers of theire owne people as I coniecture Iphicrates brought in this kind of armour and so of the armed hee made some targetiers left the rest to the armes they bore before iudging it more profitable to haue both Targetiers Armed of their owne people then armed alone Philopoemen also the braue Achaean Generall taught his Countrey-men in stede of longe targets Iavelines to take arownd target called Aspis a pike after the Macedonian maÌ„ner and to arme themselues with head-pieces Curates greues and to settle themselues to a staid and firme kind of fight in lieu of concursory and peltasticall encounters and by this meanes brought theÌ„ to be valiant braue souldiers victorious in their fights against their enemies Polyb. discoursing of the Gaulois Spanish swords of auncieÌ„t time saith that the Gaules sword was so fashioned that it served onely to strike with and but for one stroke after which it so bowed both in length breadth that vnlesse the point were rested vpon the grownd the blade rightened you could not strike with it the second time But the spanish sword was both for thrust stroke having a strong point a stiffe sure edge to strike withal on either side by reason of the firmnesse of the blade This difference the RomaÌ„s espied and being excellent imitators of all thinges which were best for vse though they were enemies from whom they tooke them made choice of the spanish sworde after Annibals time caused their foote to vse noe ether Suidas witnesseth it The Spaniards saith he in forme of swordes farre excell all other nations For their swords both haue a strong point and an edge on either side that entreth deep in striking Which caused the Romans to lay down their owne countrey swordes and take the spanish forme from them that followed Anniball The forme they took but the goodnesse of the mettall exactnesse of the temper they could never atteine vnto The Romans then reiected the french swordes as of small vse imitated the spanish because they were fitt for service Xenophon describing the nations which followed Croesus against Cyrus theire manner of arming and order in battaile telleth of the Egyptians that they were armed with targets reaching downe to theire foote with long pikes with swordes which they call Copides for order stood a hundred in depth bringeth in Cyrus deriding this manner of arming and order to his souldiers sayeng they were a like armed a like embattailed For theire targets said he are greater then is fitte for action for fight being raunged a hundred deep it is manifest they will hinder one another in fight except a fewe Annibal after his first victory against the RomaÌ„s armed his Africans his best most trusty souldiers with the armour of the slaine Romans because he fownd it better then his owne Pyrrhus vsed not onely the armour but the Italian souldiers also raunged them a cohort a Merarchy alter natiuely one by another And Mithridates after his experience in his first warrs with the Romans that aswell in arming as in manner of fight they excelled all other nations left the arming of his owne Countrey brought in the Roman sword target reduced all as neere as hee could vnto their discipline So then strength fitnesse are required in armes To them is comelinesse adioyned The shield of Achilles how was it bewtified with pictures Stories by Vulcan and that of Aenaeas comming out of the same forge how glorious was it To say nothing of the braue armes of Hector Agamemnon Diomedes Glaucus Turnus Mezentius other Alexanders armes were very rich He had a Sicilian Cassock gyrded vpon a double linen Curace the spoile of Issos his headpiece was of iron â—ining like pure silver the work of Theophilus about his necke was an iron gorget
governed so is it in matter of warre Further as his skill so his valour ought to bee most that his example may incourage and incite the rest Which is the cause that other commaunders also are placed in front and in the eye of the souldiers that theire valour forwardnes may bread an honest emulation in the souldiers to doe as they doe Besides the first place is most beseeming him that best deserveth and the more valiant a man is the more hee desireth to shewe it in the face of the enemy thereby to winne himself honor and reputation Furthermore hee may doe best service in the front by entring into the enemies battaile and making way for the rest Not vnlike a sworde whose edge maketh speedy passage into the thing it cutteth and draweth after it the rest of the iron bee it never so blunt In the front the ranke of the file leaders giue the push to gaine the field Which reason I thinke lead Gorgidas the first institutor of the Theban Hieros Lochos not to make an entire troupe thereof apart but to place it man by man in the first ranke of the Phalange Lastly the sight of the file leaders being the choice of the armie both for stature and resolution for so Aelian would haue them breads a terrour in the minde of the enemy Who seeing such gallants in the front haue cause to imagine that the rest of the armie which they see not is like to those they see And being never so valiant they had rather haue to doe with weake and relenting then stout and resolute adversaries As at the battaile of Cannae Annibal answered one that brought him newes that the Consull had commanded the horse men to alight and fight one foote how much rather would I quoth hee hee had delivered them bound into my hands I haue heard many hold opinion that the manner of the Graecians to bring theire best men first to fight is contrary Cap. 5. The ordering of a File 4 Enomoty 3 Enomoty 2 Enomoty 1 Enomoty Dimerites 2 Dimery or half File 1 Dimery or half File the File-header the birnger up and 4 Enomotarcha 2 leader 1 follower 1 leader 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower 3 Enomotarcha 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower 2 Enomotarcha 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower the Fileader and first Enomotarcha to the institution of the Romans who held the Triarij theire eldest and best souldiers in the rear and brought them not to ioyne till both the Hastati and Principes were beaten or retired But if wee consider the diuersity of both theire embattailings wee shall see noe great difference or at lest wee shall see that the reason of placing their-best men was not much different The Graecians in framing theire foure-fold Phalange made in length an even front of a 1024. files The files were 16. deepe and the best men therefore in front because being placed in the midst or in the reare there would haue beene no vse of theire valour and the Phalange might haue beene broken before it had come to theire turnes to fight The Romans contrary-wise in ordering a Legion made many maniples and gaue the front to the Hastati the middest to the Principes the reare to the Triarij Nowe the Triarij being ordered in the Reare might at the beginning bee brought to fight in Front if need were being noe need they kept theire place till their Generalls found it fitt to call vpon them So then this is the difference The File-leaders of the Graecians had the Front because otherwise in so deep a body as the Phalange was they could not haue come to fight The Triarij might alwayes haue beene imployed in Front in flanke or in the reare as pleased the Generall And that the Romans also in theire seuerall Maniples placed theire best men in Front I cannot doubt There stood the Centurions which were the leaders of the Maniples and in reason were to bee seconded with the hest men vnder theire commaund C. Crastinus may serue for an example whoe being noe Centurion but an Evocate in the battaile of Pharsaly betwixt Caesar Pompey bidde his Manipulers they were of the Maniple which hee once commaunded to followe him and said hee would make his Generall giue him thanks aliue or dead Yet must I confesse that the front was not the proper place of the Evocates But hee chose the front and held it a place worthy of his valour It is said of Catiline that when hee fought with C. Antonius hee placed in the front of his army all the chosen Centurions and Evocates and besides of common souldiers such as were best armed Livy speaking of a fight betwixt the Romans and the Latines and describing the forme of the Roman battaile after hee had limited the place of the Hastati Principes writeth thus of the Triarij After the ensignes hee meaneth the Standards of the Legions not the Ensignes of Maniples were ten other Maniples whereof every one had three Ensignes The first Ensigne led the Triarij ould souldiers of tryed valor the next the Rorarij not soe well esteemed for strength in either age or deeds the third the Accensi a troupe of lest trust which was the cause that they were cast in the reare The Accensi were put in the reare because there was noe great opinion of theire valor the Triarij had the front because they were ould souldiers and had beene sufficiently tryed Soe then in dividing of their armie into small bodies or battailions the Romans differed from the Graecians in placing the best men of theire maniples in front they observed the same manner that the Graecians did in placing theire file-leaders in the first ranke of the Phalange 2 A verse I haue translated stichos a verse The more vsuall signification is a rowe of any thing placed orderly Soe Xenophon applieth it to trees which were planted orderly one after another and Eustathius to the standing of dâ—uncers one after another in depth even as our souldiers are placed one after another in file Iulius Pollux also acknowledgeth that there were files and ranks in Choro that is in daunces vppon the stage But Suidas saith it was commonly taken for a line which was read from the left to right hand And to say the truth a verse as wee read at this day and as they read when Aelian wrote this treatise rather resembleth a ranke then a fiâ—e because in a ranke men stand side to side as words doe being placed in a line Yet because the word is received by vse in that other sence wee must like wise admitte the same 3 A decury This in Greeke Aelian calleth Decania a word which in this sence I find in no other Author then in him and in Suidas Xenophon calleth it Decas soe doeth Vrbicius and Arrian and likewise Hesychius Leo calleth it decarchian and Akian 4 An Enomotie The word cometh from
make the length of both equall one to another The difference then betwixt them in length is 64 men which in order take vp 192 foote And where there goe foure Phalangarchies to a fourefold Phalange and 16 troupes of horse are placed behind euery Phalangarchie we must diuide these 192 foote into foure parts euery of which parts will amount to 48 foote and giue to each troupe three foote distance one betwixt an other for distances betwixt one troupe and an other Polybius holdeth necessary and so shall the 16 troupes of horse take vp as much ground in length as a Phalangarchie The one conteining 256 files in length which occupy 768 foote of ground and the other 240 men in the last ranke which occupy 720 foote To which adding 48 foote of distance there ariseth the euen number of 768. And so shall the 64 troupes of horse be euen in length with the fourefold Phalange The names of the Offices and Commands of the Horse follow wherein as I before noted in the foote we must not presse too neare the property of words but take them as they haue beene vsed among Souldiers 3 Two troupes are called an Epilarchie One troupe is called Ile and the Commander an Ilarch for so he is termed before in Aelian Two troupes an Epilarchie and the Commander an Epilarch as it were a Commander ouer two Iles troupes He hath 128 Horse vnder his command 4 A Tarentinarchie Of Tarentines mention is made in the second Chapter The name of a Tarentinarchie is not giuen to this Troupe because it consisted of Tarentines but because of likelyhood the Tarentine horsemen had so many in a troupe Let it be as it will it signifieth here a troupe of 256 Horse 5 An Hipparchie Properly signifieth the command of horse and Xenophon vseth the word Hipparch for the Generall of horse but Aelian and the Tacticks vse it for the command of 512 horse 6 An Ephipparchie As it were a command ouer two Hipparchies or ouer 1024 horse 7 A Telos The name of Telos is giuen both to a body of horse and to a body of foote A Merarchie was called by some Telos saith Aelian before and conteined 2048 armed The Telos of horse conteineth 2048 horse So the bodies are equall in number The word sometimes signifieth a Command or Dignitie from which signification this body as seemeth hath the name 8 Epitagma The whole body of light-armed was called an Epitagma which name is giuen likewise to the whole body of horse comprizing 4096 horse It may be they are both so called because they are placed behind the Armed as I noted before For that place Aelian assigneth vnto them The diligence to be vsed in choice and exercise of the best formes of Battailes CHAP. XXI THE Inventions and conceits of those that liued in old time about Troopes of Horse are declared in what forme euery one was cast and for what cause some vsed one forme some another Now it behoueth as in things that carry with them great difference not carelesly and negligently to rely vpon the bare precepts but rather by daily exercise to make try all of euery kinde of figure and so attayning to the perfect knowledge of that which is readiest and of most advantage to admit and receiue it in true fight For it were great simplicitie considering in matters of lesse importance men by curious inquiry reach to the exact finding out of many things herein not to ground vpon perfect and sure experience before we come to ioyne with the enemy Troopes may be inlarged or lessened as it shall seeme convenient to him that hath the command Of Chariots the names and degrees of the Commanders CHAP. XXII AS for ordering Chariots and Elephants albeit they are worne out of vse yet to make vp the measure of this discourse I will remember their names as they are set downe in ancient writers In the Art of ordering Chariots for the field they call two Chariots a 1 Zygarchy Two Zygarchies a 2 Zyzygi Two Zyzygies an 3 Epyzyzygi Two Epizyzygies an 4 Hartamarchy Two Hartamarchies a 5 wing Two wings a 6 Phalange A man may vse many and sundry Phalanges of Chariots and yet retaine the same names in euery Phalange Some haue framed simple Chariots to serue withall other some haue armed them with Sithes prominent and standing out on each side Notes THere were two kinde of Chariots vsed of ancient time the one a simple Chariot the other a Chariot armed with sithes The first kinde was vsed by the Heroes as they terme them that is the renowned Souldiers of old such as were Achilles Hector Cycnus Aeneas Turnus as appeareth by Homer Virgil Ovid and other Poets The last was brought in by the Generalls of later times especially by those that raigned in Asia and in Africa For the Europeans haue counted them fruitlesse and vaine mockeries and amongst them you shall hardly finde any mention of Chariots Aelian toucheth them onely because both they and Elephants were in his time growne out of vse Wherefore I meane likewise to passe them ouer sleightly onely directing the Reader that is desirous to vnderstand their manner of fight to places of Historie where they are mentioned And first see for their Forme Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 6. 152. D. E. 156. B. C. de exped Cyr. lib. 1. 264 A. B. Liu. decad 4. lib. 7. 142. A. Diodor. Sicul. lib. 17. 596. Quin. Curt. lib. 4. 119 lib. 8. 371. Their violence Diod. Sicul. lib. 17. 593. Their place in the battaile Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 6. 168. C. D. Liu. decad 4. lib. 7. 142. A. Diod. Sicul. lib. 14. 408. Remedies against them Diodor. Sicul. lib. 17. 592. 593. Xenoph. de exped Cyr. lib. 1. 265. Liu. decad 4. 142. Quint. Curt. lib. 4. 141. Plutarch in Sylla I come to the names of the Commands of Chariots 1 A Zygarchie The command of two Chariots as it were a yoake of Chariots 2 A Syzygy The command ouer two yoakes as it were of Chariots ioyned together that is ouer 4 Chariots 3 An Episyzygy The command ouer foure yoakes of Chariots that is ouer eight Chariots 4 An Harmatarchie Properly the command of Chariots But vsed by Aelian for the command of 16 Chariots 5 A wing As foote so Chariots and Elephants had their wings of battaile To the wing went 32 Chariots Yet finde I this order of imbattailing Chariots no where but in Aelian He that will let him read the places that I haue noted before for the ordering of Chariots Notwithstanding I can not doubt that the names giuen here by Aelian are taken out of ancient writers 6 A Phalange It consisteth of 64 Chariots and wee here see that Chariots also had their Phalanges as well as foote and Horse Of Elephants the names and degrees of their Commanders CHAP. XXIII TOuching Elephants he that is Commander of one Elephant is called 1 Zoarcha Of two 2 Therarcha and the body a Therarchy Of foure 3 Epitherarcha and the
the distance required to the right hand Faces as you were Close your hinder ranks forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first posture File-Leaders stand firme The other Rankes turne faces about and open behinde to the first distance Faces as you were The right-wing-corner-file stand firme the rest turne faces to the Target and proceede to your first distance Faces as you were and order your Pikes Closing to the left wing It differeth not from the other but that the mouing is to the contrarie hand Closing to the middest of the Battaile The right-wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike Each moue vp to the middest of the Phalange and stand at the distance named Faces as you were Close the hinder rankes forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture The first ranke stand firme The rest turne faces about and open the rankes to the first distance Faces as you were The files next the middle section stand fast and the right wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike and moue on till the first distance recouered Faces as you were and order the Pikes We may not forget Aelians generall rule for turning of faces out of Closings that the Pikes be alwaies aduanced For when you come vp to the closenesse required the Pike vpon the shoulder will hardly admit turning of the face The like falleth out when you would open from the Closing The vse and aduantage of these exercises of armes CHAP. XXXIV THese precepts of turning about of faces of wheeling and double wheeling of the Battaile and of reducing it to the first posture are of great vse in suddaine approches of the enemy whether hee shew himselfe on the right or left hand or in front or in the reare of our march The like may bee said of Countermarches Of which the Macedonians are held to bee the inuentors of the Macedonian the Lacedemonians of the Lacedemonian and for this cause either to haue name accordingly The Histories witnesse that Philip who much enlarged the Macedonian kingdome and ouercame the Graecians in battaile at Cheronea and made himselfe Generall of Greece and likewise his sonne Alexander that in short time conquered all Asia made small account of the Macedonian countermarch vnlesse necessitie forced it and that they both by the vse of the Lacedemonian became victorious ouer their enemies For the Macedonian countermarch the enemy falling vpon the reare is cause of great confusion in as much as the hindermost dismarching toward the front and making a shew of running away it more encourageth and emboldneth the enemy to follow For feare and pursuit of the enemy ordinarily accompanieth that kinde of countermarch But the Lacedemonian is of contrarie effect For when the enemy sheweth himselfe in the reare the Leaders with their followers brauely aduancing and opposing themselues it striketh no small feare and terror into their mindes Cap. 30 The File-leaders A Deduction to the left hand A right induction The Front A Deduction to the right hand Cap. 36. The Coelembolos or hollow fronted wedge The Front The right Induction Cap. 36. The Coelembolos The left wing The right wing The front The Phalange set against the left wing of the Coelembolos The Phalange set against the right wing of the Coelmebolos The forbearing Phalange Of the signes of direction that are to be giuen to the armie and their souerall kindes CHAP. XXXV WEe are to acquaint our forces both foote and horse partly with the voice and partly with visible signes that whatsoeuer is fitting be executed and done as occasion shall require Some things also are to be denounced by the Trumpet for so all directions will be fully accomplished and sort to a desired effect The signes therefore which are deliuered by voice are most euident and cleere if they haue no impediment But the most certaine and least tumultuous are such as are presented to the eye if they bee not obscured The voice sometime can hardly be heard by reason of the clashing of armour or trampling and neighing of Horses or tumult of cariage or noyse and confused sounds of the multitude The visible signes also become many waies incertain by thicknes of aire and dust or raine or snow or sun-shine or else thorow ground that is vneuen or full of trees or of turnings And sometimes it will not be easie to find out signes for all vses occasions eftsoones presenting new matter to the which a man is not accustomed Yet can it not fall out that either by voice or by signal we should not giue certaine and sure direction Of marching and of diuers kindes of Battailes fit for a March And first of the right-induction of the Coelembolos and the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kind of march is a Right-induction other some a Deduction on the right or left hand And that in a single or double or treble or quadruple-sided-battaile In a single when one enemy is feared In a double when two In a treble when three In a quadruple when the enemy purposeth to giue on on all sides Therefore the march is vndertaken sometimes in a single Phalange sometimes in a twofold Phalange or else in a threefold Phalange or in a fourefold Phalange A right-induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead and the rest follow Xenage-wise Or a Tetrarchy lead and the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe out into a wing hauing the Depth much exceeding the length Against it is opposed the Coelembolos which is framed when the Antistomos Diphalange disioyneth the Leading-wings closing the Reare in manner of the letter V as the figure after placed doth teach In which the front is disseuered the reare ioyned and knit together For the Right-induction pointing at the middest of the enemies battaile the Coelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front and to claspe in and circumuent the flankes of the right-induction Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Coelembolos one Phalange fighting against one winge of the Coelembolos The second against the other and the middle and third forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge Of Paragoge or Deduction CHAP. XXXVII PAragoge or Deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in a wing not by file but by ranke hauing the Commanders or file-Leaders either on the right hand which is called a right-hand-Deduction or on the left hand which is called a left-hand Deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple-side accor̄ding to the place and part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the Paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe make the length double to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of