and after in the 9 Ch. he saith you shall command the Souldiers to stand by knowing exactly the souÌ„d of the Trumpet again to moue by the sound of the trumpet So that although other signes were giuen for marching retreat yet the most coÌ„mon signe was by the Trumpet Now we are to vnderstand that all signes giuen by sound to the eare except by the voyce are called signa semiuocalia because albeit their sound be lowder and stronger for the most part then the voyce is yet they are not articulated as is the sound of the voice Hitherto of signes that were giuen to the eare by the sound Now are we to speake briefly of mute signes or those that were set vp as it were a marke for the eye Mute sign swere of two kindes for either they were simple and vsed by themselues as an obiect of the eye alone or else they were mixed and ioyned to signes of sound and so communicated both to the eye and to the eare Of the second for were those whereof I haue spoken a little before and they were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 namely when a mute si ne is added to a vocall as when to the Word in the night is ioyned some speciall gesture of the body as holding downe or nodding of the head lifting vp the hand putting off the hat heauing vp the skirt of the garment c. concerning which see Onosander and Of the first kinde were signes presented to the eye alone which extended very largely and serued where neither voyce not trumpet could be heard by reason of the remorenesse of the place these were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes properly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 likewise because it was agreed by the parties who gaue and tooke them that they should haue such and such signification The words be different but the meaning and effect is all one for as no signe can be but there must be a giuer and a taker of the signe so â—â— that respect the signes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of the communication betwixt the giuer and taker of the signe may aptly also be tearmed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And albeit I noted before that the signe of the battaile and the watchword was called by no other name but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taken often for a mute signe also Many occasions were of giuing these signes and they were sometimes shewen by day sometimes by night and in the day time they were sometime proposed in the battaile sometime in other places where they might be perceiued Arrian historieth of Alexander the Great that at his being in the Country of the Taulantians his enemies Clytus and Glaucias had with manâ— horse darters and slingers and not a few armed men taken the Mountaines and high places by which he was to passe in returning The place was streight and wooddy shut vp on the one side with a riuer on the other side with an exceeding high mountaine the sides whereof were very steepe so that the Armie could not march with more then foure armed in front Alexander marshalled his troopes to 120 in depth and ordering 200 horse on each wing he commanded silence and heede to be taken to his directions And first he willed the armed to aduance their pikes then vpon a signe giuen to let them fall and charge then to turne them close knit to the right hand then to the left and sometime he moued the battell quickly forward and sometime he moued it to the one wing sometime to the other And so fashioning it into diuers shapes in short time and at last casting it into a wedge as it were he led it against the Enemy who stood wondering at the speedinesse and good order of the diuers motions and now perceiuing the Armie to be led against them abode not the charge but left the hill which he held and fled Here are mentioned seuen seuerall motions of the phalange which wee haue in practice at this day 1 Aduancing of Pikes 2 charging of them 3 first to the right hand 4 then to the left hand 5 mouing of the battell forward 6 mouing it to the right wing and then 7 to the left And all these motions were directed by a signe what this signe was may be doubted because it is not expressed whether it was by voice trumpet or a mute signe For my part I would not take it to haue beene by voyce for how could the voice be heard in so great an Army as Alexander had which according to Diodorus Siculus consisted of 30000 foot and 3000 horse and was stretched out in depth and had but foure armed in front nor yet would I imagine it to haue beene giuen by trumpet because though perhaps the trumpet might be heard of all the Army by reason of the Eccho rebounding from the Mountaine and riuer yet could it not fitly and cleerely distinguish the sound that should direct these seuen seuerall motions I haue before declared in what case the trumpet was employed Let me with leaue therefore thinke that it was a mute signe presented to the eye as for the purpose a Coate or other garment fastned to the end of a long staffe the colour whereof being eminent and the staffe being lifted aloft might be perceiued by the whole Army The signe then aduanced to the full height might signifie aduancing of Pikes which was the first motion Being abased and held leuell before the front charging to the front which was the second motion held out leuell to the right flanke charging to the right hand to the left flanke charging to the left hand which were the third and fourth motions of Alexander mouing forward in front it might be a signe for the battell to follow which was the fift Mouing to the right hand for the battell to march to the right which was the sixt to the left for the battell to moue to the left which was the seuenth which motion might more easily be performed in case the ensignes of the particular Companies tooke their direction from the maine signe and so framed themselues to the same motions and the Souldiers to the motions of their Ensignes This I say is my coniecture wherein notwithstanding I preiudice no mans opinion but leaue euery man to his owne conceit and sence Xenophon relateth a notable example of Iphicrates the Athenian who being chosen Admirall by the Citie as soone as he began to take the Sea with his Nauie both at once sailed and also prepared all things necessary for Sea-fight for he left at home the greater sailes as one that sailed forth to fight and seldome vsed the greater masts were the winde neuer so faire but hasting forward with the oare he both made the bodies of his men strong and healthy and the Nauie gained a speedier way and oftentimes where he meant to dine there would he draw his whole
Nauie from the shoare in a wing and turning them about and addressing their prowes to the land giue a signe for the ships to hasten with all celerity to the land euery one as it could It was a great reward and victory for those that came first to land to water and take all thing they needed as also to dine and a great punishment to the sluggards to want those commodities and besides to put to sea again when the signe was giuen for the first did all things at ease and as they list the last were streightnâ—d with haste and must doe as they could When by chance he dined in the enemies Countrie he set out Sentinels some vpon land as behooued other vpon ships rearing vp the Masts that from them they might take a view of all things for these being placed in a higher station might easily discerne and see further then the other standing vpon euen ground wheresoeuer he supped and slept he suffered no fires to be made in the Campe by night but held light before the Campe that no man might haue accesse to it without discouery Oftentimes in faire weather he no sooner supped but put to sea againe and in case there were a fresh gale sailed forward and the sailers in the meane time gaue themselues to rest when hast was needfull he releeued the saylers by turnes and in the day time vpon signes led sometimes in a wing some times in a phalange That these were mute signes from the Admirall ship besides that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth so much for the most part no man I thinke acquainted with Sea-seruice will make question considering that both voice and trumpet easily giue place to the whistling of windes and roaring of tempests and raging of waues of the Sea To say nothing of the distance of one ship from another nor of the tumult and cry of Mariners or sound of oares for in those times sea-fights were altogether in Gallies driuen with oares which make them vncapable of direction by any other kinde of signe And for these mute signes to be giuen by sea I meane of what kinde they should be and to what end and in what manner deliuered I thinke good to cite the words of the Emperour Leo which sound thus Let there be saith he in your Galley a signe standing in some eminent place either an ensigne or some banerall or some such like wherewith after you haue signified what is to be done your direction may straight be vnderstood and executed whether you would haue your Nauie to goe to charge or retire from the Enemy or to countermarch to encompasse the enemy or to hasten to relieue some of your owne party distressed or slacke or quicken their aduancing or lay or auoid an ambush or such like that they seeing the signes â—rom your ship may receiue direction what is to be done And a little after he declareth the manner and vsage of these signes saying Let the signe be showne either standing vpright or enclining to the right or left hand or lifted aloft or let fall low or be taken cleane away or transported to another place or changing by making the head of it appeare in diuers formes by adding other shapes of colours vnto it as was vsed by the Ancients For their manner was in the day of battaile to reare vp a red coloured signe which they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it was nothing else but a peece of red cloath exalted vpon a long staffe and such like but it may be more safely deliuered by your owne hand I thought good to cite these passages of Leo the rather to giue light to the place last before recited out of Zenophon For out of this precept of Leo the practise of Iphicrates his motions may more perspicuously appeare Now that these red coloured signes and signes of other colours also were vsed in fights on land Polybius sheweth in the battell betweene Antigonus the Macedonian King and Cleomenes the King of Sparta Antigonus Army consisted of diuers nations Macedonians Agrians Galatians Achaeans Baeotians Epirotes Acarnans Illyrians Cleomenes his enemy had taken and fortified all the streight passages which led into the territory of the Lacedemonians for thither did Antigonus bend his inuasion and so disposed his forces that Antigonus could not passe without fight Hereupon Antigonus resolued to fight and because his fight was to be ordered in and against diuers places and at diuers times as his aduantage fell out he gaue diuers signes to his different people when to giue on The signe to the Illyrians was then to charge vp Cap. 30. The Coelembolos or hollow-fronted wedge The right Induction The front Cap. 36. The Coelembolos The left wing The Phalange set against the left wing of the Coelembolos The front The forbearing Phglange The right wing The Phalange set against the right wing of the Coelembolos Cap 36. The File-leaders A Deduction to the left hand A right induction The Front A Deduction to the right hand The File leaders the hill when they saw a white linnen cloath held vp from the place about Olympas to the Megalopolitans and horse when they saw the King lift vp a purple garment Caesar commanded his Souldiers not to â—ight without his direction saying he would giue a signe with an ensigne when he would haue them begin And albeit the colour of red was vsed for the most part in Signals yet was not the party that gaue the signe precisely tyed to any colour it was enough if the signe might giue notice of the Generals intent to them whom it concerned the first Ptolowie gaue a signe to his Nauie to begin the fight by hoisting vp a guiâ—â— Target in his Admirall galley other with holding vp or shaking their garment or their hand or with wearing some vnusuall marke vpon a horse vpon Armes vpon vestures or such like This is to be noted for a generall rule that when you finde in history a signe was giuen at a great distance and it is not expressed what signe it was you must vnderstand that it was a mute signe presented to the eye because the sence of hearing is feeble and not able to discerne farre off Hitherto of mute signes giuen by day In the night when all was couered with darknesse and the vse of sight taken away the vsuall manner was to giue a signe by flame of fire which manner of signall might be descried in the night being the darknesse neuer so great Scipio Africanus the younger hauing enclosed Numintia round about with a trench and rampier commanded that if the Enemy fell out vpon any part of his fortification a red peece of cloath should be held out by day vpon a long staffe a flaming fire by night that himselfe or his chiefe officers might come to succour The like shall you finde in Casars Commentaries and Q. Curtius and in other Historiographers
ARMA PACIS FVLCRA The Art of Embattailing AN ARMY O R THE SECOND PART OF AELIANS TACTICKS Containing the Practice of the best Generals of all Antiquitie concerning the formes of Battailes Wherein all Motions requisite to be vsed in a Battaile both for offence and defence are fully expressed Necessary and vsefull for all Martiall Spirits that desire to haue knowledge in the Art Military Englished and Illustrated with Figures and Obseruations vpon euery CHAPTER By Captaine IOHN BINGHAM LONDON Printed for RALPH MAB 1631. TO THE RIGHT VVORSHIPFVLL SIR HVGH HAMERSLY Knight one of the Aldermen and Coronels of the Honorable City of LONDON and President of the Martiall Company Exercising Armes in the Artillery Garden in LONDON TO CAPTAINE HENRY VVALLER NOW CAPTAINE OF THE SAID COMPANY AND TO ALL THE REST OF THE Worthy Captaines and Gentlemen of the said Company Captaine I. B. wisheth such valour and experience as may make them victorious against all sorts of Enemies Worthy Gentlemen THese my last endeuours vpon Aelian I purposed to haue kept to mine owne priuate vse and not to haue presented them to the view of the world But now being to depart from you and toiourney into a farre Countrey and finding your kindnesse and loue toward me such as I was not with any reason to expect I altered my minde and hauing nothing else to offer vnto you I resolued to make this a monument of my thankefulnesse to you and a testimony of my desire to doe you the best seruice I am able For my paines herein I leaue them to the iudgement of any learned Reader for the profit of the Treatise I say no more but this it containeth the practise of the best Generals of all antiquity concerning the formes of Battailes And whereas many hold opinion that it sorteth not with the vse of our times they must giue me leaue to be of another mind Indeed our actions in Warre are onely now a dayes and sieges oppugnations of Cities Battailes wee heare not of saue onely of a few in France and that of Newport in the Low-Countries But this manner will not last alwayes nor is there any Conquest to be made without Battailes He that is Master of the field may dispose of his affaires as he listeth hee may spoyle the Enemies Countrey at his pleasure he may march where he thinketh best he may lay siege to what Towne he is disposed he may raise any siege that the Enemy hath layed against him or his Neither can any man be Master of the field without Battaile in ordering whereof that Generall that is most skilfull seldome misseth of winning the day experience of former times cleares this I should exceede the compasse of an Epistle if I brought the examples which serue to this purpose Now for the skill of ordering Battailes it is not to be learned out of the practise of our dayes wherein when we come into the field we make shewes and musters rather then obserue any formes of Battailes for vse Battailes must not be alwayes of one figure The wise Generals of ancienter times fashioned their battailes according to the range which they saw the Enemy had before taken vp The place often maketh an alteration in that forme which otherwise would serue to our purpose He that is acquainted but with one forme if he be forced to change that vpon the sudden disordereth his troopes and bringeth all into a confusion The knowledge of the formes of battailes being then so necessary for a Generall this little Pamphlet must needs be welcome to them that desire the mannaging of fields and the command of Armies For here haue you all formes expressed together with their vse so that the Generall that is acquainted with the practise of these precepts shall not be to seeke to make transmutation of his battaile into what forme soeuer necessity shall require that vpon the sudden As for them that hold that great Ordnance will not admit any of these ancient formes in our dayes I hold that for a dreame and not worthy the answering since the inuention of great Ordnance we neuer read of any forme of battaile disordered thereby some slaughter hath beene made by great Ordnance and the Army that suffred by great Ordnance hath beene forced the sooner to ioyne with the Enemy when the Armies are ioyned great Ordnance hath and must sit still and looke about as an idle spectator seruing for no other vse then for a pray to him that gameth the field Now for small shot it succeedeth in the place of the light-armed of antiquity By them a Battaile may be broken if they be not repressed and themselues cut off in time But what is said of them that may not be said of Bowes and Arrowes The greatest fields that we gained against the French were gained onely by our Archery To say nothing of other Nations that had the skill of shooting so that no reason can be alleadged why the formes of Battailes vsed by antiquity for aduantage may not be as well vsed in our dayes Howsoeuer the matter standeth my desire is that the Treatise may with your fauourable acceptance beare your names in the Front thereof Not because I thinke it worthy of your Patronage but for that I would haue it appeare to the world how much I esteeme of your kindnesse as I said and of your loue which you expressed toward me in my taking leaue of the City The Lord of hostes haue you in his keeping Your seruant as heretofore to doe you seruice IOHN BINGHAM Cap. 30. Plagiophalanx or the Brode-Fronted Phalange Orthiophalanx or the Herse Loxe-Phalanx or the vneven fronted Phalange The Front THE TACTICKS OF AELIAN OR THE ART OF EMBATTAILING ARMIES The broad-fronted Phalange the deepe Phalange or Herse and the vneuen-fronted Phalange CHAP. XXX 1 PLagiophalange or the broad-fronted Phalange is that which hath the 2 length manifoldly exceeding the depth 3 Orthiophalange or the deepe Phalange now commonly called the Horse is that which proceedeth by a 4 winge hauing the depth much exceeding the length In generall speech euery thing is called 5 Paramekes which hath the length more then the depth and that which hath the depth more then the length 6 Orthion and so likewise a Phalange The Phalange 7 Loxe or vneuen-fronted that is which putteth forth one of the wings which is thought fittest towards the Enemy and with it begins the fight holding off the other in a conuenient distance till opportunity be to aduance NOTES THis Chapter and the next seeme not to hold their right place for being set before the manner how to wheele and likewise before closings and inserted betwixt the motions of the Phalange to which motions or to one of them the manner of wheeling and closings appertaine they interrupt the method or orderly handling of the said motions which method Aelian curiously obserueth through his whole Booke Besides Aelian himselfe after a manner pointeth out the true place of them in that
I adde that after a long fight the Persians were forced to flye and the victory remained with Alexander And this that I haue recited may serue to shew the vse of this kinde of Loxe-phalange which was practised by Alexander to no other end then to gaine the passage of the riuer for in this forme hee would neuer haue fought nor is there any president for it out of his battels ranged vpon euen ground where he might haue chosen the forme he liked best but here he was to get ouer a riuer the enemy held the bankes on the other side with 20000. Horse ordered in a broad phalange the riuer was full of shallowes and depths and thereby hardly passable the bankes on the other side steepe and broken and hard to ascend Parmenio disswaded him to lead in a wing or herse and himselfe had no great fancie to aduenture in that forme In a broad-fronted phalange he could not which must needs haue beene broken by the vnequall footing in the bottome of the riuer What did hee then hee thought best to choose a passable foord and through it to put ouer the right wing of his Army slope-wise toward the further banke whither when they came they should proceed against the streame that the front being still extended and the rest comming vp and ioyning he might front toward and charge the Enemy phalange-wise And that this was his meaning is plaine by Polyen who rehearsing the same Stratagem saith that Alexander led his Army in that forme along the further banke to the end to ouer-front the Enemies Horse-battaile So that this kinde of Loxe or vneuen-fronted Phalange is no forme to fight in as I conceiue but hath beene sometimes taken vp as a meanes to attaine to a ground fit for a better forme as Alexander changed it as soone as he came to the banks of the riuer on the other side The other as I said great Generals haue vsed and by it haue gained great victories I will adde an example or two whereby the vse of it may more clearely appeare Epaminondas the Theban in a field against the Lacedemonians gained a famous victory by this forme Diadorus Siculus writeth thus The Baeotians also being ready to fight the battailes on both sides were fashioned in this order Amongst the Lacedemonians the Chiefetaines of the race of Hercules had the wings viz. Cleombrotus the King and Archidamus who was the sonne of Agesilaus the other King On the Baeotian side Epaminondas vsing a peculiar and choice kinde of embattailing obtained a renowned victory by his martiall skill For selecting the best men out of all his troopes he opposed them against one of the Enemies wings himselfe resoluing in his owne person to try the fortune of the day with them Against the other wing he set the weakest commanding them to fight retyring and to giue ground by little and little when the Enemy came on to charge framing therefore an vneuen fronted Phalange he determined to hazard the fight with that wing which consisted of his chosen Soldiers The Trumpets sounded and the Armies gaue a shout and the Lacedemonians figuring a halfe Moone thrust out both their wings of purpose to enuiron the Baeotians who with one of their wings retired with the other ran forth to ioyne with the Enemy after ioyning the Victorie hung a good while doubtfull thorough the valour of both parties notwithstanding Epaminondas by the manhood of his people and the thicknesse of his battaile hauing the better many of the Lacedemonians fell for they were not able to endure the weight of the resolution of those chosen men yet so long as Cleombrotus liued and had many to ioyne Targets for his defence and ready to dye before him the sway of victory was vncertaine But after he had cast himselfe into all kinde of dangers and yet could not force the Enemy to retire fighting heroically he was borne to ground with many wounds and so ended his daies There arose a flocking and concourse about his body and multitudes of dead men were heaped one vpon another That wing being now without a Commander was hardly laid to by Epaminondas and first with plaine force somewhat disordered The Lacedemonians on the other side brauely hazarding for their King recouered his dead body but could not attaine to the victory as also the selected band albeit prouoked by the vertue and exhortation of Epaminondas it vsed extraordinary valour yet with much adoe did it force the battaile of the Lacedemonians who first giuing backe somewhat disordered themselues at last many falling and no man being to command them the whole armie tooke it selfe to flight Epaminondas his soldiers followed the chace slew many made themselues Masters of the field and carried away a notable and famous victory Their honour was the more because they fought with the most valiant men of all the Grecians and ouercame them being many more in number then themselues contrary to all mens expectation but of all other Epaminondas was the man that merited most praise who by his owne valour and martiall skill won a battaile against those Generals of Greece which to that day were held inuincible This Testimony of the Loxephalange is somewhat long but the worthinesse of the circumstances will I hope beare me out to recite it wherein the forme agreeable to Aelian is first to be noted as aduancing one wing against the Enemy and holding off the other albeit it goe a little further then Aelian prescribeth in that the wing kept off stood not still waiting time to come forward but when the Enemy came vp ioyned with him giuing ground of purpose to distract his phalange and on that side to busie him with a slow fight lest happily he might giue vpon the aduerse flanke of Epaminondas and succour his owne partie that already was in fight It sheweth besides the aduantage of Military skill for the Lacedemonians Masters of Armes at that day in Greece hauing fashioned a halfe Moone and imagining in that forme to inclose the small number of the Baeotians and to charge them on euery side Epaminondas with his Loxe Phalange so plyed the front of their wings that the rest of the halfe Moone being neuer able to strike stroake became vnprofitable It shewes further what kinde of battaile is fittest to encounter the halfe moone Lastly it hath the reason and vse of the Loxe phalange that is to charge one of the Enemies wings with the best and strongest part of our forces and at the same instant to annoy him with the other wing thereby to embarre him from giuing aide to his people that were in fight Alexander vsed this forme at Gangamela beginning the fight and victory with his right wing and after with his victorious troopes succouring his left wing that was in danger to be routed by the Persians The like forme with the like successe was vsed by Antigonus against Eumenes it is a battaile worth the
be led through streight and narrow passages The 3 foot battaile to encounter is called the Plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile For being but slender in depth it beareth foorth and extendeth it selfe in length so that albeit it be broken in the middest with the charge of Horse yet is nothing broken but a little of the depth and the fury of the Horse is carried not vpon the multitude of foot but streight and immediatly into the open aire and field And for that cause is the length thereof much exceeding the depth NOTES 1 OF the 2. battailes Heteromekes and Plagiophalanx I haue spoken before in my notes vpon the thirtieth Chapter The Heteromekes is a kinde of Herse the Plagiophalange the broad fronted battaile therein mentioned 2 For seeming to be but a few Amongst all the stratagems vsed in Warre it hath beene accounted alwayes a master piece of skill to deceiue the Enemie with shew of forces that are in any Army sometime with semblance of more men then wee haue to feare him sometime with concealing our number to prouoke him rashly to fight and aduenture himselfe in battaile Of these two kindes we haue an example in Caesar at the siege of Cap. 45. Plagiophalanx or the broad fronted battaile of foote Heteromekes or the Herse of Horse The front Gergouia Caesar himselfe writeth thus When Caesar came into his lesser Campe hee had two Campâ—â— at that siege to take view of his workes he perceiued that the hill which was holden by the Enemie was become emptie of men which hill a few dayes past could hardly â—â— seene for the multitude that couered it Maruelling thereat he asked of the run awâ—â—yes the cause of whom great numbers came flocking to him euery day It appeared by â—ll their reports which Caesar also vnderstood by his owne Scoutes that the ridge of the hill was almost euen but yet wooddy and narrow by which there was accesse to â—he other part of the towne That the Enemie mightily feared that place and were now of opinion that seeing the Romans had gained one hill if they should lose the other they should seeme well nigh enclosed round about with a trench and shut up from issuing out and from forrage that all were called out of the Citie by Vercinâ—etorix to fortifie the place Caesar hauing gotten this intelligence sent at midnight dâ—â—ers troopes of horse thither and commanded them to rid vp and downe in all places with greater tumult then their manner was Assoone as it was day hee willed a great number of carriage-horse and Mules to be brought out of the Campe and their pads â—o be taken off from them and that the Muleters putting on head-pieces should ride aâ—out the hils in shew as if they were horse-men To these he added a few Horse who were to spred themselues abroad hereand there to amase the Gaules the more Hee willed them to addresse themselue and to draw to one and the same place fetching a large compasse about These things were seene a farre of out of Gergouia for from thence the Campe might well be discerned and yet in such distance â—t could not bee certainely perceiued what the matter was He sent a legion along the ridge of the same hill and placed it drawing it a little further forward in the nether grounds below and hid it in the woods The Gaules here at increaseâ— their suspition and all the forces appointed for the fortifications of their Campe were led thither Caesar espying the Campe of the Enemie to be voide of men conue ed Souldiours stragling as it were and not in troopes from the greater Campe vnto the lesser hiding those things by which they might be knowne and couering their ensignes of Warre lest happily they might bee discried out of the Towne and gaue instructions to the Legats whom he had set ouer euery Legion what he would haue done After thesâ— directions hee gaue the signall the Souldiers after the signall giuen with all speed fell vp to the Munition and entring made themselues masters of three Camps of the Enemie And the speed of their surprise was such that Theutomatus King of the Nitiobrigians being suddenly surprised in his Tent as he rested about noone the vpper part of his body being naked had much adoe to saue himselfe vpon his horse which was also wounded in escaping from the hands of the rifâ—â—â—g Souldiers This example of Caesar containeth the two kinds before remembered of deceiuing the Enemie For hee both made a greater shew of horse men then hee had by setting Muleters on horse-backe and giuing the 〈…〉 â—ieces and also dissembled the number of them who were in the lesser 〈…〉 which gaâ—e vpon the Enemies workes by conueying Souldiers 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 Campe piece meale as it were and one after anothe◠〈…〉 icy yeelded victory to Caesar against the Gaules before as you 〈…〉 in the fift booke of his Commentaries And in this very kinde that Aelian speaketh of that is in making his front narrow and his battaile deepe and so dissembling his forces Cleandridas the Lacedemonian wonne a noble battaile against the Thurians as I haue noted in the nine and twentieth Chapter of this booke Examples of the manner of these flights are euery where to be found in Histories 3 The foot battaile to encounter it Diuers kindes of battailes are fitter as I conceiue to bee opposed against this horse-battaile then the Plagiophalange And I take it it is not therefore here set dowâ—e as the best forme to encounter and repulse the horse but rather to shew that if you bee not otherwise able to auoide them you may in this â—orme sustaine the lesser losse For so much importes the reason of Aelian viz. that if you be broken in the middest by the horse yet is nothing broâ—en but a little of the depth and the fury of the horse is carried into the open field not vpon the rest of the foot If your foot battaile were flanked with a riuer wood trench wall or some such other strength I would theâ— well hold with this reason For then might the foot open as in the Diâ—alange Antistomus and suffer the horse to passe through and to fall iâ—â—o the riuer or vpon that strength which you were flanked with all Bâ—t when the horse breake through your foot and passe into the open field they haue aduantage to turne againe vpon your backe and freedome of a many charges as they list to giue vpon you The Plinthium the halfe Moone the Epicampios or hollow-fronted battaile described in the next foâ—lowing Chapter and the wedge of foot are to be preferred before the Plagiophalange For all these kindes are inuented to repulse horse in what forme soeuer they giue on and some of them in case the horse be forward â—â— charging to ouerthrow and discomfit them Of some of these we haue spoken before other some follow to be treated of The Heteromekes horse battaile is not in our dayes much
their weapons on all sides distresse the Rhombe both in front and flanke which is a dangerous kinde of fight and such a one as seldome may be tolerated or endured 2 Against the square horse battaile in figure or ground he opposeth in this Chapter the wedge of foot which albeit it cannot with the like art wrappe in and encompasse the square yet is it of force sufficient to breake and disseuer it and so to disorder and deface it For the square of horse hauing a large front and going with full speed to charge falleth vpon the narrow front of the wedge which according to Aelian ought to containe no more then three men and they knitting themselues close their pikes pretended and being seconded with the rest of their companions behinde pretending their pikes likewise receiue the charge with a firme stand so that onely the middest of the horse falling vpon the point of their front cannot reach to the flanks of the wings thereof because the wedge from the first narrowing groweth backward into an increasing breadth without breaking of their forme and altering of the front of their square wherein they were ordered which if they doe their repulse cannot but follow because they fight out of order Now that the forme of the wedge in horse is able to endure the shot of the horse that came against them in a square appeareth by the 18. Chapter of this booke where it is said that Philip King of Macedon Alexanders father vsed this forme alone and that Alexander himselfe ordered his horse in the same manner who were both victorious in all their fields That it is as good for foot against horse besides the reasons before rehearsed may be euident by this that the horse are in motion in the charge and by that meanes are soone disordered whereas the foot stand fast and keepe themselues secure to repulse the violence of the horse 3. So Epaminondas the Theban This battaile is excellently described by Xenophon in his seuenth booke of his history of the Grecians His words sound thus After Epaminondas had embattailed his army as he thought fit he led not streight way against the enemy directly but declined westward toward the Tegaean mountaines lying right ouer against the enemy which bred an opinion that he had no will to fight that day For after he came vp to the mountaine and had taken a view of his army he cansed them to lay downe their armes in the vppermost part of all as if he meant to incampe and by this meanes allayed the preparation of fight which most of the enemies had conceiued in minde and likewise their care in maintaining their place and order in battaile After sleeuing vp to the front his companies that marched in a wing hee fashioned his whole army into a strong wedge Then commanding them to take vp their armies he led on and they followed The enemy seeing him aduance contrary to their expectation had no leisure to be still but some ranne to their place in battaile some embattailed themselues some bridled their horse some put on their curaces all were like to men that were like rather receiue then giue a foyle to the enemy Epaminondas led on his army like a gallie with the prowe against the enemy imagining that wheresoeuer he should breake their array he should thereby ouerthrow their whole army For he resolued to bring the best and strongest part of his army to fight casting the weakest behinde in the reare knowing that being defeated they would discourage their owne side and breed new courage in the enemy The enemy ranged his horse like a phalange of armed foot in a great depth without ioyning foot with them But Epaminondas made a strong wedge of his horse also allotting them foot which had no herses conceiuing that cutting asunder the enemies horse he should easily ouerthrow their whole army For you shall hardly find any that will make good their ground after they see them of their owne side take themselues to their feet And to the end to with hold the Athenians from succouring those of the left wing next vnto them he placed both horse and foot right ouer against them vpon the hils to put them in feare of charging their reare if they gaue ayd vnto the enemy so led he on to the charge and was not deceiued of his hopes For hauing the better wheresoeuer he gaue on he put the whole army of his aduersaries to flight So Xenophon Where you may note not onely a square of horse defeated by a wedge of horse but also a square battaile of foot defeated by a wedge of foot And to shew more plainely that the forme of the wedge is forcible against abroad fronted Phalange I will recite two examples more The first is out of T. Liutus who writeth of a battaile fought betwixt the Romans and Celtiberians thus The Celtiberians knowing that the Roman army hauing spoyled their Countrey would retire through a forrest called Manlius his forrest â—id themselues in it of purpose to the end to fall vpon the Romans vpon aduantage and vnlooked for When the Roman army had entred the forrest by day-light the enemy rising out his ambush vpon the sudden inuaded them on both flanks Which Flaccus hee was the Roman Generall seeing stilled the tumult by the Captaines commanding euery man to his place and armies and bringing the baggage and carriage beasts together he constantly and without feare embattailed his army partly by himselfe partly by his Legates and by the Tribunes of the souldiers as the time and place required The enemy came on and the skirmish was attached in the vttermost parts of the Roman Phalange and at last the battailes ioyned The fight was hot in all parts but fortune diuers for the Legeons behaued themselues brauely and the auxiliarie in both wings as well The mercinaries were hardly laid vnto by the enemy who bore the like armes and was a better kind of souldier had much ado to make good their ground The Celtiberians when they saw they could not match the legions in the ordinary manner of fight and Ensigne against Ensigne cast themselues into a wedge and so assayled the Romans in which kind of fight they are so powerfull that they are scarcely to be resisted Then the legions also branced and the battell was almost broken Which danger when Flaccus perceiued he rode to the legionary horsemen And is there no helpe in you said he This army will immediately be lost When they cryed out at all hands they would gladly doe whatsoeuer he commanded Double the troopes said he of both legions and with all your might force your horse against this wedge of the enemy wherewith they presse vs you shall doe it more violently if you giue on drawing off the horses bridles which the Roman horsemen haue of ten done heretofore to their great coÌ„mendation They obeyed and pulling off their horses bridles they passed
Phalange Antistomus which hath the file-leaders without And so I am of opinion it ought to be read in the Text. And yet there is no question but another way of figuring the wedge may be practised then to leaue it hollow behind In this Chapter it is called Embolos and Aelian faith it is borrowed of the horse-wedge Now that the horse-wedge is solid Cap. 49. The Peplegmene The Plesium The front 〈…〉 not hollow within is plaine by the 19 and 20 Chapters of this 〈…〉 will conclude this Chapter with the caution of Vegetius which is this that if you shill make a paire of tongs or a hallow wedge you ought to haue reserues in readinesse behinde the battaile wherewith you may frame your tongs or wedge And yet this caution holdeth not alwayes For as a horse-wedge so a foot-wedge may be framed without supernumeraries as the 19 and 20 Chapters shew Of the foot-battaile called Plesium and of the Winding or Sawefronted battaile to encounter it CHAP. XLIX 1 THE battaile Plesium hath the 2 length much exceeding the depth And it is called Plesium when armed foot are placed on all sides the archers and slingers being thrown into the middest Against this kinde of battaile is set the winding-fronted battaile to the end that with the vnequall figure it may traine out those of the Plesium to cope with them and by that meanes dissolue and disorder the thicknesse of the same And the file-leaders of the winding-fronted battaile obserue the file-leaders of the Plesium that if they still maintaine their closenesse and fight secret they also encounter them in the like forme If the Plesium file-leaders seuer themselues and spring out from their maine force then they likewise be ready to meet them man to man NOTES 1 THis Chapter containeth two foot-battailes one to be opposed against the other the first called the Plesium or hollow-square the second the winding-fronted-battaile or Peplegmene Of which the first hath beene vsed by all antiquity especially by the Grecians whensoeuer the enemies ouertopped in number and they feared to be charged on all sides It is called Plesium of the figure which is square but originally and more particularly of the mould wherein bricks are cast Because the battaile hath the likenesse of the mould as being both square and also hollow within as I haue noted before Neither is this name giuen to a battaile alone Plutarch saith that the chariot wherein Alexander rode when he returned from the Indies quaffing and rioting was framed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a square hollow forme and the Helepolis an engin which Demetrius inuented to batter the Rhodian City was tetragonall and had 48 cubits in euery side of the Plesium But in a battaile that is Plesium saith Aelian which 2 Hath the length manifoldly exceeding the depth The length of a battaile as I haue shewed heretofore is that which runneth from the point of one wing to the other in front the depth that is measured from the front to the reare In the Plesium then according to Aelian the length or breadth ought to be manifold to the depth But it is not generally so for oftentimes you shall read of Plesiums with equall sides and likewise that the Plesium is sometimes hollow within sometimes solid and filled vp within with men of which last kinde Xenophon saith many of the Barbarians framed their troopes in the battaile betwixt Artaxerxes and Cyrus Of the first Aelian speaketh in this Chapter for he would haue the foure sides to consist of armed and the archers and slingers to be throwne into the hollownesse within He hath before in the 42 Chapter described the Plinthium to be a square battaile in figure and number this he would haue to be a square with the front manifoldly longer then the flanke So that both battailes agree in that they are square both in that they haue armed on all sides both in that they are hollow within they differ onely in the forme of the square which is longer in the Plesium deeper in the Plinthium Their affinity also appeareth in this also that the Plinthium hath the name from a bricke the Plesium from the mould of a bricke yet are their names oftentimes confounded For that which is called in one Author Plesium is in another called Plinthium as namely the battaile of Antony in Persia is by Plutarch named Plesium by Appian Plinthium To shew now the vse of this battatle it is of the kinde of Defensiues and the Grecians whensoeuer they feared to be charged in flanke front and reare at once or to be ouer-laid with number of enemies had recourse vnto this forme There is a notable example of it in Thucydides The Athenians hauing besieged Syracuse in Cicill both by Sea and Land and being ouer-come in two battailes by Sea thought to march by land to someone of their considerate Cities in the Island and fearing to be round beset by the Syracusians in their way Nicias one of the Athenian Generals put his part of the army in a Plesium and so marched before Demosthenes the other Athenian Generall followed with the other part of the army in the same forme The armed tooke into the hollownesse of their battailes the cariage and vnusefull multitude When they came to the foord of theriuer Anapis they found the Syracusians and their allies embattailed there whom hauing beaten from the place they passed oâ—er and continued heir march The Syracusian horse still charged and the light-armed ceased not to ply them with misâ—iue weapons but yet they came not to hand-blowes fearing to hazard against men desperately bent to sell their liues deerely At last wearying them with many dayes skirmish and disordering their army they forced them to yeeld This History is at large set downe by Thucydides I haue abridged it lest it should take vp too much roome and yet haue expressed both the forme in his words and further the meanes that the enemy vsed to breake it and to get the victory This forme was vsed by the Grecians at their returne out of Persia after that Clearchus and the other Coronels were ensnared by Tissaphernes and put to death and againe by Xenophon when he retreated after he had failed of the taking of Asidates prisoner not farre from Pergamus a City of Lydia For the meanes to dissolue this battaile the principall is not to charge at hand those that stand so embattailed but to ply them farre off with missiue weapons which is manifest by the fight of the Syracusians against Nicias and the Athenians and by that of the Persians who so assayled Xenophon in his retreat last mentioned Aelian setteth against it another forme of battaile which he tearmeth Peplegmene the winding fronted battaile which is by some called the sawe what kinde of battaile the sawe is I see controuerted Some would haue it consist of a constant front indented and not changeable or alterable in
your army into a hollow square wherein the baggage is to be couched and to be desended on all sides For if the ground be open enough to cast your selfe into a square hee holdeth the forme the safest to giue security to your baggage These be his words Place all four carriage seruants and baggage and prouision in the middest of your army And in another place speaking of a retreat to be made after an ouerthrow receiued he writeth thus You shall order your whole power into two Phalanges or battailes or into one square Plinthium in the middest whereof you shall put the carriage beasts and baggage and without them the souldiers in order and without them the archers and so retire and depart in safety Againe he saith In marches the enemy approaching it is necessary to haue your carriage in the middest lest being vnguarded it be spoyled and rifled With Leo doth Xenophon agree His words haue this shew I will not wonder if as fearfull dogges are wont to follow and bite such as passe by if they can and to flye from such as follow them so the enemy hang vpon our reare Therefore we shall perhaps march the safer if making a Plesium of the armed the carriage and vnprofitable multitude be throwne into the middest for more security And if it be now determined who shall command the front of the Plesium and who the two wings and who the reare wee shall not need to consult when the enemy approacheth but execute that which is resolued vpon This is Xenophons counsell for the march in open ground when the enemy aboundeth in number of souldiers which counsell was often put in practice and the Grecians being but 10000 secured themselues against infinite multitudes of Persian horse that charged them on all sides and also preserued and led their carriage sate in dispite of the enemy The like was practised by Xenophon afterward in the last warlike action of the Grecians in their returne out of Persia He setteth downe the history after this manner Now was it time viz. after they had assaulted a fort in vaine the enemy of the country gathering head to thinke vpon a faire retreat and conueâ—ing the oxen and sheep they had taken and likewâ—se the slaues into a Plesium they quickly dismarched not so much esteeming their prey as fearing in case they left it behind their departure might seeme a plaine running away and the enemy gathâ—r heart the Grecian souldiers be discouraged So now they departed fighting as it were about the prey The Souldiers with Xenophon being shrewdl annoyed wiâ—h bowes slings cast themselues into a ring to the end to oppose their targets against the shot of the enemy and with much adoe passed the riuer Caicus the one halfe of them being wounded Agasias also the Stymphalian Captaine was hurt whilest hee maintained fight with the enemy during the whole retreat Yet they all returned safe to the Campe bringing with them about 200 slaues and sheepe enough for Sacrifice Here Xenophons souldiers figured themselues first into a Plesium couching their prey in the middest afterward being ouerlayed with the enemies shot they conuerted their Plesium into a Ring in which forme they tecouered their Came notwithstanding the molestation and often charging of a great multitude of horse and foot that were enemy and followed them Of the forme of Rings I finde not many examples amongst the Grecians the Romans vsed them often when they found themselues encompassed by the enemy as Vegetius hath and may bee seene in Caeâ—ars Commentaries And let thus be said of the foure manners of placing the carriage in a march Of the words of Command and certaine obseruations about them CHAP. LII LAst of all we will briefly repeate the words of direction if we admonish first that they ought to be short then that they ought to be without double signification For the Souldiers that in haste receiue direction had neede to take heede of doubtfull words lest one doe one thing and another the contrary As for the purpose If I say turne your face some it may be that heare me will turne to the right some to the left hand and so no small confusion follow Seeing therefore these words Turne your face import a generall signification and comprehend turning to the right or left hand we ought in stead of saying turne your face to the pike to pronounce it thus To your pike turne your face that is we ought to set the particular before and then inferre the generall for so will all doe alike together Like reason is if you say Turne about your face or countermarch for these are also generall words and therefore wee should doe well to set the particular before As to the pike turne your face about or to the target turne your face about Likewise the Lacedemonian Countermarch not the countermarch Lacedemonian For if you place the word countermarch first some of the Souldiers will happily fall to one kinde other to another kinde of countermarch For which cause words of double sence are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall NOTES IF we admonish first that they ought to be short The ordering and motions of an army ought to be quickly performed the rather because the transmutations of the body and the occasions of them are sudden for the most part And therefore the meanes to worke the transmutations commanded these meanes are the words of direction ought to suite to the nature of the motions themselues and to be applyed to celerity by shortnesse of speach Short speach is better carried away and sooner put in execution then speech that is longer Yet is not such a shortnesse to bee affected as will bring with it obscurity according to the saying of the Poet Breuis esse laboro Obscurus fio I labour to be short and so become obscure And therefore I take the practice of French Commanders when they command Facing in these words A droie a gauche to the right to the left without adding face and likewise of the Netherlanders in imitation of the French Reehes om slinks om and of some English in these words To the right to the left not pronouncing the motion which is to be made to the hand appointed These I say I take to be without the warrant of reason and of all antiquity from which Aelian draweth this rule For the command of right and left alone sheweth that the Commander would haue a motion performed to the named hand but leaueth vncertaine what the motion should be so that albeit some souldiers fall to a countermarch some other to wheeling or to doubling or to facing they are to be reputed blamelesse and to haue performed that which their direction willed them to doe because the command was of mouing to the right or left hand onely not shewing what motion should be made to either hand Shortnesse therefore is required by Aelian but such a Shortnesse as