both Greeke and Latine These were the signes vsed in the battell and in the Campe without the Campe were set Sentinels both horse and foot to fore-warne and giue aduerrisement to the Generall of the Enemies approach To these oftentimes the Generall gaue a signe amongst themselues and they by signes signified what was done abroad For the manner of placing these Sentinels see Aeneas The signes themselues were such as might be discerned by the eye and of that kinde and forme whereof I haue made mention already Of Marching and of the diuers kind of battels fit for a march And first of the right induction of the Caelembolos and of the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI 1 BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kinde of march is a 2 right-induction othersome a 3 deduction on the right or left hand and that in a single or double or treble or quadruplesided battell 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 all sides Therefore the March is vndertaken sometimes in a single sometimes in a double or in a threefold or in a fourefold phalange 4 A right induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead the rest follow Xenage-wise or if a Tetrarchy lead the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe forth into a wing hauing the depth many times exceeding the length Against it is opposed the caelembolos or hollow-wedge which is framed when the Antistomus diphalange disioyneth the leading wings closing the reare in forme of the letter V as the figure after doth teach in which the front is disseuered and the reare ioyned and knit together for the right induction pointing at the midst of the Enemies battell the Caelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front of the induction and to claspe in and circumuent the flanks thereof Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Caelembolos one Phalange fighting against one wing of the Caelembolos the second against the other and the middle or third phalange forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge NOTES THe Marching of an Army is a principall head of warre Aelian toucheth it no further then to shew the order and shapes of battels fit for a March and were it possible that all grounds were alike open and without impediments as namely without trees ditches hedge-rowes ragged waies valleys hils brooks and such like the best forme of your marching should be to proceede with your whole phalange in a square battell which forme is teady for all attempts of the enemy and is the beginning and sourse of other formes and with no great difficulty wil take be changed into any shape you desire Leo sheweth the inconueniency of the Herse or induction in marching thorow Champaine and large plaines first in that the Enemy with a broad-fronted battaile may enfold and encompasse the front and so easily rout it then because if the Enemy charge the flanke it will quickly be broken as being without depth further if he fall vpon the reare it is in the like danger of encompassing as was the front lastly neither can the front giue succour and assistance to the reare in case it be ouerpressed by the Enemy nor yet the reare to the front they being so farre distance one from another And he concludeth that the forme of a square or broad-fronted battaile is fit for a march in all occasions being easily to be ordered and without danger But seeing it is not possible as Polibius saith or else very hard to finde out places of 20 furlong or more where in none of the impediments aboue recited shall be the formes of marching must necessarily be accommodated to the ground and wayes through which your forces are to passe what formes they be the following Chapters will shew 2. Some kinde of March is a right Induction The expectation of the enemies approach is oftentimes a cause of varying thâ— kindes of march if he alwayes appeared in front there should need no other proceeding then with the file-leaders in front because he seekes his aduantage and in the March sometimes attacheth the reare sometimes one flanke sometimes another the Grecians to prouide for all attempts so ordered their March that wheresoeuer they feared the enemies giuing on there they opposed the file-leaders as the best men of the Armie and most able to receiue the affront yet for the most part the March was vndertaken in a right induction that is without inuerting the ordinary kind of file-leading in front which also is our manner of marching at this day But yet sometimes in a 3. Deduction on the right or left hand There is but one kind of right induction viz. a march that hath the file-leaders in the front Of Deductions there are 2 kinds one to the right the other to the left hand And because the file-leaders march on the right or left hand flanke not in front therefore the one is called a right hand deduction the other a left hand deduction So that not the body which continueth or beginneth the march but the place of the file-leaders in the march makes the difference betwixt Induction and Deduction What the Vse of Deduction is we shall see in the next Chapter 4. A right Induction is Aelian describeth the right Induction by the marching of seuerall bodies of one kind one after another as if a Xenagy lead all the rest of the forces are to bee separated into Xenagies and singly one after another to follow the first leading Xenagy so of other bodies lesser or greater Notwithstanding in a right Induction wee must take this caution withall that the file-leaders proceed in the front for otherwise if they bee placed in the flanke it is now no induction but a deduction howsoeuer the seuerall bodies of a kind follow one another This is that manner of marching which is called marching in a wing of which I haue spoken sufficiently in my notes vpon the 30 Chapter There are other kind of inductiue marches set forth in the Greeke History which are not altogether of the forme which Aelian describeth for where Aelian would haue Xenagies to follow one another with the file-leaders in front his meaning is that the whole 16 files of the Xenagie should bee laid together all the file-leaders being layed in an euen front Now you haue examples where whole Companies march in one file so that all the file-leaders haue not the front but rest included in the inward parts of the file and yet many of these files ioyned together make an induction Xenophon reporteth that when Cyrus the elder was mustering and exercising his Army in the field there came vnto him a messenger from Cyaxares the King of the Medes being Cyrus
baggage was lost endeuoured notwithstanding to renew the fight in hope by gaining the victory not onely to preserue his owne baggage but also to possesse that of the enemy But the Macedonians refused to strike stroake alleadging that their carriage was lost and their children and wiues and many other bodies necessary were in the hands of the enemy And sending priuily Embassadours to Antigonus they seised vpon Eumenes and deliuered him vp into Antigonus possession Thus much for the importance of assuring the carriage 2 Requireth a speciall Commander That the baggage ought to haue a speciall Commander Leo also affirmeth Vigetius addeth a gard to the baggage and Leo a proper Ensigne saying To euery regiment there ought to be allotted a Waggon Master and a proper Ensigne as well to the horse as oxen that they may be discerned to their owners by the colours of the Ensigne 3 Either before the Army The first of the fiue wayes by which the baggage is conueighed in a march is to lead it before the Army which manner is to be put in practise when the enemy pursueth in the reare For if when the enemy followeth the baggage should be behinde he would soone haue meanes to selfe vpon and rifle it then you could haue to wheele about your army to succour it For these fiue manners of conueighing the carriage Leo agreeth with Aelian in these words Your carriage saith he ought to haue a speciall Commander to order and gouerne it and he is to lead it either before the Army if you disonarch out of the enemies Countrey after the Army if you inuade the enemies territory on the one side or other when you feare to be charged on the one or either of your flanks within the phalange when you haue suspition to be charged on all parts So Leo agreeing with Aelian 4 Orbehinde The baggage is to be alwayes disposed of so that the army may be betwixt it and the enemy It ought to be before when the enemy is like to giue on behinde behinde when he seeketh to affront you from before And yet it sometimes falleth out that all the baggage is not to be led behinde the whole army according to this precept of Leo. Cause euery drung or regiment saith he to his Generall to accustome their owne baggage to follow after their regiment with their owne Ensignes and not to mingle with other For it is necessary when the enemy is neither present nor expected in our owne Countrey to maâ—ch either by Regiments or else by Formes and not to gather your whole Army into one place lest thet be easily starned with hunger or the number be quickly â—â—scoue â—â— by the enemies espicials or be seuered in forrage In another place speaking of marching thorow woddy and rough wayes he hath thâ— In case you haue horse or baggage lead your baggage behinde your Army and after it the horse and after them a few light armed targatiers to be as it were bringers vp of the march for feare of vnexpected incursions which oftentimes chance to be made by the enemy In another thus When you enter your enemies Countrey you shall cause your carriage to march in the reare but when the enemy draweth neere you shall bestow it in the middest of the Army And in any case you must haue your carriage and the Captiues if you haue any seperated from the souldiers that are to fight lest if the enemy fall on roundly they be hindered that are to fight For the distance that the carriage ought to hold behinde the Army the same Leo hath thus If you thinke it conuenient for the carriage to follow the Army you are to order it a full bowe-shot from the Army and let euery part follow their owne bodies in good array giuing it such breadth in the march is the Army possesseth lest that lying out beyond the breadth of the Army they become vnsuccourable These are the precepts of Leo concerning the conueighance of the carriage in the reare For the practise of it you haue a precedent of Cyrus the elder which is at large rehearsed by me in my notes vpon the 7 Chapter of this Booke and another of Alexander the Great when hee led against the Persians at the riuer Granicus and an infinite number of other examples are to be found in History euery where 5 Or on the one flanke or the other Aelians precept for disposing of the baggage on the flanks is very good For it ought as much as is possible to be preserued from the touch of the enemy neither can there be any better way to secure it then your opposition the Army betwixt it and the enemy but so notwithstanding that it haue a gard about it at all times to saue it from the sudden inuasion of your enemies horse If therefore the enemy appeare on your left flank your baggage is to be conueied on the right flank If contrariwise the enemy come on to charge your right flanke the baggage is to be remoued to the left And this holdeth onely when the enemy appeareth vpon one flanke and not on both But in case the enemy appeare on both flanks at once then is the safest place for it 6 In the middest There are two manners of leading of the baggage in the middest and that according to the nature and condition of the ground where our army marcheth If therefore the way be straight Leo giueth this precept Those that leads their army through streights hauing with it either baggage or prey ought to diuide it into a diphalange and to march wing-wise in a right induction A right induction that is which is narrow in front and hath the depth stretched out in length And this is to be done especially when there is a prey in the hands of the army And if they consist of foot the passage will be the easier through rough and cumber some places If horse the are to alight and take the baggage and carriage into the middest But in such times and places you are to appoint some chosen men onely for the defence of the prey and to order them vpon the foure sides of the Diphalange is the place will giue leaue to the end to follow â—â— and repulse those of the enemy that offer to charge or distract it And the battaile or diphalange so ordered for the preseruation of the carriage or prey be maintained whâ—le and entire For it is not possible for those of the Diphalangy both to defend the prey 〈…〉 order and to ioyne with the enemy that chargeth which is the cause thee there â—â—ght to be extraordinary men to march without the foure sides of the army but especially you are to appoint the best of them to wait vpon the reare For so may at all times tough and troublesome places be passed through with safety This is Leoâ—s precept for streight narrow passages because in such you cannot forme
certaine mountaines ouer which the Grecians were to passe made alte some 30 furlongs before hee came to the Enemy lest encountring with the enemy hee should fight with his army being led in a wing or Orthiophalange He commanded therefore the Captaines that followed him with their companies euery one after another to sleeue vp their companies by his to the intent to cast the army into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile When thereare Commanders were come vp hee called a counsell to aduise of the best course in proceeding Here is the order of the Grecians march expressed to be in a Herse or Orthiophalange which consisted of many companies one following another and likewise the manner of transfiguring the Herse into a broad fronted phalange viz. the Captaines one after another sleeuing vp their companies by Cherisophus his company on the left hand and making an equall front with him And yet this example containeth no more then the sleeuing vp of the Companies vpon one flanke Cherisophus first made a Stand with his companie hauing the vant the following Captaines sleeued vp their companies on his left hand as the files did one after another in the other example Alexander vsed another kinde of sleeuing a little before he fought the battell of Issos For caufing the vant-gard first to stand he commanded the rest of the foot to march vp to the front of the vant-gard on either flanke The words lye thus in Arrian Alexander hauing by midnight gained the Streights of Cilicia setting out a streight watch vpon the rockes rested and refreshed his army till morning b◠day-breake he descended from the streights in the ordinary way and as long as the passage was narrow he led in a wing afterwards the mountaines opening a greater distance he enlarged his wing into a phalange by little and little still sleeuing vp the armed one body after another to the front on the right hand toward the mountaines on the left hand toward the Sea The Horse all this while marched after the foot but comming to ground of larger capacity they were ordered on the wings This manner of working to make a phalange out of Herse was by drawing the following companies vp on both flanks on the right toward the mountaines on the left toward the sea so that it differeth from the other forme wherein the Companies were sleeued but vpon one hand A third way of making a Plagiophalange of a Herse I finde in Polybius Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant saith he being to fight with Philopaemea the Achaean Generall who had fashioned his army into a broad fronted phalange made semblance at first as though he meant in a Herse to charge the right wing of the Enemies battaile but approaching neerer at a conuenient distance he brake off the hinder part of the Herse and facing it to the right hand marched out and led it out in length and ioyned it in equall front with his right wing thereby equalling the left wing of the Achaeans In this manner of transforming the Herse into broad fronted phalange the companies or bodies follow not one another to sleeue vp to the front but halfe the Plagiophalange is broken off at once the reare halfe and facing to the right or left hand is led vp and ioyned in an euen front with the other halfe not vnlike to our vsagein exercise when we command our middle men with their halfe files to face to the right or left hand and marching out to double the front of our battaile Thus much may suffice for the names vse and reduction of one of these two Phalanges to another The third Phalange mentioned in this Chapter followeth 7 The Phalange Loxe There are two kindes of Loxes or vneuen fronted Phalanges The front of the one is figured in a continued right line stretched out bias-wise thus The other hath as it were two fronts formed out of two seuerall parts of the Phalange the one aduancing against the Enemy to begin the fight the other staying behinde and keeping the first ground being ordered without the flanke of the first that vpon occasion it may likewise aduance and ioyne or else retire from the Enemy and giue backe the figure shewes the shape of it the last hath bin vsed by great Generals as a forme of aduantage in fight The first onely to win a passage as I take it ouer a riuer or such like where the broad-fronted Phalange could not passe and to bring the Armie to a ground where it might be ordered in better forme for fight I will giue one Example for I read not many of the first Alexander hauing conueied his armie ouer Hellespont and entred into Phrygia came as farre as the riuer Granicus Three Lieutenants of Darius with 20000. Horse and well nigh as many foot had embattelled themselues on the other side of the riuer to hinder his passage The riuer was full of depths and slallowes somewhat dangerous to enter and the bankes on the further side high rough and steepie besides the Enemy was ready with horse cast into a long or broad-fronted phalange and with seconds of foot to beat him backe that should offer to clymbe the bankes Alexander being resolued to passe ouer first ordered his troopes in a broad-fronted phalange The right wing he commanded himselfe and gaue the command of the left to Parmenio then putting the Scout-horse with the Paeonians into the riuer and after them a Phalangarchy of foot led by Amyntas the sonne of Arrabius and then Ptolomy the sonne of Phillip who commanded the troope of Socrates which troop had the Vaunt of all the horse that day himselfe with the right wing entred the riuer the Trumpets sounding and the Army giuing a shout extending still his battell bias-wise against the Streame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end the Persians might not fall vpon him as he led in a wing but himselfe as much as was possible might come to ioyne with them hauing the front of his phalange extended in length The Persians cast Darts from the high ground against the troopes of Amyntas and of Socrates as they approached to the further banke and some of them where the ground was more euen descended to the brinke of the riuer so there was thrusting and sholdering of Horsemen some to ascend out of the riuer some to hinder the ascent The Persians let flye many a dart the Macedonians fought with speares The first Macedonians that came to hands with the Persians were cut a peeces fighting valiantly saue only those that retired vnto Alexander who was now neere aduanced with the right wing He himself first of all charged the Persians where the principal strength of the whole body of their horse and the Generals of the field stood about him was a strong fight and in the meane time one troope after another passed easily ouer the riuer This passage of the History is long and therefore I forbeare to recite the rest onely
yet remaine the files files as they were before and are not altered into rankes Aelian himselfe giueth testimony hereto affirming that the Phalange proceedeth not by file but by ranke whereas if the files held not their first name after wheeling to the right or left flank the march forward the file-leaders being in the flanke should be by file and not by ranke 4. For the phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple side A doublesided 〈…〉 is that which hath the file-leaders on both the flankes the rest backe to backe within when the enemy giueth on For otherwise when they march forward all their faces are set one way that is toward the place whether the march is intended A treble-sided battaile is when three sides of the battaile are to be charged whether the front and both the flankes or both the flanks and the reare or the reare one of the flanks and the front and the file-leaders are ordered on all the three sides A quadruple battaile is when the file-leaders are placed in front in the reare and in both the flankes An example of the quadruple battaile will shew the vse and framing of the rest for as the rest oppose one two or three sides against the enemy so the quadruple fortifieth and strengthneth all the foure sides by placing the file-leaders in them Of ordering the file-leaders vpon one flanke deduction may be be an example vpon both flanks the Antistomus phalange vpon front and reare the Amphistomus on all foure sides the Plesium of all which occasion will be giuen to speake hereafter Now I may signifie that the Plesium is a square hollow battaile the length whereof much exceedeth the depth hauing the armed foot placed on all the foure sides the light-armed throwne into the middest The Graecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia against King Artaxerxes after their Coronels were taken prisoners and put to death by the subtilty and periury of Tissaphernes being but 10000. and to retreat thorow open and plaine grounds in which they were like to be charged by an infinite number of horse and foot by the aduice of Xenophon cast themselues into this forme his words are in effect these Wee shall it may be march in more safety if we order our selues into a Plesium of armed foot and giue the carriage and disarmed multitude a place of security within the hollownesse of the battaile If therefore it be now resolued afore-hand who shall command in the front of the Plesium and take charge of Vaunt who on the flanks and who in the reare we shall not neede to take aduise at the approach of the enemy but put in execution that which is resolued before And a little after And mine opinion is that Cherisophus is the fittest Commander for the Vaunt because he is a Lacedemonian and let two of the â—ldest Coronels take care of the Flankes the yongest namely my selfe and Timasion will looke to the reare This was Xenophons counsell and in this forme they marched and being charged afterward with both Persian Horse and foot they defended themselues against all efforts of the Enemy The quadruple battaile therefore was vsed when the enemy was expected to giue on all sides and he that can frame it can easily cast his troopes into the other two formes yet will not euery receiuing the enemy in flanke proue a Deduction for in case of necessity and sudden approaches of the enemy you shall be driuen to Facing wherein you onely turne the faces of souldiers to the flanke without any deduction See the figure of this battaile expressed in the picture 5. Doe make the length double to the depth I suspect this place to be corrupted in the text of Aelian the rather because before in the description of a Deduction he saith that Deductions proceed in a wing wherein the depth manifoldly exceedeth the length of the battaile as the last fore-going chapter doth shew Besides the example which is giuen in the text is not of double proportion but of treble and more ten comprehending three three times and more Of the Phalange Antistomus CHAP. XXXVIII 1 THe Phalange Amphistomus for it is so called because it hath two fronts and that part of the battaile that is set and aduanced against the enemy is called a front seeing then in this forme the middle-most are ordered backe to backe and those in the front and reare make head against the enemy the one being Commanders in front the other in reare therefore it is called Amphistomus It is of great vse against an enemy strong in Horse and able to giue a hot and dangerous charge and principally practised against Cap. 38 The Phalange Amphistomus those Barbarians that inhabit about the riuer Ister whom they also call Amphippi because they change their Horse in fight The Horse battaile to encounter this forme hath a tetragonall shape being for the purpose diuided into two broad squares they are called broad squares that haue the front twice as much as the depth and those squares are opposed seuerally against the flanks of the foot-battaile NOTES 1 THere are many kinds of battailes which being vsefull for a march are described partly in the former two chapters partly in this and in the chapters following whereof some are for ease of the march as the induction some for fight Those which are for fight are either offensiue or else defensiue Of the offensiue kinde is the Caelembolos before mentioned of the defensiue the Triphalange to be opposed against the Caelembolos and both the deductions which are represented in the two last Chapters and in this chapter is described another of the defensiue formes that is to say the Phalange Autistomus in which although the march be not continued for it is alwayes taken vp in a stand to resist a charge of the enemy yet it is a remedy defensiue against the sudden attempts of the enemy which is about to charge your reare 2. The Phalange Amphistomus The title of this chapter is litigious and there is a controuersie amongst the learned which of two names the chapter should beare Gaza Gesner and Arcierus would haue it inscribed Antitistomus Robortellus Amphistomus I haue in the translation followed the opinion of Robortellus my reason was because of these words in Aelian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they in the beginnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charge the enemy which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue not read applied to the flankes and therefore tooke it for front and reare because the one namely the front is as it were the beginning of the battaile the other viz. the reare is the end In which sence if you take the word the description must needs agree with the Amphistomus which the enemy charging both front and reare with the file-leaders and their halfe files as they stand receiue those that charge the front with the brnigers-vp and the other halfe files facing about to the right or left hand those which
charge the reare But since vpon better consideration I thinke there is a fault in the text and where it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it should be corrected and written as I take it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifie the flankes of the battaile Iulius Pollux testifieth in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The forepart of those that fight is called the front the rankes and the face the outward parts on each side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the flanks the wings the right and the left the middest the nauell the depth the parget or wall The like doth Leo in many places and as farre as I can read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall number is generally taken for the flankes albeit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular number I deny not to be vsed for the reare sometimes as in Xenophon who describing a fight betwixt the Corcyreians and Lacedemonians hath thus Mnasippus the Lacedemonian Generall embattailing his army put the enemy that was neere the gates to flight and followed the chaâ—â— They being come neere the wals turned againe and threw and cast darts from the mountaines other running out of the other gates in good numbers fell vpon the reare of the Lacedemonians who being ordered but 8 deep and thinking the reare of the Phalange to be but weake endeauoured to retire and fall off The enemy no sooner saw them giue ground but presently fel on more eagerly imagining they fled neither did they turne their faces any more and they who stood next vnto them soughe with all speed to saue themselues by flight Mnasippus could giue no aid to his destressed souldiers by reason hee was hardly laid to by the Corcireans that came to hands with him and his number by little and litle decreased at last the enemy in great numbers pressed them sore that stood about Mnasippus who were now reduced to a very few And the armed foot of the Citty seeing what was done abroad issued out and after they had slaine Mnasippus they followed the chace all of them together Thus Xenophon And thus you may see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the singular number taken for the reare of the Phalange howsouer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the plurall signifieth the flanks The Antistomus Phalange therefore differing from the Amphistomus in this only because the last maintaines fight in front and reare the first in both flanks and Aelian in this Chapter describing the battel which maintaines the fight in the flanks it seemeth that the inscription ought to be of the Phalange Antistomus and that the text ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It may after a sort appear by Aelian himselfe in the next Chapter where making a difference betwixt these two battailes he saith plainly that the Antistomus fighteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Read then in the text Those in the flanks make head against the enemy in stead of these words Those in front and reare and all the rest will agree to the Phalange Antistomus 3. It is of great vse The vse of this battaile is principally against horse as Aelian giueth to vnderstand because they are quicke and speedy and can suddenly turne diuide themselues and charge where they list And the flanks of the battell being the weakest part for your best men are placed in the front and reare it is needfull to finde out some meanes to defend them which is to instruct your Souldiers how to receiue the charge by turning their faces to the flankes In front you are alwaies ready because faces and weapons are bent that way Effect the like in the flankes and you shall be able to resist any charge of the enemy For foot the danger is not so great because your men shall be able to face euery way as readily as the enemy giue them only exercise and acqaint them with that manner of fight 4. And principally practised against the Barbarians That it was much vsed amongst the Grecians I find not in there history yet is there no doubt but the vse may be great in it as well as in the Amphistomus But I take the reason why it was seldome put in practice to be because the flankes of pikes in the Grecian battell were for the most part garded with horse and light-armed The front and reare hauing no such defence were commonly attached by the enemy seeking all aduantage to distresse them and in case the horse and light-armed bee absent the flankes are the fairest marke of the enemy which can by no other meanes be secured but by facing that way where he giueth on which may be euidently seene by the fight Cyrus the elder had against Craesus which example you shall see set out in my notes vpon the 46. Chap. page 79. 5. Those are broad squares That which I heere translate a broad square is in the Greeke Heteromekes of which forme I haue spoken in notes vpon the 30. Chapter Cap. 39 The Phalange Antistomus Front Wordes of direction for the Phalange Antistomus for that forme is described in this Chapter 1. Halfe rankes face to the right and left hands 2. Charge your Pikes To restore to the first Posture 1. Aduance your Pikes 2. Face as you were 1 Of the Phalange antistomus CHAP. XXXIX 1 THe Phalange Antistomus is like to the Amphistomus the forme being a little altered so that it accustometh the Soldier to resist the seuerall kindes of incursions of horse All that hath beene spoken of the former Phalange both for foot and horse agreeth with this figure also Heerein they differ that the 2 Amphistomus receiueth the charge in front and reare the Antistomus in flanke but as well in the one as the other they fight with long pikes as doe the Alans and Sauromatans and the one halfe of the souldiers in the files haue their faces bent forward the other halfe backward so that they stand backe to back This forme hath two fronts the one before where the-file leaders the other behinde where the bringers vp stand And being also diuided into a 3 Diphalange it maketh the forefront with one the after-front with the other Phalange NOTES 1 AS the title of the former Chapter was mistaken so is the title of this Chapter The other should haue beene of the Antistomus as I haue before shewed this of the Amphistomus That it should be of the Amphistomus the very wordes following in this Chapter will proue which are these The one halfe saith he of the armed souldiers in the files haue their faces bent forward the other halfe backward so that they stand back to backe and the battell hath two frontes one before where the file-leaders the other behind where the bringers vp stand He describeth the two fronts by the file-leaders and bringers vp whose proper places are the front and reare not the flanks and further
Caelembolos reseruing the third for all accidents so this square diuideth it selfe into two phalanges but hath no third setting the one against the right-hand battaile of the Peristomus the other against the left for by this opposition they inhibit the enemy from attaching their flanks Of this forme I finde not many presidents in the Greeke history I will receite onely one out of Arrian concerning Alexander which if it hit not this forme in euery point yet it hath fully the effect of that which is intended by Aelian Alexander being to deliuer battaile to Porus a King of part of India lying on the other side of the riuer Hydaspes found his enemies army to be thus embattailed He had placed his Elephants in the front 100 foot distant one from another and he placed them there to giue terror to Alexanders Horse for hee imagined that no enemy durst approach the spaces betwixt the Elephants neither with Horse for feare of the Elephants and much lesse with foot because the armed on his side were there to receiue them and the Elephants would tread and trample them vnder their feet Next he ordered the foot not in an equall front with the beasts but in a second front after them so that the files came vp almost to the spaces betwixt the Elephants besides he added foot vpon the wings aboue the Elephans On both the wings of the foot he ordered his Horse and before them his Chariots This was the embattailing of Porus. Alexander as soone as he saw the Indians stand in battaile array caused his Horse to make alte that he might haue his foot come vp who aduanced still forward And when the Phalange was come vnto him running he embattailed it not presently nor forthwith led it against the enemy lâ—st he should deliuer it weary and out of breath into the hands of the Barbarians that were fresh but circling and riding here and there in rounds with his Horse he rested his foot and gaue them time to refresh themselues And after he beheld the Indian manner of Embattailing hee thought it not good to giue vpon the middest of the front where the Elephants stood and the Phalange was close ordered against the spaces of the Elephants fearing the reasons that led Porus to embattaile in that forme But as he was stronger in horse taking to him the most of his Horse he speeded to the left wing of the enemy in purpose to giue on there and sent Coenus with Demetrius his troope and his owne troope against the right wing commanding him that when the Barbarians seeing his troopes should turue their strength of Horse against him Coenus should inuade their backs He gaue the Phalange to Seleucus Antigones and Tauron to lead commanding them not to fall on before they saw the enemies foot and horse put into a bransle by his Horse What the euent of the fight was I haue before shewed in my notes vpon the Phalange Amphistomus where I haue cited the latter end of this history Now may be seene by this example that Alexander began the fight not in the front but in the flankes and the cause why he did it was because the front was exceeding strong by reason of the Elephants And by this meanes defeating first the enemies Horse then his foot he left the Elephants naked and without defence against the darts and other missiue weapons of the Macedonians and gained a worthy victory against a strong enemy Now albeit this example come not home in all points to the Peristomus for Aelian limiteth it to foot against foot this fight was betwixt Horse and Horse yet is the reason of warre alike in both For as the file-leaders of the Peristomus giue on vpon the flanke of the aduerse square which is the weakest part of it so did the Horse of Alexander surmounting the Indians both in number and valor giue on vpon the flanks of Porus his army which was weakest and so began and ended the victory It is called Peristomus as hauing the front bent That is being diuided into halfe the one Phalange marching obliquely commeth vp and chargeth one Cap. 42. The Battaile called Plinthium The front The Diphalange Homoiostomus flanke of the aduerse battaile the other chargeth the other and so hath the fronts against the enemies both waies Words of direction in the Peristomus 1 Wheele your front into the middest of the battaile 2 Face to the front 3 One wing march out obliquely and charge the right flanke of the enemy the other the left flanke Of the Diphalange homoiostomus and of the Plinthium CHAP. XLII A Diphalange 1 Homoiostomus is so named because a 2 whole file that is 16 men mouing by it selfe another file followeth it and it is therefore called Homoiostomus because they that follow follow in a like figure 3 This kind is opposed against the Plinthium 4 Plinthium is a forme of battaile that hath the sides equall both in figure and number In figure because the distances are euery where equall In number because there are as many men in length as in depth 5 In this foure-sided battaile are none in the foure sides but armed without archer or slinger to helpe when therefore two Phalanges march together and both haue their leaders in a right-hand or left-handed deduction it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus NOTES 1 HOmoiostomus is a Diphalange the battailes whereof haue like fronts To this forme is incident first that it be marching then that it march in deductions lastly that the deductions be vpon one and the selfe and not vpon contrary sides viz. that the file-leaders of the Phalanges be all of them either vpon the right hand or vpon the left hand of their Phalanges And therefore Suidas defineth it to be a Diphalange which hath the leaders of either Phalange ordered in the same side of the march Where he saith that the leaders are ordered on the same side in both Phalanges which words are likewise in Aelian in the end of the Chapter wee must vnderstand noâ— the leaders of the March but the file-leaders who are also called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or leaders For as Aelian saith elsewhere the march in a Deduction proceedeth in wing not by file but by ranke so that the file-leaders are in the flankes not in the front of the march and yet a man may truely tearme it the front of the battaile as long as it standeth and faceth against the enemy 2 Because a whole file I am out of doubt that this place is corrupted any man that marketh the coherence will easily be of mine opinion The inscription is of a Diphalange which consisteth of two phalanges The cause why this forme is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus is in these words assigned to be because a whole file that is 16 men mouing another file followeth it let one file follow another what is that to two Phalanges Euery Phalange hath many files in it as the
seuenth Chapter will teach vs nor will any man say that a file is a phalange nor that the following of one file singly after the other will make a Diphalange the truer cause is alleadged in the words following It is therefore called Homoiostomus because they that follow follow in the like figure which words albeit they be generall yet being explained and particularised in the end of the Chapter they shew that it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus when two phalanges follow one another either in a right or a left hand deduction And by that part of the text the nature of the Homoiostomus is sufficiently expressed 3 This is opposed against the Plinthium How this forme should be opposed against the Plinthium I must confesse I yet vnderstand not vnlesse it be that being in a march the Plinthium charge one of them on that side where the deduction that is in the front for the flanke is now become the front the file-leader facing to the enemy way and that the other if it be the leading phalange retiring whealing the following file aduancing and whealing giue vpon the flank of the Plinthium so that the Plinthium be charged both in front and in flanke which is no small aduantage in fight for otherwise if the Plinthium meet the Phalanges so following one another and charge the front which leadeth which indeed is not the front but the leading flanke in asmuch as the march proceedeth not by file but by ranke as Aelian hath the deducton not onely loseth the benefit of bringing the file leaders to fight but is also subiect to ouerwinging and by that meanes in worse case then is the induction which hath the file-leaders in front There are other vses of the Homoistomus they are here specified by Aelian For the the Deduction directing the front against the enemy that appeareth or is like to appeare on the flank of the deduction the phalanges may fitly second one another when either of them is charged not vnlike the two btatailons of foot which la Noüe holdeth sufficient to repulse the charge of horse in open field or Champeign And if both the deductions be charged at once they are at no greater inconuenience then if they stood ranged in ordinary manner being either of them 16 deepe and the fronts which are in the deduction ready to receiue the affort of the enemy and the rest of the â—immes disposed as in the ordinary Phalange 4 Plinthium is a form of battaile This definition coÌ„prehendeth not all Plinthiums for there is a kind of euen-sided Plinthium it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath the front flanks of one length and it is it which Aelian here defineth There is also a kind of I linthiuÌ„ that is deeper in flank then the front is long which of ancient time was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in greeke in enlishg a tower the name of Plinthium is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brick because as the brick is square so is this battaile which is the reason I thinke that it is often confounded Plesium this being also a square battaile and the name deduced from the mould wherein brickes are fashioned which mould is called in greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to forme The difference betwixt them according to Aelian is that the Pliniheum is a perfect square equall both in length and depth the Plesium a square longer in front then flanke 5 In this figure are none but armed in the foreside what then becomes of the light-armed they must be conuaied into the middest and the Plinthium ought to be hollow within as well to receiue them as those of the army that are vnfit for fight Leo hath this precept If the enemy be horse you are to order the army into the square figure of a Plinthium and cast into the hollow middest the cariage beasts and cariage and without them the armed and furthest without the archers that so you may dismarch in safety yet this placing the archers without is contrary to Aelian to many experiences mentioned in the Greeke history Timotheus the Athenian purposing to passe by the City Olynthus and fearing the Olinthian horse-men ordered his army into a broad-fronted Plinthium casting the baggage and horse into the middest and causing the waggons to be driuen thronging and fastned together the armed foot being without on all sides so that the Olynthian horse could not come to distresse them Brsidas the Lacedemonian being in Illyrium forsaken of the Macedonians his allies expecting to be set vpon by Arrhybeus and the Illyrians reduced his armed into a square and taking the light-armed into the middest resolued to retire the youngest hee appointed to fall out if the enemy charged on any side Himselfe with 300 chosen men took vpon him to secure the reare and to resist the enemy that should first come to charge The Barbarians seeing him dismarch followed with great shouts and cries imagining hee fled and hoping to take him and cut his throat but when the light-armed fell out and met them wheresoeuer they gaue on and himselfe with his selected band receiued them and contrary to their opinion stood firme and repulsed the first charge and euer as they forbore to charge held on his way the most part of the Barbarians left the Grecians and appointing a party to follow their reare the rest pursued the Macedonians that fled an killed as many as they lighted vpon The like forme was vsed in Elephants by the captaines of Eumenes and Peucestes against a surprise of Antigonus Diodorus Siculus reporteth the history thus Antigonus being aduertised that all Eumenes his forces were come vnto him but onely his Elephants and that the Elephants were expected out of their garrisons and were farre off alone and without ayde of horse and foot sent against them 2000 spâ—are-men being Medes 300 Tarentines and all his light-armed foot for hee hoped that falling vpon the Elephants alone hee might easily become master of them and depriue his enemy of his greatest strenght Eumenes casting in his minde what might happen dispatched away 1500 of his best horse and 300 light armed foot Antigonus people appearing first the commanders of the Elephants ordering the beasts into a Plinthium marched forward throwing the carriage into the middest hauing 300 horse and no more to make head in the reare the enemy falling on with all their might and hotly charging the horse being ouerlaide with number were put to flight The riders of Elephants at first made good resistance and stood to it albeit they were wounded on all sides and not able to hurt the enemy and being now at the last cast the forces of Eumenes vnexpectedly shewing themselues snatched them out of all danger and distresse Agesilius vsed this forme against the Thebans the Argiraspides against Antigonus the history is this Antigonus hauing the better against the horse of Eumenes diuided
his horse into two parts the one he tooke to himselfe and obserued Eumenes the other hee gaue to Python willing him to charge the the Argiraspides and siluer targateers old soldiers of Alexanders depriued of the aide of the horse but they casting themselues into a Plinthium retired safely to the riuer Aelian remembreth nothing concerning the vse of the Plinthium But wee may learne by the examples rehearsed that it was then practised when the enemy was too strong and able to charge euery way and it is one of the foresided battailes that is mentioned in the 36 37 Chap. and vsed principally against horse but sometimes against horse and foot Philip the father of Alexander the Great being to take armes against the Illyrians who vsurped many Cities of his kingdom leuied 10000 foot 600 horse and with them entred the enemies countrey Bardilis the Illirian King met him with as many foot and 500 horse when the armies came together and with shouts ioyned battaile Philip hearing the right wing and the best Macedonian souldiers commanded the horse to fall on and charge the enemy in flanke himselfe giuing vpon the front began a strong fight The Illyrians ordering themselues into a Plinthium valiantly abode the onset and at the first the fight was equall and so continued a good while by reason of the valour shewen on both sides afterward the horse plying hard the reare and flanke and Philip with his choice valiantly laying at the front the multitude of the Illyrians were forced to fly Heere the Plinthium resisted both horse and foot I will ad one example more of repulsing horse the army being cast into a Plinthium Marcus Antonius seeking to subdue Persia and to reuenge the losse which Craesus receiued by the Parthians for in that warre Craesus himselfe was slaine and his army defeated and hauing laid siege to a great City called Phreata and finding not the successe he looked for determined to dis-march and lead his arm out of the Countrey hauing first â—adâ—truce with the King of Persia proceeding on his iourney he was set vpon by the Parthians but being repulsed they retired that day Antonius hereby resolued what to doe and strenthening his reare and flanks with many darters slingers he formed hâ—s army into a Plinthium and willed his horse â—o fall out and repulse the eâ—nmy but not to follow the chase too farre The Parthians the next foure daies began to be more coole and neither charged nor were charged and making winter their pretence were glad to retire â—o their houses By this president wee may see that the Parthians who were mighty in horse were fierce vpon the Romans as long a they held their ordinary kinde of march but after they had ordered themselues into a Plinthium so that the Parthians could not come vp to them without much indangering themselues they thought it best to let them quietly passe and goe whither they would And thus much of the Diphalange Homoiostomus and of the Plinthium Words of direction in the Homoiostomus 1 Wheele your battailes if they stand in euen front to the right or left hand 2 March one battaile after the other To restore to the first Posture 1 Fâ—â—e about to the right or left hand 2 Wheele the battailes to the right or left hand according as the case requireth 3 Face as you were at first Cap. 43. The Diphalange Heterostomus The File-leaders The bringers-vp For the Plinthium If there be 4 battailes standing togethler in an euen Front this I would hold the fittest way to make a Plinthium 1 Let the first battaile stand firme or march on in going forward wheele to the right hand in falling backe vse the Lacedemonian countermarch 2 The 3 countermarch the front with a countermarch then wheel to the left hand then march forward and place it selfe behind the right hand flanke of the first that the Front of it may be in a right line with the said flanke 3 The 4 in going forward countermarch the reare with a Macedon countermarch then wheele your battaile to the right hand face abount then wheele to the left hand then march and apply it selfe to the point of the strst battaile as the third did to the right then face about and stand thus 4 The 2 countermarch to the right or left hand then march on til it be beyond the left point of the 4 battaile then face to the left hand and march vp to lay the right-hand-point eueÌ„ with the right point of the 1 battaile and face to the right hand to make the reare of the Plinthium thus The seuerall bodies being brought into a Plinthium must front euery way as long as they make Alte. When they march in a Plinthium they are all to face toward the head of their march that is the right and left flanke battailes are to face the one to the left the other to the right hand The reare battaile is to face about to which hand it list and so march on The battailes beside haue euery one their place of dignity the first battaile hauing the front the 2 battaile the reare the 3 battaile the right flanke the 4 the left flanke Of the Diphalange Heterostomus CHAP. XLIII 1 A Diphalange Heterostomus is that which proceedeth by deduction hauing the leaders of the former Phalange in a right-handdeduction and of the following Phalange in a left-hand Deduction so that the battailes march counterchangeably one hauing the leaders in one flanke the other in the other NOTES 1 A Diphalange Heterostomus As the Homoiostomus consisted of two Phalanges both proceeded by deduction so must this forme They differ in this onely that the first had all the file-leaders on one side either on the right or left this the file-leaders of one battaile on the right of the other on the left hand For if the leading Phalange haue the file-leaders on the right-hand the following Phalange shall haue them on the left If the first haue them on the left the other shall haue them on the right See the figure The vse of this form is when the enemy sheweth himselfe on both flanks of our march and of it the double sided battaile whereof Aelian spake in the 36 and 37 Chapters may be made by the sleeuing vp the latter to the former and ioyning reare to reare and if the leading battaile haue the file-leaders in the right-flank it is to make alte when the enemy commeth neer and the following battaile to sleeue vp by the reare of it to make an euen front with the leaders of the first Contrariwise if it haue the file-leaders on the left hand Besides this orme hath further vse and you may frame of it a Diphalange Antistomus by sleeuing vp the following battaile on that side where the file-leaders of the leading battaile march for by such sleeuing the file-leaders of both I halanges shall be in the middest Words of direction in the Heterostomus There
need few words of direction in this onely if the two ordinary battailes stand in equall front let the one wheele to the right the other to the left hand and so march the one before the other after Of the horse Rombe and of the foot-halfe-moone to encounter it CHAP. XLIIII 1 THe battaile framed in a forme of a Rombe was first inuented by Ileon the Thessalian and was called I le after his name and to this forme he exercised and accustomed his Thessalians It is of good vse because it hath a leader on euery corner in the front the Captaine in the reare the Liuetennant and on either side the flank-commanders 2 The foot battaile fittest to encounter this is the 3 Menoides or Cressent hauing both the wings stretched out and within them the leaders and being embowed in the middest to enuiron and wrap in the horse-men in their giuing on where upon the horse-men ply the foot a farre off with flying weapons after the manner of the Tarantines seeking thereby to dissolue and disorder their circled frame of march Tarentum is a City in Italy the hosemen wherof are called Acrobolists because in charging they first cast little darts and after come to hands with the enemy NOTES 1 THe battaile in forme of a Rhombe Of the Rhombe is sufficiently spoken in Chap. 6. before and in the notes vpon the same Chapter The manner of framing of it and the diuers kinds therof are there set down The Thessalians Cap 44 The half Moone or Menoides of foote The Rhombe of Horse The Front vsed not all those kinds but onely that which fileth but rankes not as Aelian testifieth in the 46 Chapter which kinde is there also described It was accounted a forme of great violence in that forme the Thessalians got all there reputation being esteemed the the best horse-men of Greece 2 The foot battaile fittest to encounter this The aduantage that horse-men haue against foot is great which is the cause that foot-men haue sought to helpe themselues by diuers kind of embattailing to the end to supply by art that which they want by force and strength Of which manner of embattailings many are set down in Aelian If more then one troope charge at once you haue the Phalange Amphistomus Antistomus and the Plinthium to resist If but one troope the Diphalange Antistomus All which kinds are before described by Aelian In this Chapter is another kind described namely the halfe moone and there follow in other Chapters the plagiophalange the Epicampios emprosthia and the wedge Of all which we are to discourse in order as they are remembred by our Authours 3 Is the Menoeids or Cressant Against the Rhombe of horse Aelian opposeth the Menoeides of foot a name of battaile borrowed from the shape of the moone For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the moone and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is ioyned to make vp the composition signifieth a full shape or forme So the word importeth a shape or forme of the moon and yet this battaile is not like all shapes of the moone but like to the new moone when she hath two hornes and hath the shape of halfe a circle as it were In which sence Isis the Aegyptian goddesse which indeed was the moone saith Diodorus Siculus was pictured with two hornes from the shew which shee maketh being menoeides that is the new moone so is a wall sometime called because of the hollow forme As when the Rhodians hauing their wall shrewdly shaken by the engines of battery of Demetrius reared an inward wall in shape of a Cressant which with the compasse comprehended all the parts of the outward wal which were battered The same Diodorus calleth it Menoeides the like was don by the Halicarnasseans against Alexander the Great and Arrian giueth it the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brick halfe moon the cause of the inuention of this forme is laide out by Onosander Leo. Oftentimes saith Onosader those that haue great numbers of men in the field are wont to figure them into a CressaÌ„t supposing that in charging the enemy wil be ready to ioyne man to man that is to enter into the semi-circle and fight with them that stand embowed in doeing whereof they will be hemmed and wraped in in the halfe Circle the wings of the halfe Circle being to bee drawne together round about them and the whole brought into the forme of a Circle And Leo likewise The figure bearing there semblance of halfe a Circle seemeth to be safe firme for it incloseth the enemy that coÌ„meth against it in the hollownesse of the Circle by drawing out the wings into a Circle on both sides and giueth more courage to fight against them The causes then to take vp this figure in fight are three one the aduantage of multitude of forces in the field whereby the Generall is enabled to encompasse another the ignorance of the enemy that ventureth within the compasse of the halfe moone the third the efficasie of the figure which serueth to entrap the enemy that is not heedfull and wary in ioyning battaile It hath beene vsed both against Horse and foot and sometimes in Sea by one Nauy against another Aelian esteemeth it good against horse no doubt when horse charge and are resisted both in front and plyed also with flying weapons in flanke they finde a greater â—n opposition and disaduantage then when they are receiued in front alone In square battailes of foot the front lying euen the horse in charging abide only the danger before whereas in the hollow fronted battailes of foot such as are this form and the Epicampios emprosthia they are endangered also in flanke yea in both flanks cannot enter the hollownesse of the front without losse of many of their horse the depth of the hollownes being as strong in hauing the file-leaders in front and the depth of the file the same as a square battaile to resist and the wings plying and infesting them with all sorts of flying weapons against foot it hath beene vsed oftentimes and it is the only forme that the Turks by reason of his multitudes vseth both with horse and foot against Christians at this day The Cressant may be framed not onely before fight is begun but also in the heat of fight Before the fight you haue an example of the Lacedemonians against Epaminondas which I haue cited at large in my notes vpon the 30 Chap. Leo also setteh downe the manner of casting a Nauy into a Cressant before fight During the fight Aratus the elder framed a Cressant against the Lacedemonians Pausanias reciteth it in this manner In the battaile of the Lacedemonians against the Mantineans The Mantineans saith he had the right wing all the rest of the Arcadians the left The middest was vssigned to Aratus and to the Sicyonians and Achaeans Agis King of Lacedemon and the Lacedemonians strethed out their battaile to inuade
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
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