the Spaniardes being all armed and set in order shewed theire battail about a mile from the Roman campe The Ansetans were in the middest the Illergetes held the right winge other obscure people of Spaine the left Betwixt the wings and the middle parte they left broade intervalls to giue passage to theire horse when time should bee to send them through to charge The Romans Embattailed after theire wonted manner Onely then imitated the enemy in leaving open waies for the horse betwixt the legions Lentulus imagining that partye and none other should haue vse of theire horse that first possessed these intervalls of the adverse battaile commaunded Cornelius the Tribune to giue direction to the horsemen presently to charge through the foote on both sides came to blowes and the fight was hard when the Roman horsemen passing through the Spaces and falling vpon the middest of theire enemies at once disordered the battaile of foote and shut â—p the wayes against the Spanish horse by which meanes after noe long fight the enemy was vtterly defeated Where Livy saith the Romans embattailed after theire wonted manner his meaning is they ordered them selues in Maniples or Battallions as wee now terme them for that was theire woont But when hee addeth they imitated the enemy in leaving open waies for the horse betwixt the legions Wee must vnderstand that a legion was thus embattailed First they divided theire legion in to thirty Maniples ten of the Hastati ten of the Principes and ten of the Triarij The ten maniples of the Hastati they set first in an even front leaving soe much distance or voide grounde betwixt every Maniple as a Maniple it self tooke vp in standing At a reasonable space behinde were the Principes placed in as many maniples but soe that theire maniples stoode directly behinde the voide spaces of the Hastati And against the bodies of the hastati they left likewise spaces in the Principes to the end the Hastati being overlaid might retire within those spaces or else themselues might advance against the enemy through the intervalls of the Hastati Lastly at a larger distance behinde these were the Triarij set and divided with spaces betwixt euery maniple which spaces were great enough to receaue the Principes in case they retired also Now the Horse being ordered in the reare after the Triarij if from thence they had gon to charge the Enemies front through the spaces of the Triarij they must of necessity haue fallen vpon the Maniples of the Principes whoe were set directly against the intervalls or spaces To giue therefore free passage to theire horse the Roman Generals removed the maniples of the Principes from theire ordinarie place and bestowed them in a right line after the maniples of the Hastati and made an open lane as it were from the reare of theire battell to the front So that nothing hindred the horse but they might freely fly vp to and fall vppon the enemies front And yet I take not Aelians meaning to be that the Horse set in the reare should during the time of the fight still remaine there For soe would noe great service bee had of them But hee placed them there the rather to avoyde confusion in ordering the foote And that after theire embatteling they might bee led from thence to any place front or flanke or wheresoever they might yeeld most vse For in the fifteenth and twentith chapter he would haue both light-armed and horse soe placed that they might answer all attempts of the enemy And in his caution following hee saith if occasion require both horse and light-armed may bee otherwise placed That they were vsually placed in the wings I haue before shewed The examples declare they were placed in the reare sometimes Of placing in the front there are also examples The Lacedaemonians at the battaile of Leuctra against the Thebans placed theire horse before their Phalange and tried their fortune with â—hem and were beaten before the foote ioyned The Persians at the River Granicus esteeming theire Horse to bee theire chiefest strength opposed them vpon the bancks against Alexander that was to passe over and embattailled their foote behinde the horse And Alexander encountered them first with his Horse before his foote could get over One example more I will adde to shewe the reason why Horse are sometimes placed before the front of the Phalange of foote Eumenes being to fight against Craterus and Neoptolemus both greate generalls that had served vnder Alexander in all his warrs ordered the fight thus Because hee vnder-stood that theire Army confisted of twenty thowsand foote the most parte Macedonians renowmed for theire valour and skill in fight In whom they set theire greatest trust and of more then two thowsand horse and knewe his owne foote albeit they were as many in number yet all to bee ramasses of diuerse kinds of people and that his owne horse were fiue thowsand with exceeded the enimy both in number and valor hee determined to hasard the battaile vpon his horse before the two Phalanges of foote should come together Advancing therefore with his horse farre before his foote hee tooke the right wing himselfe and gaue the left to two strangers to Pharnabarus a Persian the sonne of Artabazus and to Phenix a Tenedian Craterus stood in the right wing of his owne horse and placed Neoptolemus on the left And seeing the enemies horse comming forward with greate fury charged them first and fought brauely But his horse failing vnder him hee fell to grounde and it being not knowne whoe hee was by reason of the medly and throng of those that gaue backe and fled hee was trampled vnder foote and ended his life after a strange manner By his death the enemy tooke courage and encompassing theire adversaries on all sides made a great slaughter and the right wing after this manner with might overpressed and put to the worst was faine to fly for succour to the Phalange of foote In the left winge Neoptolemus stoode directly against Eumenes and the mutuall sight of eche bredde a greate emulation betwixt the generalls and a fervent desire to come to hands And being easely knowne both by theire horse and other marks they flewe one vpon another and out of theire single fight made away to a consequent victorie And first they assailed one another with swords and after fell into an vnlooked for and wonderfull Monomachy for being transported with anger and mutuall hatred quitting the raines of theire bridles with theire left hands they eache seazed and tooke hold vpon the body of other which hapening and the horse continuing theire careare and springing from vnder them they both fell to the grounde neither of them could wel arise by reason of the suddaine violent fall and of the heavines of theire armor Yet Eumenes got vp first and prevented Neoptolemus stricking him on the ham The wounde was wide and his strength of footing thereby failed
Souldier which fought vnder the Ensigne had excepting the Target both to assure himselfe from the flying weapons of the light armed and from the pike and sword of the armed in case the battaile were entred and pierced as farre as the Ensigne For it was no reason he should carry a Target lest both his hands should be bound the right with the Ensigne the left with the Target and so he haue no vse of either against the enemy And in the left hand I would giue him a speare or â—auelin not a pike which cannot be weilded with one hand for his owne defence and to offend the enemy Which weapon I haue read Ensignes of ancient time did beare What the Ensignes place was whether in front or in the middest of the Battatle I see it controverted Patricius absolutely affirmeth that the Ensignes were placed in the middest of the front and had 8 files on the right and 8 on the left to the end they might be seene and followed by all That Ensignes were first invented to be a marke of seuerall bodies military in an Army I haue before shewed But it followeth not thereof that they were placed in the front in time of fight For being in the middle they no lesse gaue notice what the body was than in the front The reason of following is of lesse force Inasmuch as the Souldier well knoweth whom to follow though he had no Ensigne at all the Commander alwaies with his motion giuing him direction when to advance forward when to turne his face to the right or left hand when to countermarch when to double and when to vse all other motions military And the Commanders were therefore called Leaders because they went on before and the Souldiers followed after So that the Ensigne in regard of following neede not to be set in the front Yet in exercising the troupes and in marches I finde that the Ensigne was in the front together with the Captaine Crier Trumpeter and Guide But I take the reason to be because being in the middest and hauing neither file nor ranke with the rest they might happily bring a confusion and be a hinderance to the changes and diuers figures of the Battaile When the time of fight was the Ensigne retired to his place that is to the middest For so Leo interpreteth himselfe in his precept of closing files which must be done saith he not onely by File-leaders in front Commanders of fiue and Bringers-vp in the Reare but in the middest also where the Ensigne standeth And I rather agree to Leo herein because I see it was the manner of the Romans also to place their Ensignes in the middest of their Maniples From whence came the appellations of Antesignani Souldiers that stood before the Ensignes and Postsignani that stood behinde Besides the Ensigne being in the front the Ensigne bearer may soone get a clap who falling the Ensigne goeth to ground and is in danger of loosing which was the greatest disgrace among the Romans that might befall Lastly Aelian himselfe in plaine words placeth the Cornet of horse farre from the front For speaking of the ordinarie Horse-troupe he saith it is to consist of 64 horse the first ranke of 15 horse the 2 of 13 the 3 of 11 the 4 of 9 descending still and diminishing 2 horse in euery ranke till you come to one He addeth he shall carry the Cornet that standeth in the second ranke next the ranke-Commander on the left hand which ranke is the second ranke himselfe declareth making the ranke of 15 the first the 2 the 13 which is the 7th from the front and next the reare but one If the Cornet haue no place in front why should the Ensigne considering both serue to one vse and the reasons of seeing and following are equall to both And albeit Suidas place the Ensigne the Crier the Trompet and Sargeant before the Battaile the Lieutenant in the reare he is notwithstanding to be vnderstood of the times of marching or of exercise which I noted before For what should that Rable of vnarmed being 4. in euery Syntagma and in the whole Phalange 256. doe in the front in the time of fight but onely pester the chosen of the Armie who therefore haue the front that they may make speedier way into the enemies battell 7 A Reare-commander Was the same that a Leutenant is with vs. He commandeth the Souldiers in the Reare no lesse then the Syntagmatarch in the front and had his place in the Reare What the duty of a Reare-commander was I haue shewed out of Cyrus words in Xenophon And Aelian afterwards setteth it downe most plainly He was armed as the rest of the armed of the Syntagma namely with Pike and Target and with such other armes as I haue described in my notes vpon the second Chapter 8 A Trumpet The invention of the Trumpet is attributed to Tirrhenus Hercules sonne But the different vse of these officers is worth the noting out of Suidas The Crier saith he serueth to deliuer directions by voice the Ensigne by signall when noise taketh away the hearing of the voice the Trumpet by sound when thorough thicknes of dust a signall cannot be discerned The Sargeant to bring such things and dispatch such messages as his Syntagmatarch commands So that these officers were held all necessary for a Company the one supplying the defect of the other and seruing for vse when the other failed The Trumpet then was to be vsed according to Suidas when neither the Crier nor Ensigne could doe seruice With the Trumpet was the signall giuen for the Campe to remoue for the Campe to lodge By the Trumpet the Souldiers were taught their time to fight their time to retreate The Trumpet set and discharged the watch From the Trumpet came the measure of the Marche and the quicknes and slownes of Pace In briefe the Trumpet did all the offices that the Dromme doth with vs at this day Whether the Trumpet or Dromme are of most vse in the field I may not now dispute Onely I will say that the Graecians and Romans the most expert and iudicious Souldiers that euer were held themselues to the Trumpet and neuer vsed the Dromme The Dromme was first invented by Bacchus who as Polyenus reporteth fighting against the Indians in stead of Trumpets gaue the signall of Battaile with Cymballs and Drommes From him it came to the Indians who vsed it altogether as Curtius noteth in the battell betwixt King Alexander the Great and Porus. The Dromme of Parthians is described by Plutarch in the life of Crassus and by Appian And Leo saith the Saracens who invaded Christendome and infected the Turkes with their superstition ordered their fights by the Dromme From this Easterne Asiaticall people it was brought into Europe and now the generall custome is among stall Europaean Nations that the foote haue Drommes in the field the horse Trumpets And
which respect a place fit hath alwaies beene sought for their seruice to secure them from the accesse of the Horse or of the enemies armed Which place was either behinde the Phalange as Aelian here would haue it or else in the wings betwixt the Horse and the armed or if they skirmished loose before the front and chanced to bee pressed with the enemy they retired into the interualls and conueied themselues behind the Phalange in safetie Leo saith if there be any place of strength it will much helpe the light-armed For after their flying weapons spent reâ—iring thither they will be in more securitie as a steepe rockie place or the bancke of a riuer or a high hill or such other Our stories report that at the battaile of Agincourt in France 200 English Archers were bestowed in a meddow fenced with a deepe ditch from whence they so gauled the French horse and foot that they were a great helpe to the victorie The like happened before at Poitiers where that braue Prince of Wales eldest sonne of Edward the third hauing to fight with the whole power of France vnder the leading of their King gaue safegard to his Archers with hedges and ditches and other strengths So that the French-horse hauing no accesse to disorder them were ouerwhelmed with the tempests and stormes of their arrowes and such a victory obteined by our nation as might maâ—ch the most renowmed of all antiquitie To say nothing of the inuention which Henrie the fifth vsed against the horse of France for securing his Archers The storie saith he deuised stakes of two yards long and armed both ends with pikes of iron the one to sticke into the ground and the other to gall and enter the horses bellies in case they came to charge our Archers home By meanes whereof he caried the famous victorie of Agincourt This for the assurance of the light armed when they come to fight without which assurance their seruice would be weake and scarce worth the hauing Their seruice then according to Aelian hath many particulars And they are good to Prouoke the enemie If the enemie be in a wood a fenâ—e a hill a fort a towne or other place of strength that admitteth no accesse the manner hath beene to send out the light armie to shew themselues and with a Brauado to towle him out of his aduantage and bring him into the field where he may more easily be dealt withall Examples are plentifull but I will content my selfe with a Macedonian example Alexander leading his armie against the Triballs that had hid themselues in a wood commanded his Archers and Slingers to runne out and to shoote and sling amongst the Barbarians to see if he could towle them into the plaine The Archers and Slingers spared not to let flie and the Triballs being wounded with arrowes threw themselues out of the wood with all speed to fall vpon the vnarmed Archers Alexander presently commanded Philotas with the Horse of vpper Macedonia to charge the right wing on which part they cast out themselues furthest And Heraclides and Sopolis with the horse of Bottiâ—a and Amphipolis the left himselfe stretching out in length the Phalange of foote setting the rest of horse before the Phalange led against the midst of the enemie As long as it was but a skirmish the Triballs had not the worst But after the Phalange close serred came vp roundly to them and the Horsemen charged them no longer with darts but pressed and ouerbore them with their horse they fled thorough the wood to the riuer To beginne the fight Leo agreeth If saith he we haue light-armed enough let them before the armie ioyne send their darts and arrowes at the enemie and after the fight of the armed is begunne plie the flanke with their missiue weapons that at ouce both their flankes may be assaulted It hath beene and is now the ordinarie course to beginne the fight with the light-armed And because wee shall read of no batâ—aile almost wherein it was not so I will forbeare examples To wound a farreof The light serue to great purpose if the Generall desire not to come neere to fight but seeke to annoy his enemie a farre of without danger of his owne folkes Liuy telleth of Cn. Manlius Volso that being to make warre against the Gallo Graecians that fled into the mountaines and awaited the Romans there and sought to defend themselues by aduantage of the place he prepared great plenty of darts arrowes bullets and small stones for Slinges and leauing his legionariâ— soulâ—iers behind led his light armed against the enemy that possessed certaine straights by which his armie must passe After some fight the Gallo-Graecians being not sufficiently armed to dâ—fend their bodies from the missiue weapons the light-armed of the Romans forced the passagâ— And following them euen to the Campe where their Companions came to their aide they first droue them into their Campe and after the Legionarie Souldiers comming vp they wonne it I haue before rehearsed the historie of Iphicrates who with his Targetires that came seldome to hand blowes but plied the enemie with darâ—s a farre of ouerthrew and slewe a whole Moira of the Lacedemonians The Acarnans likewise with this kinde of fight much incumbred Agesilaus that made an excursion into their Countrey The story is this a Agesilaus hauing taken a great prey in the territory of the Acarnans rested that day where he had taken it being busie in selling of it In the meane time many Acarnan Targetieres assembled themselues together where Agesilaus was incamped vpon the side of a mountaine and with darting and slinging they forced his Campe to descend to the plaine themselues in the meane time being free from hurt The next day Agesilaus led away his armie The passage out of the place was straight by reason of the mountaines lying about in a circle which the Acarnans possessing plied the Lacedemonians with darts and stones from the higher ground and sometimes descending to the skirts of the hills they pressed the armie so that it could not moue forward And when the armed foote or horse fell out vpon them they profited little For the Acarnans retired immediately to their strength Agesilaus perceiuing it would be hard for his armie to winde out of those straights so long as the enemy so hung vpon them resolued to charge those on his left hand For the ascent on that side was more easie both for his horse and armed foote Commanding therefore his men to charge the armed of 29 yeeres of age first fell on and the horse after them vpon the spurre Himselfe followed with the rest The Acarnans therefore that were descended and busie a darting were quickly put to flight and many slaine in seeking to remount the hills But their armed foote and most of their Targetiers stood imbattailed on the toppe and from thence both threwe other missiues and lanced Iauelines wherewith they wounded horsemen and killed
Metabole For Metabole is the conuersion of euery mans face particularly to the place which was behinde his backe And the same that Metabole is in ech seuerall Souldier the same is Perispasmos or wheeling about in the whole battaile There are 4 two kinds of Metabole the one from the enemie the other to the enemie Metabole is defined to be a changing of euery mans face in particular from the front to the reare or contrariwise Turning about from the enemie is when the Souldier turneth his face twice towards the Pike To the enemy when hee turneth twice towards the Target Notes FOure kinde of Motions are set downe by Aelian whereby vpon any occasion the battaile may be somewhat changed Turning of faces countermarch wheeling and doubling whereof the first may be vsed in what order soeuer your battaile standeth the second onely in open order the third â—n close order only the fourth either in close or open order Clisis or turning of faces whereof this Chapter intreateth albeit it may bee brought in also in open Order Yet is it not don for the most part but in close order and then especially when none of the other motions haue place The Graecians alwaies coueted to bring their file Leaders that is their best men to fight In open Order they chose to countermarch In close Order hauing place to wheele their battaile about and so turne the face of it against the enemy If they could doe neither of these they came to the last remedy which was turning of faces of euery particular man in the battaile 1 Clisis or turning of faces This motion is of lesse paines then any other but of no lesse importance or necessitie In the rest the Phalange changeth the place or the forme In this it holdeth both and yet is ready for any attempt of the enemy Onely euery Souldier in particular turneth his countenance to the right or left hand as he is commanded To turne his face to the Pike is to turne to the right hand because that hand bore the pike to turne to the Target is to turne to the left hand because the Macedonians caried their targets on their left shoulder For the vse of this turning of Faces Aelian saith It hath place when the enemie sheweth himselfe in flanke 2 To incompasse our wings Clisis is no more then bearing faces to the right or left hand that is to our wings When then we finde our enemies to incompasse our right wing wee turne our faces and weapons that way to receiue him to the left when he commeth to charge vs on that side If on both sides then turne wee the faces of our Phalange halfe to the right halfe to the left hand which is the Antistomus Phalange whereof Aelian speaketh hereafter Briefely there is almost none of the marching Phalanges which are afterward discribed but it hath neede of this motion Besides if vpon any occasion the Phalange be to moue from any of the flanks you are only to command Turning of faces to that flanke and then to lead on I will giue an example or two Alexander at Arbela hauing imbattailed his armie to fight with Darius had intelligence that Darius had strowed the ground betwixt the two armies with Calthropes He commanded therefore the right wing which himselfe led to turne faces to the right hand and follow him to the end to go round about and auoide the places that were sowed with Calthropes Darius marching against him to the left hand disioyned his troupes of horse and Alexander taking the aduantage and giuing in quickly betwixt the spaces put Darius to flight If Alexander had marched on with the right front he had fallen vpon the Calthropes To auoide them be vsed the benefit of this motion and turning faces to the right hand he led on vntill hee had passed the danger and then turning againe to the first posture went to charge and defeated the enemie An other example is in Polybius who describing the battaile betwixt Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant and Philopoemen the Achaean Generall telleth that Machanidas hauing in the left wing put the Achaean mercenaries to flight followed hard the chase Philopoemen as long as there was hope indeuoured by all meanes to stay his men when he saw them vtterly defeated hee hasted to the right wing and perceiuing the enemie busie in chase and the place voide where the fight had beene commanding the first Merarchies to turne their faces to the right hand hee led them on with high speede not yet breaking the order of their imbattailing And quickly seazing vpon the forsaken ground hee both cut betwixt them that gaue chase and home and withall got the aduantage of the vpper ground against the left wing of the armed Whereby hee obteined the victory If Philopoemen had in this action vsed wheeling of his battaile which onely was the other motion which would haue serued his turne besides the troublesomenesse of the winding about he should haue beene forced to haue vsed two wheelings and so failed of the câ—lerity which was at that time requisite Faces were turned in a trice and he made himselfe Master of the ground hee desired before hee could haue wheeled once his battaile 3 Two turnings of the Souldiers face Clisis or turning faces to the right or left hand consisteth of one turning and moueth no further then the side If the motion be to the reare it hath two turnings and is called Metabole which is defined to bee a changing of euery mans face in particular from the front to the reare or contrariwise And as wheeling of the whole body carieth about the fronts of the battaile to the reare So doth Metabole turne the face of euery particular Souldier and maketh him looke from the front to the reare The word properly signifieth a change which happeneth herein when the souldiers are changed from the front to the reare or contrariwise The vse of Metabole is principally to resist the enemy that giues on vpon the reare So Pyrrhus being entred the Citie Argos with a few and ouerpressed with multitude retired by little and little and defended himselfe often turning his and his souldiers faces against the enemy So the armie of Cyrus the elder retiring from the walles of Babylon often turned about their faces to the left hand and waited their enemie who were reported to be on foote and ready to come and charge them And if the enemy assault both the front and reare it hath beene the manner to continue halfe the souldiers in each file with their faces to the front and command the other halfe to turne their faces to the reare against the enemie behind And this forme is called Phalanx Amphistomos discribed by Aelian cap. 38. And sometimes it is vsed to speed our march and preuent the enemie as was said before of Clisis Agesilaus made an incursion into the Territory of the Thebans and finding a Trench and Ramper cast vp by the Thebanes for
themselues of the weight of their Targets Where Diodore hath en ortho tò dorati menein to continue their Pikes vpright Polienus hath protinomenous ta dorata ortha holding before them their Pikes vpright But both haue pikes vpright and Diodorus his Continue hath relation to the Posture they were in which Chabrias would not haue them to alter Polienus his hold before to that they were commanded to doe In ordering of Pikes at this day I haue shewed that the Souldiers hold them vpright the but end set on the ground before and somewhat wide of their right foote Aemilius Probus reciting this historie peruerteth the Stratagem Hee saith that Chabrias forbad the Phalange to giue backe and taught his Souldiers to receiue the enemies charge kneeling with one knee the other set against the Target and with the Pike abased Wherein hee quite dissenteth from Diodore and Polien Diodore saith the command was to keepe their array Polienus not to runne forward but quietly to stand still Probus not to giue backe Probus saith they should kneele with one knee and rest against the Target with the other Diodore that they should hold their Targets sunke to their knees Polienus that they should carry their Targets before at their knees Probus that they should abase and charge their Pikes Diodore that they should continue and order them vpright Polien that they should hold their Pikes vpright So that Diodore and Polien agree and expound one another Aemilius Probus bringing in a new historie dissenteth as I said from the other two especially in making that to be a forme of fight prescribed by Chabrias a simple forme to receiue the charge vpon their knees which was a contempt to shew how little especially in that strength of ground he regarded Agesilaus which contempt also made Agesilaus retire not doubting but it proceeded from a great assurance of the enemy Therfore as I said I take these words ep ' orthon apodounai not only to appertaine to the aspect of the Souldier but also and that much rather to the erection and ordering of Pikes Of Countermarches and the diuers kindes thereof with the manner how they are to be made CHAP. XXVIII THere are two sorts of Countermarches one by file the other by ranke each of these againe is diuided into three kindes The first called the Macedonian The second the Lacedemonian The third the Choraean which is also the Persian and the Cretan 1 The Macedonian is that which leauing the ground it first had taketh in liew thereof the ground which was before the front of the Phalange and turneth the aspect of the Souldier backeward where before it was forward 2 The Lacedemonian is that which leauing likewise the ground it first had taketh in steed thereof the ground which was behinde the Reare of the Phalange and turneth also the face of the Souldier the contrary way 3 The Persian is the Cretan and Choraean This keepeth the same ground of the Phalange euery souldier taking another place for that he had the file-Leader the place of Bringer-vp and so the rest in order and turneth also the face of the Souldier the contrary way 4 Countermarches by ranke are made when a man would transferre the winges into the place of the Sections and the Sections into the place of the wings to the end to strengthen the middest of the battaile Likewise the right hand parts into the left hand parts and the left hand parts into the right hand parts They that feare to countermarch the Phalange in grosse the enemy being at hand doe it by Syntagmaes I will now set downe in what manner countermarches ought to be made The Macedonian countermarch by file is said to be when the file-leader turneth about his face and all the rest with the Bringer-vp go against him on the right or left hand and passing on to the ground before the front of the Phalange place themselues in order one after an other according as the file-Leader himselfe hath turned his face Therefore it maketh shew to the enemy appearing in the Reare of running away Or it is when the file-Leader turneth about his face and the rest passing by him on the right or left hand place themselues orderly one behinde another But the Lacedemonian is when the Bringer-vp turneth his face about and all the rest turning also their faces and proceeding forward together with their file-Leader order themselues proportionably in the ground which was behinde the Reare of the Phalange Wherefore to the enemy appearing behinde it makes a semblance of falling on Againe the Lacedemonian is when the file-Leader turning his face about to the Pike or Target transferreth the whole file to another place equall to the first and the rest following stand as before behinde him Or else when the Bringer-vp turneth his face about and hee that stood next before him passing by on the right or left hand is placed againe next before him and the rest following are placed one before another in their former order till the file-Leader be the first The Choraean is when the file-Leader turning about toward the Pike or Target precedeth the file and the rest follow till the file-Leader haue the place of the Bringer-vp and the Bringer-vp the place of the file-Leader And these are the Countermarches by file In the same manner are Countermarches made by ranke in case a man would countermarch by ranke For euery ranke Countermarching either keepeth the same ground or changeth the right hand place or else the left hand place of the battaile one of which must needes fall out and neuer faileth Notes THe two former motions are performed one in close Order the other in all Orders Epistrophe when the battaile is shut so close that as Aelian saith a man can turne his face neither the one way nor the other Clisis in open Order Order and close Order The two ◠following motions Countermarch and Doubling one is done in open Order the other for the most part in open order too and yet sometimes in Order and close order as we shall see in due place This Chapter handleth Countermarches the next Doublings Countermarch is a motion whereby euery souldier marching after other changeth his front for the reare or one flancke for the other For there are two kindes of Countermarches one by file and the other by ranke And each of these is againe diuided into three the first called the Macedonian the second the Lacedemonian the third the Choraean or Cretan A Countermarch by file is when euery souldier followeth his Leader of the same file By ranke when euery souldier followeth his sideman of the same ranke in the Countermarch 1 The Macedonian Countermarch In this Countermarch the purpose of the Commander is to turne the front of his battaile against the enemy that sheweth himselfe in the Reare and withall to take the ground that lyeth before the front of the Phalange It is called the Macedonian Countermarch saith Aelian because
the enemy not onely in front but also in flanke Of the Phalange Amphistomus CHAP. XXXVIII 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 enemie is called a front Seeing then in this forme the middlemost are ordered backe to backe and those in front and reare make head against the enemy the one being Commanders of the front the other of the 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 those Barbarians that inhabit about the riuer Ister whom they also call Amphippi because they change Horses in fight The Horse battaile to encounter this forme hath a Tetragonall shape being for the purpose diuided into two broad-squares they are broad-squares that haue the front twice as much as the depth And these Squares are opposed seuerally against the diuisions of the foot-battaile Of the Phalange Antistomus CHAP. XXXIX THe Phalange Antistomus is like the Amphistomus the forme being a little altered so that it accustometh the souldier to resist the seuerall kindes of incursions of Horse All that hath beene spoken concerning the former Phalange both for foote and Horse agreeth with this figure also Herein they differ that Cap. 37. A foure fronted Phalange against all allemptes of the Enemy The Front of the reare The Front of the right flank The Front of the March The Front of the left flank Cap. 38. The Phalange Amphistomus Cap 39 The Phalange Antistomus Front Cap. 40. The Horsmans wedge Front A Diphalange Antistomus the Amphistomus receiueth the charge in front and reare the Antistomus in flanke But aswell 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 turne their faces forward the other halfe backward so that they stand back to backe This forme hath two fronts the one before where the file-Leaders the other behind where the back-Commanders stand And being also diuided into a Diphalange it maketh the fore-front with the one and the after-front with the other Phalange Of the Diphalange Antistomus CHAP. XL. A Diphalange Antistomus is that which hath the file-Leaders placed not in Deduction outwardly but inwardly face to face one against-an other and the reare-Commanders without one halfe in a right the other in a left-hand Deduction This forme is vsed when the Horse giue on and charge Wedge-wise For the * Wedge shooting foorth into a point and hauing the Commanders following in flanke and endeauouring to disseuer and breake the front of the foote the Leaders of the foote foreseeing their purpose place themselues in the middest with intent either to repulse them or else to giue them a thorough passage without losse For the Wedge flieth vpon the foote in hope to charge the multitude in the middest and to disorder the whole battaile And the foote Commanders conceiuing well the fury of that kinde of forme leaue a little space betwixt either front and stand like walles on both sides and iointly turning their faces toward the middest giue them a fruitlesse and empty passage This forme of Horse-battaile is called a Wedge by Tacticks which was inuented by Philip King of Macedon who placed his best men before that by them the weaker sort might be held in and enabled to the charge as we see in a speare or in a sword the point whereof by reason of the sharpnesse quickely piercing maketh way for and letteth in the middle blunt iron Of the Diphalange called Peristomus CHAP. XLI THe Phalange of the Diphalange * Peristomus proceedeth by deduction in a wing the oblique deduction on the right hand hauing the file-Leaders without the left hand oblique deduction the reare-Commanders within The figure sheweth the intent of them that fight so ordered For the battaile going to charge hauing beene at first Tetragonall diuideth it selfe into two oblique wings the right and the left of purpose to enclose the aduerse square-battaile And they fearing to bee inclosed transforme themselues into two seuerall marching-Phalanges directing one against the right the other against the left wing Therefore it is called Peristomus as hauing the front bent against the enemy both waies Of the Diphalange called Homoiostomos and of the Plinthium CHAP. XLII A Diphalange * Homoiostomus is so named because a 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 This kinde is opposed against the Plinthium * 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 In this foure-sided-Battaile are none in the flankes but armed without Archer or Slinger to helpe When therefore two Phalanges march together one by another and both haue their Leaders either in a right-hand or left-hand Deduction it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus Of the Diphalange Heterostomus CHAP. XLIII A Diphalange * Heterostomus is that which proceedeth by Deduction hauing the Leaders of the former Phalange in a right-hand-Deduction and of the following Phalange in a left-hand-Deduction so that the battailes march counterchangeably one hauing the Leaders in one flanke and the other in the other and so the rest Againe of the Battaile called a Rhombe and of the foote-halfe moone to encounter it CHAP. XLIV THe battaile framed in forme of a Rhombe was first inuented by Ileon the Thessalian and was called I le after his name and to this forme he exercised and accustomed the Thessalians It is of good vse in that it hath a Leader at euery corner at the point the Captaine of the Troupe the reare-Commander behinde and on either side the flanke-commanders The foote battaile fittest to affront this is the Menoides or Cressant hauing both the wings stretched out and in them the Leaders and the middest imbowed to inuiron and wrap in the Horsemen in their giuing on Whereupon the Horsemen ply the foot a farre off with flying weapons after the manner of the Tarentines seeking thereby to dissolue and disorder their circled frame of marching Tarentum is a City of Italy the Horsemen whereof are called Acrobolists because in charging they first cast little Darts and after come to hands with the enemy Cap. 42. The Battaile called Plinthium The front The Diphalange Homoiostomus Cap. 43. The Diphalange Heterostomus The File-leaders The bringers up Cap. 45. Heteromekes or the Herse of Horse The front Plagiophalanx or the broad fronted battaile of foote Cap. Epicampios Emprosthia The front Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and of the Plagiophalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XLV THe Horse battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the
or Ochane which was the Macedonian manner and not to hold them any more by the Porpax or handle and so to free their left hand to apply both to the menaging of a pike This I take to be the direct meaning of Plutarch Cleomenes then perswaded them to leaue theire speares take pikes And left the target in the left hand might proue an impediment to the vse of a pike hee thought best they should cary them at their backe by the Ochane To cary them then by the strappe at the backe is to giue free vse to the left hand without which a pike specially a long pike such as Cleomenes advised them vnto cannot be wielded as experience will teache any man that list to make triall 4 And long pikes Pikes for the most parte haue beene called by two names by the Graecians Doru and Sarissa Aelian nameth them Dorata both heere and in other places of this book Xenophon speaking of the weapons of the Chalybes saith they had Dorata of 15. cubits long armed with iron at one end onely Tet is Doru taken for a speare oftentimes as in that place of Plutarch last recited where Cleomenes perswaded the Lacedemonians to chaunge theire Dorata speares into Sarissas pikes The like recounteth hee of Philopoemen whoe chaunged the speares of the Achaeans into pikes calling the speares Dorata the pikes Sarissas And even in this place Aelian termeth them not Dorata simply but with addition of Perimekestera of a longsise And after describing the armes of the Peltastes hee saith theire speares Dorata were much shorter then the pikes Sarissae of the armed Properly the pike of the Macedonian is termed Sarissa if sometime Doru some other word is added to avoide the ordinary signification of Doru as Doru macron in Xenophon Doru perimekes in Aelian Yet deny I not but it may bee called Doru of the matter For Doru signifieth wood of any kinde and by consequent the wood a pike is made of But as I said the Macedonian pike is properly called Sarissa What the length of this pike was Aelian will shewe in the 14. Chapter And for the wood it was made of I take it to haue beene Corneil For I finde that the Macedonian horsemans staffe was of that wood Arrian confirmeth it saieng And nowe the Macedonians had the better both by reason of the strength of theire bodies and experience in warre and also because they fought with Corneil launces against Iavelins For I assent not to the translater of Arrian whoe turneth Xystois Craneinois into Corneil dartes where it should bee Corneil launces For in that place Alexander is reported to haue fought with a launce and to haue broken it in fight and to haue asked another of Aretes one of the Quiries of his stable whoe had also broke his and fought with the truncheon and to haue taken the launce of Divarates the Corinthian and returned presently to the fight and therewith overthrowne Mithridates the sonne in lawe of Darius Besides it is said that the Macedonians had the advantage in weapons Take it thus that they fought with dartes against Iavelins what advantage had they especially being come to the shock Dartes are vsed a farre of At hand noe man fighteth with them vnlesse hee haue noe other weapon I thinke noe man will deny but that a Iavelin in closing is more advantagious then a darte And that Xyston signifieth a launce Aelian himselfe testifieth in this Chapter calling the launciers Doratophori or Xystophori The Macedonian then had his horsemans staffe of Corneil Whiâ— Pliny affirmeth to bee a sound and a fast wood If his launce a man may â—bably coniecture his pike also which exceeded the launce in length and thicknesse onely Wee at this day preferre the Ashe before all woodes for toughnesse lightnesse and beautie especially if the vaine runne through to the end Notwithstanding I finde in Cicuta a knight of Venice an old souldier and one that followed the Emperour Charles the fift in his warres of Africk that the opinion of his time enclyned rather to Firre both for lightnesse and strength I haue not seene the experience therefore leaue I the iudgement to triall Wee haue then out of Aelian that the armed had both target and pike that one man should at one time vse both target and pike in fight against the enemy will seeme incredible in our dayes Yet vsed the Macedonian souldiers both at one instant they both charged theire pikes and covered themselues with theire targets against the flyeng weapons of the enemy The manner was this when they closed with the enemy they charged theire pikes with both handes and with a slight wryeng of the body and lifting vp the right shoulder whirled their target hanging at their backe vpon the left shoulder that stood next the enemy in the charge and so covered all theire body to the midle and beneath I haue touched it in the practise of Cleomenes It appeareth more plainely in Plutarch describing the battaile betwixt K. Perseus and the Consul Aemilius Hee hath this The enemy approaching Aemilius issued out of his Campe and fownd the legionary Macedonians bearing nowe the heades of their pikes stiffe vpon the targets of the Romans not suffering them to come vp to the sword which when hee sawe and sawe with all the other Macedonians casting about their targets from behinde their shoulders and receiving the Roman targetiers with their pikes abased together at one signal and likewise the firmenesse of the battaile shutte vp serred the roughnesse of the front the pikes lyeng out before he became astonied affrighted as having never before beheld so fearefull a sight Which passion spectacle hee afterward oftentimes recounted to his familier friends This ioyâ—ing of targets in the front is called Synaspismos whereof wee shall haue occasion to speake heere-after 5 The light They had divers names given them in the Greek history Sometimes they are called Euzoni because they so girded vp theire apparaile about theÌ„ that they were light and fitt for motion Sometimes Askeuoi because they beare no military furniture of defence Sometimes Elaphroi because they resemble as some think a harte in lightnesse and swiftnesse Sometimes Gynnietae naked because they were without defensiuâ— armes Sometimes Psyloi naked or light as they are heere termed by Aelian and by Appian and the other that I cited 6 Flyeng weapons onely The light-armed are divided into three kindes Archers Darters and Slingers Which three kindes were of much vse emongest the Graecians and they beare onely flieng weapons Xenophon testifieth that Cyrus the elder had them And the Graecians in theire returne out of Persia Alexander had them in his warre against Darius and Pyrrhus in his warre in Italy Sicill and Greece The Graecians against Brennus King of the Gaules Both the Athenians The bans at the battaile of Delos 7 Arrowes Archers haue alwayes
beene of speciall esteeme for the field and preferred before the other kindes of light-armed Many nations haue beene commended for theire skill in shooting Emongest the Graecians the Cretans were of aâ—ncient time sole archers as Pausanias witnesseth Yet was not theire service aequall with the service of the Persians For Xenophon confesseth that the Persian bowe overreached the Cretan a great way and that the Rhodians with theire sling owt-threw the Cretan bow Of the Carduchans a people through whose Countrey the Graecians passed at theire returne out of Persia Xenophon writeth thus They caried noe other armes then bowes and slinges They were excellent archers and had bowes well nighe three cubits long arrowes more then two Cubits When they shotte they drewe the string applieng theire hand some what toward the neither end of the bowe setting theire left foote foreward With theire arrowes they pierced both targets and Curates The Graecians putting thonges to the middest of theire arrowes sent them back at the enemy in steede of Dartes The same in effect is reported by Diodorus Siculus Of the Parthian horsemen Appian saith When Crassus commaunded the light-armed to disband goe to the charge they went not farre but meeting with many arrowes and being sore galled with them they retired streight and hid themselues emongest the armed and gaue beginning of disorder and feare repraesenting to the sight of the rest the force and violence of the shotte that rent all armes they fell vppon and made way aswell thorough bodies that had the best as the worst furniture defensiue giving mighty and violent strokes from stiffe and great bowes and forcing out the arrowe boisterously with the compasse and bent of the bowe Plutarch hath the very wordes that are in Appian The Indians also were good archers albeit not much praised by Q. Curtius Hee saith theire arrowes were two Cubits long which they deliver out of theire bowes with more labour then effect for as much as the arrow whose whole efficacy is in lightnesse becometh altogether vnwieldy by reason of the weight And yet hee telleth that Alexander at the assault of the principall City of the Mallians was strooke thorough his Curace into the side beneath the pappes with an Indian arrowe with whome Plutarch and Diod. Siculus accord Arrian addeth the wound was so deep that his breath was seene to issue out together with his blood The Gothes and other people of the north that invaded the Roman empire had theire chiefe victories against the Romans by the help of bowes and arrowes Vegetius before alleaged speaketh it plainely So our souldiers saith hee vnarmed both bodies and heads encountring with the Gothes were oftentimes wholy defeated and slaine with the multitude of theire arrowes I may not pretermitte the praise of our nation in this skill Our owne stories testify that the great battailes we gayned against the french were gayned by the ioint-shooting of our archers principally And that the English haue heretofore excelled in archery shooting is cleere by the testimony even of Strangers Cicuta whom I named before commending the vse of bows as necessary for the sâ—rvice of the field that long after gunnes were invented praeferreth the English before all other and setteth him downe as a patterne for other to follow Aâ—d Patritius disputing of the violence of arrows doubteth not to affirme that an English arrowe with a litle waxe put vpoÌ„ the point of the head wil passe through any ordinary Corslette or Curace Howsoever the credit of bowes is lost at this present with many great souldiers yet haue they of auncient time been highly prised Vegetius saith how great advantage good archers bring in fight both Cato in his bookes of military discipline doth shewe evidently and Claudius by augmenting the number of archers and teaching of them the vse of theire bowes overcame the enemy whome before hee was not able to matche Scipâ—o Africanus the yonger being to giue battaile to the Numantines that before had forced a Roman army to passe vnder the yoake thought hee could not otherwise haue the better vnlesse hee mingled chosen archers in euery 〈◊〉 And Leo the Emperour in his Constitutions military hath this Constitution â—ongest other You shall commâ—un â— all the Roman youth till they come to fourty yeares of age whether they haue meane skill in shooting or not to cary bowes quivers of arrowes For since the art of shoo ting hath been neglected many great losses haue befallen the Romans Aâ—d in another place you shall enioyne the Commaunders vnder you in winter to take a view and to signify to the Turmâ—ches Coronells now many horse what kinde of armes the souldiers vnder their commaundes stand in need of that necessary provision bee made the souldiers be furnished in time convenient But specially you are to haue care of archers that they whoe remaine at home haue vacation from warre hold bowes and arrowes in their howses For carelessnesse heerin hath brought great dammage to the Roman State So Leo. This of ould time was the opinion of the Romans concerning archers Howe wee are fallen out with them in our dayes the skill of the bowe being a quality so commendable and so proper to our nation I knowe not vnlesse fire-weapons perhaps haue put them out of countenaâ—nce And surely it may not bee denied that the force of fireweapons of our time doth farre exceed the height of all old inventions for anoyeng the enemy And when I haue given them the first place I will not doubt to giue the second to bowes and arrowes being so farre from casting them of that I would rather follow the wisdome of the Graecians whoe albeit they esteemed arrowes the best flieng weapons yet thought it not amisse to hold in vse slinges and dartes Every weapon hath it property and that which is fitte for one service is not so fitte for another The fire-weapons haue theire advantages They haue also theire disadvantages Theire advantage is they pierce all defence of armour and lighting vpon a place of the body the wound whereof endaungereth life they bring with them certeine death Theire disadvantages are they are not alwayes certeine sometimes for want of charging sometimes through over charging sometimes the bullet rowling out sometimes for want of good powder or of dryed powder sometimes because of an ill dryed matche not fitte to coale or not well cocked Besides they are somewhat long in charging while the musketier takes downe his musket vncockes the matche blowes proynes shuttes casts of the pan castes about the musket opens his charges chargeth drawes out his 〈◊〉 sticke rammes in the powder drawes out againe and puts vp his skowring stick layes the musket on the rest blowes of the matche cockes and tryes it gardes the pan and so makes ready All which actions must necessarily bee observed if you will not faile of the true vse of a musket In
defence of their Countrey and onely two narrow waies betwixt he cast his armie into a hollow Plinthium or square and led it against the left hand passage whither all the Thebans flocked for defence But hee turning about faces from the reare hasted away and gained the other passage where no man was present to resist and entring spoiled the Countrey and returned without impeachment 4 There are two kinde of Metaboles Before were rehearsed two kinde of turnings of faces about one to the pike the other to the target here is added two more one from the enemy and the other against the enemie which are all one indeed and differ onely in name What the true meaning of these turnings should be I am in doubt Aelian expounding them one way Suidas an other Aelian esteemes them by the right and left hand Suidas albeit he haue that signification also esteemeth them by the front and reare Therefore Suidas defines the turning from the enemie to bee a turning about toward the reare that against the enemie a turning about toward the front Aelian would haue the first to containe two turnings toward the right hand the second two turnings toward the left I for my part assent rather to Aelian For touching the turnings of Suidas I cannot yet vnderstand why turning toward the reare should be a turning from the enemie Or toward the front a turning to the enemie Considering that whether soeuer you turne faces the enemie is imagined to be there faces and weapons being to bee opposed alwaies against the enemie which is the onely end of turning Aelians opinion seemeth to haue more probability in it at least if I conceiue the right reason For I take it thus That seeing the Graecians as the Romans likewise were Targetieres and caried their targets on their left side and in fight aduanced that side alwaies neerest the enemie which they sought to couer with their targets that therefore the turning about to the enemy was called turning to the Target as contrarily turning to the right side on which side the Pike was caried and which being naked of such defensiue armes was called the open side and therefore further remoued from the enemy might for the same cause be tearmed turning from the enemy So that I take turning about to the enemy and turning about to the target to be all one as also turning about from the enemy and turning about to the Pike howsoeuer the name differ This is my coniecture which I shall imagine to be true till I finde some man that will bee pleased to giue me a more probable reason I only adde now the words of command in this motion As you were Faces to the right hand Faces to the left hand Faces about to the right or left hand The figure sheweth the manner Of wheeling double and treble-wheeling of the battaile and returning to the first posture CHAP. XXVI 1 EPistrophe or wheeling is when the battaile being so closed that no man can turne or twice turne his face by reason of the neerenesse of man to man it wholy and iointly wheeleth as a ship or some other body caried about the order thereof remaining vndissolued When the wheeling is to the Pike we warne the right-corner-file-leader to stand still as it were the hooke of a doore hinge and the rest of the battaile proceeding forward to turne about the same file-Leader like the doore In the same manner is wheeling to the Target It may be thus defined Epistrophe is when shutting the battaile by gathering close the Followers and Side-men we turne it wholy as the body of a man toward the Pike or Target it being caried about the corner-file-leader as about a Center and changing the place of the front transferre the countenance of the souldier to the right or left hand the followers and sidemen euery one remayning in file and ranke as before How it is to be done I will shew hereafter Anastrophe or returning to the first posture is the restoring of the wheeling to the place where the battaile first stood close before it beganne to wheele Perispasmos or wheeling about is the motion of the battaile in two wheelings so that thereby the front commeth to the place of the reare 2 Ecperispasmos or treble wheeling is the motion of the battaile in three wheelings so as when it turneth to the Pike the front commeth about to the left flanke when to the Target it commeth about to the right flanke Notes THis Chapter hath a diuers kinde of turning from the other mentioned in the last Chapter which for distinction sake is called Epistrophe or wheeling The other turned no more then the souldiers faces euery man yet keeping the same ground be had before This wheeles the whole body and changeth the place of the Phalange either to the right or left hand or to the reare And as there was in the turning of faces a particular motion of euery particular souldier to the right or left hand called Clesis and an other turning about called Metabole so is there in this a generall wheeling of the whole body to the right or left hand called Epistrophe and an other wheeling about to the reare called Perispasmos But let vs heare the description 1 Epistrophe or wheeling is when the Battaile Shortly Epistrophe is no more then the first turning of the battaile to the right or left hand In doing whereof first the files must be closed to the hand you meane to wheele then the rankes Then the corner file-Leader on the same hand is to stand still then all the rest keeping their files and rankes closed to turne to the same hand iointly about the Corner-file-leader circle-wise who is to moue by little and little till he haue turned his face to that side which was intended And when the first ranke is euen with him and the rest wheeled enough to the same hand they are to stand still The words of the definition of Epistrophe or wheeling are plaine enough in Aelian I neede vse no exposition Now because in exercise we relie not vpon one forme of motion alone but acquaint our souldiers with all the kindes It is necessarie to bring the body againe to the first place to the end we may proceede in the rest This reducing to the first Posture is called Anastrophe by which the battaile returneth but by a contrary hand to that to which the Epistrophe was made And but for changing the hand the wheeling backe againe is all one with the wheeling forward Wee shall see hereafter how it is done To bring the battaile to haue the front where the reare was you must vse a double wheeling And that is called Perispasmos Which commeth of two Epistrophes and is made either to the right or left hand Onely it must bee obserued that if the Perispasmos or wheeling about be to the right hand the Anastrophe or reducing to the first posture must be to the left Contrarie it is if the Perispasmos were to
hapned a like to both they found a safe retreat within the battailes of foote But when the Armies were come within 500 paces one of an other Scipio giuing a signall of Retreat and opening his battaile receiued all the horse and light-armed into the middest and diuiding them into two parts placed them as seconds behind the wings Now when time was come to begin the fight he commanded the Spaniards who had the middle ward to march on leasurely and sent a messenger from the right winge for hee commanded there to Syllanus and Martius willing them to stretch out the left winge as they saw him stretch out the right and to charge the enemy with the light-armed and horse before the middle wards might be able to come vp and ioyne The winges being thus stretched out they led with all possible speed three Cohorts of foote and three troupes of horse a peece against the enemy besides the light-armed and those that were receiued into the Reare who followed a thwart There was a great empty space in the middest because the Ensignes of the Spaniards came slowly on And now the wings were in fight when the old souldiers Carthaginians and Africans the strength of the Armie were not yet come to vse their darts neither durst they runne into the wings to helpe them that fought for feare of opening the middest of the battaile to the enemy who was comming on against them The winges were pressed with a double medley The Horse light-armed Velites wheeling about their Troupes charge their flanks The Cohorts pushed on in front to the end to breake of the wings from the body of the battaile And the conflict was vnequall both in all other respects and especially because a rable as it were of drudges and vntrained Spaniards were opposed against the Roman and Latin souldiers The day being now farre spent the Armie of Asdruball oppressed with the mornings tumult and compelled to take the field before they had strengthned their bodies with meat began to faint and faile in strength which was the reason that Scipio lingered out the day made the fight somewhat late For it was past the seuenth houre before the winges of foote attached one an other and yet the fight came later to the middle wards So that the scorching heat of the south-sunne and the labour of standing armed and hunger and thirst first afflicted their bodies before they came to hands with the enemy Therefore they stood leaning vpon their Targets and being weary both in body and minde they gaue backe at last keeping notwithstanding their array no otherwise than as if the battaile being yet entire had retreated at the commandement of the Generall But when the victors perceiuing them to shrinke so much the more eagerly pressed on the brunt could hardly be indured any longer And although Asdrubal restrained and stopped them that gaue ground crying that hills and a safe place of retreat was at their backs if they could be but intreated to retire easily yet feare ouercomming shame and the enemy killing them that were next to hand they forthwith turned their backs and vniuersally powred out themselues into flight This stratagem of Scipio resteth principally in shifting his best men the Romans into the winges the Spaniards his worst into the middest and in keeping the Spaniards aloofe from ioyning and in hasting to try the day with the Romans against the weakest of the enemy Asdrubals way to meete with this stratagem had beene to countermarch by ranke halfe his Carthaginians and Africans into one winge and halfe into the other And by that meanes his Spaniards should haue had the middest against the Roman-Spaniards and his old souldiers Carthaginians and Africans beene opposed in the wings against the Romans and Latins and the advantage eluded that Scipio sought As the Countermarches by file were of three kindes so are the Countermarches by ranke namely the Macedonian the Lacedemonian and the Choraean The Macedonian beginneth to moue at the corner of the wing which is nearest to the enemy the enemy appearing to either flanke And therefore incâ—rreth the same imputation that was laid vpon the Macedonian countermarch by file as seeming to runne away because it dismarcheth from the enemy Yet is there vse of it as well as of that by file For by this countermarch you may set the strongest part of your Armie against the enemy and apply the weakest to some Riuer Lake hill or such like so that the enemy can not come to incompasse it It taketh the ground that lyeth on the side of the contrary wing The Lacedemonian taketh the ground that lieth on the side of that wing which is toward the enemy and bringeth the best men to be formost against the enemy And therefore beginneth the moving on the contrary side The vse of it is when your forces are such as are able to incounter the enemy and you desire to bring your best men to fight The Choraean keepeth the same ground the battaile had at first bringeth one wing to possesse the place of the other Or else the Sections to possesse the place of the wings as might haue beene done in the last example cited concerning Scipio and Asdrubal The manner of countermarch by ranke is contrary to the countermarch by file In countermarch by file the motion was in the depth of the battaile and either the front remoued toward the reare or the reare toward the front and tooke one an others place In this the motion is in length of the battaile flanke-wise the wing either marching into the middest or else cleane thorow to the other wing In doing it the souldiers that stand vttermost in the flanke of the wing must moue first to the contrary wing and the rest of euery ranke seuerally follow them in order The figure will shew the manner of the motion Patritius vtterly mistaketh the countermarch by ranke and groundeth himselfe vpon a wrong principle namely that in all Countermarches the File-leaders must march toward the reare and the Bringers-vp towards the front And therefore in changing the winges into Sections he makes the winges to fall of behind in the reare the File-leaders wheeling about and there to ioyne themselues as neare as the middle Section will giue leaue and the Sections falling backe likewise to ioyne themselues to the flanks of them that were the wings Whereas the nature of this Euolution is clearely to leaue the File-leaders in front and Bringers-vp in reare as they were at first And albeit the File-leaders then change their places yet change they their place with none but with File leaders and the change is but a change of hands the right hand for the left or the left hand for the right For whereas the File-leaders of the right wing had before the right hand now in countermarch by ranke being transposed to the left wing they haue the left hand of all the rest of the File-leaders as likewise the Bringers-vp of the other
bringers-vp The words of Command may be these For the Macedonian Countermarch by file File-leaders turne your faces about to the right or left hand The rest of euery File passe thorow in order one after another and place your selues at your distances after your Leaders turning your faces about and so stand For the Lacedemonian Countermarch by file The first manner Bringers-vp turne your faces about to the right or left hand The rest turne your faces about and beginning at them that are next to the Bringers-vp countermarch and place your selues in your distances before the Bringers-vp and one before an other till the File-leaders be first The second manner File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and let euery mans file follow him and keepe true distance For the Choraean countermarch by file File-leaders countermarch to the place of the Bringers-vp and stand and let your files follow you keeping their distance For the Macedonian countermarch by ranke The right or left hand corner file turne your faces to the right or left hand The rest of each ranke passe thorough to the right or left hand and place your selues orderly behind your side-men keeping your distance Cap 29 Dobling of Rankes The front before Dobling of rankes Dobling of rankes in action The front after Dobling of Rankes For the Lacedemonian countermarch by ranke The first manner The corner file where the enemy appeareth turne your faces to the right or left hand The rest of ech rankes turne your faces and passe thorough to the right or left hand and place your selues before your side-men orderly keeping your distances The second manner The right or left wing where the enemy appeareth not countermarch to the contrary wing and all in the Ranks follow euery man his side-man keeping your distance For the Choraean countermarch by ranke The vttermost corner file of the right or left wing countermarch into the place of the left or right winge and stand And the rest follow ranke-wise keeping their distance Of doubling and the kindes thereof CHAP. XXIX 1 THere are two kinds of doubling one of Rankes the other of Depth or files and 2 either of these double the number or the place 3 The length is doubled in number when of a front of 124 files we make a front keeping the same ground of 248 files by inserting in the spaces betwixt file and file some of the followers that stood in the depth This is done to the end to thicken the length of the battaile If we lift to recall them to their first posture we are to command those that were inserted to countermarch to the place they had before 4 There are that mislike these doublings especially the enemy being at hand and would haue a shew of doubling made without indeed doubling the Phalange already ordered by stretching out the light-armed and the Horse on both sides of the wings of the Battaile 5 The vse of doubling the length is when either we would ouer-wing the enemy or else our selues feare to be ouer-winged The Depth is doubled 6 by inserting the second file into the first so that the Leader of the second file be placed next behind the Leader of the first file and the second man of the second file be the fourth man of the first file and the third man of the second file be the sixt in the first file and so forth the rest till the whole second file be ingrossed into the first and likewise the fourth file into the third and all the euen files into the odde Doubâ—ing of the Depth by Countermarch is made either when the next side-files in seuerall as in the former example the second and the fourth and the rest of the euen files countermarch to the Reare and place themselues behind the Bringers-vp of the odde files or else the files remayning in their first place and number halfe of them diuiding themselues from the other halfe countermarch likewise to the Reare and conveying themselues behind the other there order themselues and so double the depth of the Phalange If we would returne them to the first posture we must recall those that were conveyed to stand behind to the place they had before the Countermarch Notes THE former three Motions alter not the forme of the Phalange For whether you turned faces wheeled or countermarched the Phalange the depth and length remained one The motion to be expressed in this Chapter induceth an other shape to the Phalange and maketh it seeme a different body from that it was before being by Doubling extended either in length or in depth For Doubling the number of men or the place of the Phalange in front maketh the length twise as much and doubling the same in flanke maketh the depth double to that it was before For Doubling is nothing else then making a military body twise as long or twise as deepe as it was before 1 There are two kindes of doubling The Doublings are either of length or depth Or which is all one as Suidas saith of ranks or files For ranks stretch out in length files in depth And these againe are diuided into two other kinds the body being 2 Doubled in number or place That which is here called number is called elsewhere persons or by Suidas men It is called persons in the Insertion which is made to Aelian I know not by whom in the precedent Chapter of Countermarches Which because it lay thrust in betwixt the description of Countermarches and nothing perteined to that argument I neuer made doubt was crept into the text And I am rather confirmed in my opinion because I saw it noteâ— with an Asteriske in that Aelian being of Robortellus Edition which the learned Isaack Casaubon had quoted and purposed to set forth if vntimely dâ—ath had not prâ—vented him I will here set downe the words because they differ not much from Aelian and may giue some light to the manner of Doubling It is to be vnderstood so are the words â—hat a Phalange is doubled in persons or place when we therefore take halfe the souldiers from the Depth and making files of them place them euen with the rest in length of the front so that of 124 files we make 248 this is Doubling of persons In like sort we double the place with 124 files not increasing the number but onely commanding some to turne to the Pike some to the Target till the Phalange be stretched out to a convenient length as from 5 furlongs to 10. In the same manner is the depth doubled For either one file is inserted into an other man for man so that the second File-leader becomes the follower of the first and the second man in the second file the follower of the second in the first file and so the rest Or else 16 men are so extended that they hold as much ground in length as 32 vsuallydoe So farre the insertion It followeth in Aelian 3 The length is doubled in
the distance required to the right hand Faces as you were Close your hinder ranks forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first posture File-Leaders stand firme The other Rankes turne faces about and open behinde to the first distance Faces as you were The right-wing-corner-file stand firme the rest turne faces to the Target and proceede to your first distance Faces as you were and order your Pikes Closing to the left wing It differeth not from the other but that the mouing is to the contrarie hand Closing to the middest of the Battaile The right-wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike Each moue vp to the middest of the Phalange and stand at the distance named Faces as you were Close the hinder rankes forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture The first ranke stand firme The rest turne faces about and open the rankes to the first distance Faces as you were The files next the middle section stand fast and the right wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike and moue on till the first distance recouered Faces as you were and order the Pikes We may not forget Aelians generall rule for turning of faces out of Closings that the Pikes be alwaies aduanced For when you come vp to the closenesse required the Pike vpon the shoulder will hardly admit turning of the face The like falleth out when you would open from the Closing The vse and aduantage of these exercises of armes CHAP. XXXIV THese precepts of turning about of faces of wheeling and double wheeling of the Battaile and of reducing it to the first posture are of great vse in suddaine approches of the enemy whether hee shew himselfe on the right or left hand or in front or in the reare of our march The like may bee said of Countermarches Of which the Macedonians are held to bee the inuentors of the Macedonian the Lacedemonians of the Lacedemonian and for this cause either to haue name accordingly The Histories witnesse that Philip who much enlarged the Macedonian kingdome and ouercame the Graecians in battaile at Cheronea and made himselfe Generall of Greece and likewise his sonne Alexander that in short time conquered all Asia made small account of the Macedonian countermarch vnlesse necessitie forced it and that they both by the vse of the Lacedemonian became victorious ouer their enemies For the Macedonian countermarch the enemy falling vpon the reare is cause of great confusion in as much as the hindermost dismarching toward the front and making a shew of running away it more encourageth and emboldneth the enemy to follow For feare and pursuit of the enemy ordinarily accompanieth that kinde of countermarch But the Lacedemonian is of contrarie effect For when the enemy sheweth himselfe in the reare the Leaders with their followers brauely aduancing and opposing themselues it striketh no small feare and terror into their mindes Cap. 30 The File-leaders A Deduction to the left hand A right induction The Front A Deduction to the right hand Cap. 36. The Coelembolos or hollow fronted wedge The Front The right Induction Cap. 36. The Coelembolos The left wing The right wing The front The Phalange set against the left wing of the Coelembolos The Phalange set against the right wing of the Coelmebolos The forbearing Phalange Of the signes of direction that are to be giuen to the armie and their souerall kindes CHAP. XXXV WEe are to acquaint our forces both foote and horse partly with the voice and partly with visible signes that whatsoeuer is fitting be executed and done as occasion shall require Some things also are to be denounced by the Trumpet for so all directions will be fully accomplished and sort to a desired effect The signes therefore which are deliuered by voice are most euident and cleere if they haue no impediment But the most certaine and least tumultuous are such as are presented to the eye if they bee not obscured The voice sometime can hardly be heard by reason of the clashing of armour or trampling and neighing of Horses or tumult of cariage or noyse and confused sounds of the multitude The visible signes also become many waies incertain by thicknes of aire and dust or raine or snow or sun-shine or else thorow ground that is vneuen or full of trees or of turnings And sometimes it will not be easie to find out signes for all vses occasions eftsoones presenting new matter to the which a man is not accustomed Yet can it not fall out that either by voice or by signal we should not giue certaine and sure direction Of marching and of diuers kindes of Battailes fit for a March And first of the right-induction of the Coelembolos and the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kind of march is a Right-induction other some a Deduction on the right or left hand And that in a single or double or treble or quadruple-sided-battaile In a single when one enemy is feared In a double when two In a treble when three In a quadruple when the enemy purposeth to giue on on all sides Therefore the march is vndertaken sometimes in a single Phalange sometimes in a twofold Phalange or else in a threefold Phalange or in a fourefold Phalange A right-induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead and the rest follow Xenage-wise Or a Tetrarchy lead and the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe out into a wing hauing the Depth much exceeding the length Against it is opposed the Coelembolos which is framed when the Antistomos Diphalange disioyneth the Leading-wings closing the Reare in manner of the letter V as the figure after placed doth teach In which the front is disseuered the reare ioyned and knit together For the Right-induction pointing at the middest of the enemies battaile the Coelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front and to claspe in and circumuent the flankes of the right-induction Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Coelembolos one Phalange fighting against one winge of the Coelembolos The second against the other and the middle and third forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge Of Paragoge or Deduction CHAP. XXXVII PAragoge or Deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in a wing not by file but by ranke hauing the Commanders or file-Leaders either on the right hand which is called a right-hand-Deduction or on the left hand which is called a left-hand Deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple-side accor̄ding to the place and part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the Paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe make the length double to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of
of the horse in generall Chap. 20 The diligence to bee vsed in choise and exercise of the best formes of battailes Chap. 21 Of Chariotts the names and degrees of the Commaunders Chap. 22. Of the Elephants the names and degrees of theire Rulers Chap 23. The names of the militarie motions expressed in this booke Chap. 24. Of turning and double turning of the souldiers faces as they stand embattailed Chap. 25. Of wheeling double and treble wheeling of a battaile and of returning to the first posture Chap. 26. Of filing ranking and restoring to the first posture Chap. 27. Of Counter march and the diverse kinds thereof with the manner how it is to be done Chap. 28. Of doubling and the kinds thereof Chap. 29. Of the broadfronted Phalange the deepe Phalange or Herse and the vneuen fronted Phalange Chap. 30. Of Parembole Protaxis Epitaxis Prostaxis Entaxis Hypotaxis Chap. 31. The manner how the motions of the wheeling Double and Treble wheeling of a battaile are to bee made Chap. 32. Of closing of the battaile to the right or left hand to the middest Chap. 33. The vse and advantage of these exercises of armes Chap. 34. Of signes of directions that are to bee given to the army and theire seuerall kinds Chap. 35. Of Marching of diverse kinds of battailes fitt for a Marche of the right Induction of the Coelemboles and of the Triphalange to bee opposed against the Coelemboles Chap. 36. Of Paragoge or Deduction Chap. 37. Of the Phalange called Amphistomus Chap. 38. Of the Phalange called Antistomus Chap. 39. Of the Diphalange called Antistomus Chap. 40. Of the Phalange called Peristomus Chap. 41. Of the Phalange called Himoiostomus and of the Plinthium Chap. 42. Of the Phalange called Heterostomus Chap. 43. Againe of the horsebattaile called the Rhombe and the foote halfe-moone to encounter it Chap. 44. Of the horse battaile Heteromeres and the broad fronted foote battaile to be opposed against it Chap. 45. Of another kinde of Rhombe for Horsemen and of the Epicampios Emprosthia to encounter it Chap. 46. Of the foote battaile called Cyrte which is to bee sett against the Epicampios Chap. 47. Of the Horse battaile which is square in ground and the wedge of foote to bee opposed against it Chap. 48. Of the Foote battaile called Plaesium and the Sawefronted foote battaile to encounter it Chap. 49. Of overfronting the enemies battaile and overwinging it and of Attenuation Chap. 50. Of the leading of the Cariage of the Army Chap. 51. Of the wordes of cōmaund of certain Rules to be observed therin Chap. 52 Of silence to be vsed by souldiers Chap. 53. The manner of pronouncing the wordes of Commaunde Chap. 54. The Authors that haue written Tacticks of this booke and of the profitt of the Arte. CHAP. I. HOmer the Poet seemeth to bee the first at least we reade of that had the skill of imbattailing an army and that admired men indued with that knowledge as appeareth by Mnestheus of whome he writeth His like no liuing wight was found nor any age did yeild To Marshall Troopes of horse or bandes of foote in bloudie field Concerning Homers discipline militarie the workes of Stratocles of 1 Frontine a man of Consular dignitie in our time are to be read 2 Aeneas perfected the Theorie thereof at large publishing many volumes of warfare which were abridged by 3 Cyneas the Thessalian Likewise 4 Pyrrhus the Epirote wrote Tacticks and his sonne 5 Alexander and Clearchus and Pausanias and 6 Euangelus 7 Polibius the Megapolitan a man of great learning Scipioes companyon Eupolemus and 8 Iphicrates 9 Possidonius also the Stoick sett forth the art of warre many other some in Introductions as Brion some in large Tactick volumes Al which I haue seene and read and yet thinke it not much to purpose to mention perticulerlie being not ignorant that it hath beene the manner of those writers for the most parte to applie theire stile not to the ignorant but to such as are alreadie acquainted with the matters they intreat of as for the impediments which presented themselues to mee when first I gaue my minde to the studie of this art as namely neither to happen vpon sufficient Instructours nor yet to find light or perspicuitie enough in the precepts delivered I will endevour as much as I can to remoue out of other mens way And as often as wordes shall faile to expresse my meaning I will for plainenes sake vse the direction of figures and pourtraicts adioyning thereby the view of the ey as an aide and assistance to the vnderstanding withall retaine the termes of auncient authours to the end that whosoever shal follow this booke for an introduction being therein exercised both to the same wordes also to the vsage of things expressed in them may grow as it were acquainted and imagine himselfe no straunger when he cōmeth to read their workes By which waies by me prescribed I make no doubt they will easely be vnderstood Now that this art of all other is of most vse may appeare by Plato in his booke of lawes where he saith That the Cretan Law giver so contrived his Laws as if men were alway praepared to fight For all cities haue by nature vnproclaimed warre one against another Which being so what discipline is more to bee esteemed or more avaylable to mans life then this of warre Notes IT seemeth by this Chapter that the Authors that haue of auncient time written Tactiks haue beene many and those not of such kinde of men as haue given themselues to study and contemplation alone but of such as besides theire knowledge in good letters haue beene actors in warre themselues which is more principall actors some of them Generalls other the next degree to generalls Howbeit there is none heere mentioned by Aelian whose workes are extant Where by may be esteemed the inestimable losse these later ages haue suffred in being deprived of such excellent monuments I hope I may so terme them without offence though I haue not seene them For what but excellent can proceed from men of such excellencie in theire profession such as the most parte of those were Yet for some of them I can say nothing as finding litle remembrance of them in auncient writers Of this kind are Eupolemus Stratocles Hermias Clear chus Pausanias albeit such names may often bee founde The rest are specially mentioned and much commended Of whome I will set downe what I finde 1 Frontine a man of Consular dignity I haue before noted some what of Frontine Wee haue of his as it is thought other workes besides his stratagemes But this booke of Tacticks whereof Aelian speaketh wee haue not I will onely adde the relation of Vegetius towching Frontine who writeth thus Cato the elder albeit hee had beene both invinceable in armes and often Generall of great armies beleeued yet hee should more profit his Countrey if hee laid downe in writing the
it may bee that the old translation had an eye vpon the vsage of auncient time wherin the matter of armes was principally of Brasse Homer reporteth that the armour of Diomedes was of brasse Pausanias that all the Heroes that is the auncieÌ„t worthies about the time of the siege of Troy had their armour of Brasse Alcaeus the Poet in describing his armory saith the rest of his armes were of brasse as his head-pieces his greves his Targets only his Curaces were of linen Pausanias reporteth al so that the sword of Memnon was of brasse the head of the speare of Achilles Pisanders axe the head of Meriones his shafte Servius Tullius in sessing the City of Rome appointed the chiefest richest Citizens to arme themselues with headpieces greves Curace buckler alofbrasse The targets of the Lacedaemonians were of brasse also by the institution of Lycurgus So that brasse was much vsed in armes in the oldest times And where Alcaeus speaketh of his linen Curace I find that Curaces of linen were in request also eveÌ„ in those times Homer affirmeth that Aiax Oileus had a linen Curace But afterward Iphicrates the Athenian held them so good that he gaue them to his souldiers to weare in stede of their vsuall armes made of iron brasse And Xenophon armeth Abradates the K. of Suse with a linen armour adding that it was the manner of that Countrey And Plutarch saith that Alex. the great after he had gotten the victory against Darius in Cilicia found emoÌ„gest the spoile a lineÌ„ armour which he afterward vsed in the battailes he fought Patricius is so confident in the strength of a linen armour of his owne device that he doubteth not to preferre it before well tempered iron What his invention is he keepeth to himself for feare the Turk should haue intelligence of it so Christianity bee driven to an exigent Al men knowe that the temper of an iron armour may be such as wil resist the violence of a musket shotte and that at a neere distance Neither is this temper the invention of our dayes The like hath been of auncient time Plutarch writeth that Demetrius be sieging Rhodes was presented with two iroÌ„ armours brought out of Cyprus either of the weight of 40. pownds The maker of them whose name was Zoilus desirous to shewe their strength firmenesse caused one to be set vp at the distaunce of 26. paces and bee shotte at with an arrowe discharged out of a Catapult The armour hitte remayned vnpierced nothing appearing vpoÌ„ it but the rasing as it were of a peÌ„knife And that a Catapult is of more violeÌ„ce theÌ„ a musâ—et the effects thereof declared in history make plaine Whether a linen coate be of that resistance or not hath not been yet tried Nay the contrary hath been tried For Alexander at a siege of a City of the Mallians as I take it was sore wounded with an Indian arrowe through an armour of linen Whose armour I would iudge to haue beene not of the stenderest and weakest but of the surest kinde Yet is it not to bee passed over that Iustus Lipsius alleageth out of Nicetas Choniates concerning a linen armour of Conradus of Monferrate Conradus saith hee fought then with out a target and in steede of a Curace hee had on a woven weed made of flaxe soked in sowre wine well salted and often-folded It was so sure against outward force of strokes being fulled with wine and salte that it could not bee pierced with iron or steele This invention our age hath not beene acquainted with whether it bee the same that Patricius aimeth at let experience iudge That antiquity practised it in wooll Pliny witnesseth who writing of wooll and woollen garments saith Of wooll wrought and pressed together by it selfe alone I think as our hatters worke felt a garment is made if you worke it with vineger it cannot bee strooke through with a sword This wooll so wrought he calleth coactam which in Caesar as I take it is called Subcoactum Caesars wordes sound thus Pompey although hee had noe purpose to hinder Caesars workes with his whole army nor yet to hazard battaile sent notwithstanding archers and slingers of whome hee had great store to convenient places and by them many of our souldiers were wounded a generall feare of arrowes fell vpon them and well nigh our whole campe made themselues coates and cases of either felts subcoactis or quilts or leather thereby to avoide the daunger of flieng weapons But wee will leaue Patricius to his fancy and adde an example out of Xenophon of armes vsed by the Chalybes a nation inhabiting the Chaldaean Mounteines The Chalybes saith hee were the most valiant nation that the Graecians passed through such as durst come to handes with them They vsed linen Curaces reaching downe to theire bellies and in steede of winges they had roapes thick woond and fastened together The strength of roapes thick woond togither must noe quaestion bee great Caesar confirmeth it Emongest other defences which his souldiers deuised for assurance of a Turret against the Engins of the Marsilians hee saith They made foure stories of Cables fitting the length of the walles of the Turret and foure foote broade and fastened them hanging downeward to the beames sticking out of the Turret on those tâ—ee parts which lay toward the enemy which kinde of covering alone they â—ad in other places made triall could bee forced or strooken through by noe missiue weapon or Engine whatsoever This I haue heard was the device of the Spaniards in 88. to defend their ships against the fury of our artillery Whereof I may inferre that if Cables combined together bee of such assurance against Engines roapes thick layde and fastened together must bee a strong defence against a sword To end with the matter whereof armes were made I finde likewise that the Macrones vsed in steede of Curaces coates made of haire And thus much of the matter of Armes Besides armes should be fitt for the body and for the strength of him that beares them When David was to fight against Goliath K. Saul seeing him without armour caused his owne head-piece curace to be put vpon him David assayed to marche but finding these armes to heavy was faine to leaue them and to goe against Goliath vnarmed Saul was the tallest man of his nation David but meane of stature to put armour proportioned to a large body vpon him that is a great way lesse of members is as much as to deliver him bound to his enemy Xenophon emongest other causes why the Lacedaemonian horse were beaten by the Thebans at the Leuctrian battaile alleageth this for a maine cause That the richest men kept furnished out horses as often as musters were takeÌ„ the man that was to serue shewed himself answered to his name receiving horse
farre Plutarch The souldiers care therefore ought to bee first for surenesse then for fitnesse lastly sor comelinesse and ornament in armes If the two first faile the last availeth litle and will proue rather a burden then a defence And thus much of armes in generall Nowe followe the particulers of armes as they are in Aelian 1 Preparacions absolutely necessary for warre The preparacions whereof Aelian speaketh are so necessary that without them noe warre can be made or continewed For purposing to fight by water you must haue shippes by land you must haue foote and horse For which if you prouide noe armes you put them into the field not to fight but to bee slaughtered The manner of fight in the field is not of one sort Some time celerity is needfull to attempt or prevent the enemy sometime a slowe and sure proceeding lest with to much hast wee be overtaken our selues Therefore the divers arming of souldiers ought to be such that they may serue for all occasions and vses and that wee may employ alwayes to service such as by reasâ— of theire armour shall most fitte our purpose Wherefore Iphicrates fittly resembleâ— an army to a mans body calling the heavy-armed the body the light-armed the hands the horse the feete and the Generall the head and as if any of the rest were wanting the army should bee lame and halted so if there want a Generall it is vnprofitable and of noe vse The heavy armed are the body which giue life and foode as it were to the rest and to which the rest being distressed retire The light-armed are the handes which vppon euery occasion being put out to grype and â—ake hold vpon the enemy are drawen in againe when it is expedient The horse aâ— feet moue with celerity the Generall is the head that ruleth that watcheth that careth foâ— thâ— rest directing the times of theire motion and of their rest So then the whole force of the field consisteth of horse and foote And the foote are reparted into three kindes 1 Armed Targetiers and light-armed These seuerall kindes of souldiers were vsed by all the Graecians especially by the Athenians Lacedaemonians and Thebans whoe were the mightiest and tâ—e most warlick people of Greece Alexander had them in his army against Darius When Alexander saith Arrian came to the place where Cyrus with whom Xenophon was encamped and sawe the streights of Cilicia possessed with a strong gard hee left Parmenio with the heavy-armed to stay behind himselfe about the first watch taking with him the Hypaspistes archiers and Agrians marched on toward the streights in the night The armed were left with Parmenion himselfe tooke with him the Hypaspists targetiers archers and Agrians These Agrians were darters on foote The like is to be found in divers other places of Arrian Pyrrhus allso that followed the Macedonian manner in arming his souldiers had the same division of armes And Philip King of Macedony sonne of Demetrius And Antiochus that warred against the Romans 2 The armed beare the heaviest furniture This heavy furniture appeareth not by description of the armes which Aelian giveth them which are a Macedonian target and a pike onely Iphicrates besides the target lesse then the Macedonian target which he armed his Targetier withall gaue him both a pike a linen â—urace So that if the Macedonian armed bore noâ— more then a Target and a pike his armes should be lighter then Iphicrates his Targetier who had a target a pike a linen Curace It hath been the manner of some Nations to beare targets alone without Curaces So did the Egyptians in Xenophon So the Gaules in Pausanias There are againe that haue born Curaces without Targets as Phorcys the Phrygian in Homer of which kinde of Curace because it some what resembleth the Curaces of our time I will reherse the descriptioÌ„ out of Pausanias There lay vpon the aulter saith hee a brasen Curace the forme whereof agreeth not with the vse of our times but of old it was common It had two plates of brasse one fitte for the brest and the belly the other to cover the backe That before was called gyalon the hollow part that behynd Prosegon because it was added to the other They were fastened together with buttons behinde It seemeth to bee a sufficient defence for a mans body without a Target Therefore Homer maketh Phorcys the Phrygian to fight without a target because he wore such a Curace But yet that it was not the manner of the Macedonian armed to beare pike target alone may be plaine many wayes First Polyen giueth them headpieces greues and targets and pikes Then doubt I not but they were as well armed as the rest of the Graecians within whose Panoplia Curaces were comprehended as S. Paule testifieth rekoning as parcels of the Panoplia a Curace a target a headpiece Now that the Macedonians had also their Panoplia full or compleate arming is to be fownd in Diod. Siculus Where also Choragus the Macedonian whom Q Curtius calleth Horatas is said in the fight betwixt him Dioxippus to be fully armed Leo describeth the Panoplia of the Macedonians after this manner Alexander saâ—th hee armed his Macedonians with a large target a sword a head piece greues vambraces and a long pike Philopaemen as is before rehersed reducing his Achaeans to the Macedonian arming bringeth them to Curaces head pieces greues The names also that are attributed to the Armed shew they were otherwise armed Plutarch calleth them Pephragmenos Cataphractos as having theire bodies all armed opposâ—th them to Euzoni light or naked And by Vegetius the armour it self is named Cataphracta because the whole body is covered there with Xenophon termeth them Thorâ—cophoros bearing Curaces These are the strength of the battaile and a strong wall or rather a fortresse of the field to whom the light-armed and the horse also retire in time of need As long as they stand the field is not lost being defeated the rest can make noe resistance Being armed with a single target without other armes they incur the same daunger that the Romans in Gratians time did whoe for want of Curaces were entierly destroyed with the arrowes of the Gothes Wherefore it seemeth Alian heer pointeth at the principall armes onely of the armed Macedonian For after ward discoursing of the light-armed he saith they neither had Curace nor greue nor long or round target implieng thereby that the armed had them all So Livy comparing the armes of the Romans and Macedonians together saith noe more then that the Macedonians were armed with a round target and a pike the Romans with a long target and a darte called Pilum when himself had before declared they had head-pieces Curaces and greues 3 Vsing targets after the Macedonian manner Targets were of two sortes round targets and long targets Long targets
raine snowe fogges or when the enemy hath gayned the winde they haue small vse Adde that but one ranke that is the first can giue vpon the enemy at once For the rest behinde discharging shall either wound theire owne Companions before or else shoote at randon and so nothing endaunger the enemy the force of a musket being onely availeable at point blanck Contrary wise the disadvantage of arrowes is in the weaknesse of the stroke which is not able to enter a Curace that the foote or horse nowe vse Yet can noe weather bee founde where in you may not haue good vse of bowes raine snowe winde haile fogges hinder litle especially the string of the bowe being not to wette may rather profit Because in them you can hardly discerne much lesse avoide the fall of the arrowe As for quicknesse in delivery the bowe farre excelleth the musket A good single archer is able to giue fiue shotte in exchaâ—nge for one of the musketier and that with such certainty that you shall not heare of an archer that misseth the delivery of his arrow where the musketier often faileth by reason of the accidents and impediuients before by mee rehearsed Ioine that a whole squadron of archers being embattailed may shoote at once together which onely the first ranke of musketiers may doe And make the case there were a hundred musketters and a hundred bowe-men eche digested into ten fâ—les eche file conteyning ten men the bowe men shall bee able to shoote at once a hundred arrowes all theire arrowes for ten bullets given by the musketiers namely those ten of the first ranke discharging alone It must not bee pretermitted that the bowe and quiver both for marching all service are lighter and of lesse labour to â—se then a musket which is noe small advantage in armes and fight To conclude the bowe-men may bee placed behinde the armed foote and yet in shooting over the Phalange anoy the enemy before ioyning and all the time of fight even whilest they are at pushe of pike where the musketier there placed must either idlely look on or else playeng with his musket most of all endaunger his owne friendes Neither is the force of arrowes so weake as is immagined noe not in the arming of our dayes For the pike albeit hee haue his head and body covered yet are his legges and feete his armes and handes open to woundes any of which parts being wounded bringes a disability of service To say nothing of his face and eyes before which the showers of arrowes falling like a tempest without intermission must needes breed a remedilesse terrour and make him thinke rather of saving himselfe then offending his enemy The musketier being also vnarmed is as subiect to the shotte of arrowes as the archer is to the shotte of the musket and the arrow touching any vitall parte as much taketh away life as doth the musket Lastly a horse-man for his owne person I must confesse is safe enough from the daunger of arrowes by reason of his armour but his horse being a faire and large mark and having neither barbe nor pectorall nor ought else to hide his head or breast how can hee escape woundes Witnesse our fieldes in France where our Archers alwayes beate the frenche horse being barbed and better armed then our horse are at this day And for the bloudy effect of bowes the story of Plutarch is worth the rehersing He in the life of Crassus hath thus The Parthians opposing the Cataphracts against the Roman horse the other Persians galloping heer and there dispersedly and troubling the face of the field broke vp from the bottom hills of sand that raised infinite dust whereby the Romans lost theire sight and voice and thronging together thrusting one another were wounded and died not a simple or quicke deathe but tormented with convulsions and panges of grief walllowing vp and downe in the sande to breake the arrowes in theire woundes or else endevouring to pluck out the hooked heades which had pierced vaines and sinewes renting a freshe themselues adding torment to torment so that many died in this manner the rest became vnprofitable And when Publius Crassus desired them once more to charge the Cataphracts they shewed theire handes nailed to their targets and theire feete fastened to the grownde whereby they were vnable either to fly or fight These wonders did the Parthian bowes which notwithstanding were not to bee compared to our auncient English bowes either for strength or farre shooting And that wee may not seeme to rely vpon antiquity alone The battaile of Curzolare commonly called the battaile of Lepanto fought in our dayes betwixt the Turkes Christians by sea may serue for an experience of the service of bowes and arrowes In which there died of the Christians by the arrowes of the Turkes aboue siue thowsand albeit they were in galleyes and ships and had theire blindes pretended to saue from sight and mark of the Turks where as the artillery of all sorts of the Christians consumed not so many Turkes notwithstanding the Christians had the victory Nowe then for vs to leaue the bowe being a weapon of so great efficacy so ready so familiar and as it were so domesticall to our nation to which wee were wont to bee accustomed from our Cradle because other nations take themselues to the Musket hath not so much as any shewe of reason Other nations may well for beare â—at they never had Neither Italian nor Spaniard nor Frenche nor Dutche haâ— these fiue hundred years been accounted Archers It was a skill almost appropriated to our nation By it wee gayned the battailes of Cressy of Poitiers of Agincourt in France of Navarre in Spaine By it wee made our selues famous over Christendome And to giue it over vpon a conceit onely for noe experience can say that our bowe was ever beaten out of the field by the musket will proue an immitation of Aesops dogge whoe carieng a piece of fleshe in his mouth over a river and seing the shadowe in the water snatched at the shadowe and left the fleshe I speake not this to a base the service of muskets which all men must acknowledge to bee great I onely shewe there may bee good vse of bowes if our archers were such as they were wont which is not to bee dispaired and will easily come with exercise 8 Dartes The names of dartes are divers in the Greek Story A Darte is often called Acontion and thereof cometh Acontizo to throwe a darte and darters are called Acontistae So doth Aelian heere terme a darte Sometimes a darte is termed Palton of the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieng to shake or make quiver The word Palton is much vsed in Arrian and Xenophon especially when they speake of the Persian dartes Yet Diodorus Siculus nameth the Persian darte Saunion which name also is given to a Graecian darte by Plutarch and by the same Diodorus Sometimes a
darte is named Doration Doru as I said being a Speare and Doration according to Suidas a litle speare or darte Aelian vseth the word in this Chap. Lonche albeit it properly signify the head of speare or darte yet doth it sometimes signify the darte it self So is it taken in Xenophon when hee telleth that flieng weapons began to walk on all sides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is dartes arrowes and stones out of slinges and some out hands And Diodorus Siculus hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to throwe dartes even in the actes of Alexander Yet wee finde that speares were also cast vnder that name and Xenophon saith that the Thebans cast Dorata against the Lacedaemonians The Darte hath beene in vse emongest all nations The matter fashion and force of the Roman darte may bee seene in Vegetius and in Lipsius his Commentaries ad Polybium The manner of the darting of the Macedonian armed appeareth in the fight betwixt Choragus and Dioxippus before by mee mentioned where wee find that Choragus cast first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lanceam saith Curtius at Dioxippus when hee thought him with in his reache But the darters heere spoken of are of the light-armed Such were the Agrians in Alexanders Campe whoe in all attempts of speed were imployed by Alexander and served to purpose by reason of theire lightnesse The darte of the Graecian was a slender shaven piece of wood about three foote long armed at one end with a head of iron with a sharpe point to the end to pierce whatsoever it should fall vpon For the length I giue it differeth not from the Roman darte in Polybius and Xenophon seemeth to affirme it when speaking of the arrowes of the Carduchans he saith they were longer then two cubits addeth the Graecians sent them backe againe at the enemy in stede of Dartes About the middest of these dartes they fastened a thong which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein inserting theire forefinger they launced the darte with more facility Xenophon witnesseth it in the same place and â—n another place hee saith Xenophon commaunded the targetiers to marche with theire fingers in the thonges of theire dartes the archers with theire arrowes nocked the slingers with their scryppes full of stones that they might be redy to let fly when they were commaunded These dartes were forcible enough to pierce armoures of that time and that with them alone Iphicrates overthrew and distroyed a whole Mora of the Lacedaemonians which people were accounted the best armed and the most valiant of the Greekes before the Macedonians came in credit 9 Stones There are heere mentioned two manner of throwing stones the one with the sling the other with hand alone The stones thrown with the sling fly with much more violence then the stones throwne with the hand and being cast with a skillfull and strong arme they reache a greater way then a man would thinke And yet not so farre as bullets throwne out of a sling which by Xenophons report outreached the Persian arrowes I haue before touched the story I will nowe lay downe Xenophons wordes The Graecians those ten thowsand that returned out of Persia vnder the leading of Cherisophus Xenophon had not marched farre before Mithridates appeared againe with 200. horse and 400. Archers slingers which were very nimble light Hee came close vp to the Graecians as a friend Being neer some of his horse foote began to shoote other to sling to wound the Graecians The reare Commaunders of the Graecians were hardly bested Yet could they doe nothing to anoy the enemy For the Cretans shoote not so farre as the Persians carieng noe armour of defence they were faine to hide themselues with in the body of the armed the Darters were not able to reache the slingers of the enemy Xenophon therefore having the rear thought good to charge and follow the enemy But hee was not able to overtake them for the Graecians had noe horse the Barbarian horsemen shooting backward in theire flight wounded many of them that gaue the chace To remedy this inconvenience Xenophons advice was to provide horse as many as they could And hearing that there were many Rhodians in the Campe skillful in slinging whose slings reached twice as farre as the Persian sling for the Persians vsed stones that filled the hand the Rhodians leaden bullets hee likewise advised to arme them with slings and vse theire service The next day the Graecians furnished out 50 horse 200. slingers And when Mithridates shewed himselfe againe with a thowsand horse foure thowsand archers slingers and came vp to charge both the Rhodian bullets light emongest his troupes and the 50 horse issuing forth fell vpon the enemy and put him to flight and slew manâ— of the foote in the chace and tooke eighteene horse Wee may heer note two kind of slinges one with the stone the other with the bullet and besides that the Rhodian sling with the bullet over-reached both Cretan and Persian bowe which was yet afterward more plainely declared when Tissaphernes charging the Graecians with his Persian archers the Rhodian slinges so terrified him that both himselfe and his troopes with drewe And allbut hee followed a farre of yet durst hee noe more approache but suffered them quiety to marche all that day and many other afterward In this arte of slinging allthough many nations laboured yet were there very fewe that excelled The Bible maketh mention of seaven hundred Gybeonites whose skill was excellent in slâ—nging Of other nations none might compare with the Baleares of whome Diodorus Siculus writeth thus Theire armor is three slinges whereof they haue one about theire heades another about theire waste the third in theire hand In warre they cast greater stones then any other and with such force that they may seeme to bee sent out of a Catapult Therefore in sieges and assaults of Cities they wound the defendants of the walles and in the field breake targets and head-pieces and all defensiue armes They ayme so certeinely at any marke that they seldome faile in hitting The cause is theire continuall practise from theire childhode theire mothers continually enforcing them to sling even when they are yet children For setting vp bread vpon a poste as a marke they are not allowed to eate vntill they hitte it and haue it given them by theire mothers to eate So farre Diodorus Siculus with whom Vegetius agreeth The same Vegetius saith that slinges were made either of flaxe or of haire The forme was that it had two ends the one fastened to the hand the othâ—â—o let slippe being broadest in the middest lest the stone should fall out Diodorus hath before expressed with what force a stone went out of a sling Vegetius addeth that they are more violent then any arrowe piercing head-pieces Curaces and other armes The same Vegetius limiteth the space
thinke though the name in the story faileth Yet the kinde of souldiers so armed and so appointed as Aelian describeth may easily bee found and that vnder the name of Hypaspistes Which name albeit most vsually signifie him that carries another mans Target yet is it also applied to souldiers that are neither light nor heavy-armed of which kinde the Targetiers were as a meane bet wixt both That Hypaspistes signifieth noe heavy armed may bee evident by the wordes of Arrian Alexander when hee sawe the streights of Cilicia possessed with a strong gard left Parmenio behinde withall that were heavy armed himselfe about the first watche taking the Hypaspistae and the Archers and the Agrians who were darters as I haue shewed led on in the night toward the streights purposing to fall vpon the wâ—che before hee was looked for Hee left all the heavy-armed with Parmenio and tooke the Hypaspistae with him And in another place hee saith Alexander commaunded the Hypaspistae first to passe the river and after them the Macedonian armed Hee distinguisheth the Hypaspistae from the armed And streight after Three dayes after Alexander vnderstanding that Cleitus Glaucias were ill lodged with theire army neither held watche nor had cast a trenche for theire owne security for they imagined Alexander marched away for feare and that theire Campe was stretched out to a needlesse length secretly repassed the river a litle before night leading with him the Hypaspists and the archers and the Agrians and the Phalanges of Perdiccas and Coenus And in the same booke at the assault of Thebes when Perdiccas had engaged himselfe and brought Amyntas with his troupes in the same danger Alexander lothe to leaue them in hazard advaunced with the rest of his army and gaue a signe to the archers and Agrians to enter the trenche the Agemata Livy translateth them legions and Hypaspists hee held without So that in all these places hee distinguisheth them from the heavy armed and maketh the Hypaspists one the heavy-armed another I might alleage other passages out of the same author but these will suffise That they were not of the light armed may bee proued by the same places of Arrian Where they are alwaies distinguished from the archers and Darters There targets make them vnfitt for slingers and mention of slingers I find in other places The very name she weth that they carry targets and the great Etymologicon allo weth them spears beside their targets Whereby they are clearely exempted from the light armed â—t remaineth then that they be the peltastae which Aelian heere speaketh of especially since they were armed with target and speare which armes hee giveth to his targetiers and to no other except it be to the armed 13 Cataphracts The horsemen are divided into two kinds Cataphracts compleat armed aud not Cataphracts Cataphracts are those that cover themselues and horse with armor Not Cataphracts that fight with launces or with flieng weapons Livytermeth Cataphracts Loricatos because they wore curasses The other sort are either launciers or Acrobolists Acrobolists came not to the shocke but plyed the enimy a farre of with flieng weapons The Launciers closed and charged the ennemy with theire launces The word Cataphrasso to cover with armes giveth name to the horsemen Cataphracts and as the horsemen are called Cataphracts so is the furniture of horse and man called Cataphragma How they were armed Aelian shâ—weth when he saith they cover themselues and their horses with armour yet was it not always that the whole horse was armed For Xenophon speaking of the Persians in the time of the elder Cyrus saith they armed there horses with frontlâ—ts and pectoralls covers for there thighes As much hee saith of the six hundred horse that followed Cyrus the younger against Artaxerxes sauinge they wanted couer for there thighes The horsmen themselues he giueth great Curasses and cuisses and head-pieces So it appeareth that the horse were not all over armed but onely theire heads their breasts and there forethighes Yet Pâ—utarch speaking of the Cataphrastâ— in the time of Lucullus saith theire leggs and thighes were vnarmed Concerning the Parthians Suidas I know not out of what Author hath thus The Curasse of the Parthian horsemen is made in this manner The part before covereth his breast and thighes and his hands to the fingers end and his leggs The hinder-part his backe and necke and all his head There are buttons made for the sides with which both the parts being fastened it makâ—th the whole horsemen seem as if hee were made of iron The iron neither hindreth the stretching out nor the gathering vp of his limbs it is so exactly fitted to the nature and sise of all parts of the body Likewise they arme there wâ—ole horse with iron except his hoofes because theire owne armor would little availe in case theire horse miscaried Cuâ—tius discribeth the forme in the Persian horsemen whose furniture hee saith was made of plate fastened together in continued dependances of scales of iron Appian speaking how the Parthians seeking to terrify Crassus and his army vpon the suddaine cast away the couers of theire armour and both themselues appeared in shining curasses and head-pieces the Maâ—gian iron of which they were made darting forth a flashing and dispersed twinkling light and their horses glistring in brasen and iron furniture Yet doth Appian in the sâ—me plaâ—e note that the bellys of these horse was not armed For the french horsemen saith he that followed young Crassus when they perceived how little they prevailed with theire staues against the sure and vnpierceable armour of the Parthians lighting from theire owne and creeping vnder the Parthian horses stroke them into the bellys and they impatient of paine and flinging heere and there and treading vnder foote as well theire riders as theire enemies died in the place Plutarch hath the like The Cataphracts beside theire armour of defence had a launce or horsemans staffe to fight with all Plutarch affirmes it Lucullus saith hee after hee sawe Tigranes his Cataphract horsemen whoe were of most acount defended as it were by a hill that had the ground aboue plaine and broade the ascent which was about fower furlongs in length not very hard or steepe commaunded the Thracian and gaule horsemen hee had to giue vppon the flanke and to put by the launces with theire swords For the onely strength of the Cataphract is his launce and it alone hee is able to vse either in defence of himselfe or annoying the enimie being by reason of the weight and harshnes of his furniture like a man shutte and locked vp in a wall Hetherto Plutarch Likewise the Partâ—ian Cataphracts albeit they vsed boâ—e and arrows yet they had also launces with which they came to the shocke with the enemie When the armie of Anthony saith the same Plutarch sawe the Parthians ready to giue on the armed turning their faces about toward the enimie tooke in
artes which are called Habits arise out of a number of actions precaeding so can noe man atteyne to a perfect knowledge of armes till hee haue with care and diligence employed his study and labour therein and vpon the foundation of practise raised the frame of sound and perfect skill Noe man is naturally borne a souldier One may more incline to warre then another but the skill commeth not without industry and paines Plutarch saith that it is neither Eurotas nor the place betwixt Babyx and Gnacion that bringeth foorth valiant and warlicke men but they are to bee fownd in all places where youth is bred vp in shame of vice and boldnesse to vndergoe perill for vertues sake Eurotas was a river neere Lacedaemon Babyx and Gnacion two rivers with in the same City The Lacedaemonians were accounted the most valiant people of Greece And Plutarch speaketh this of the victory which the Thebans had against the Lacedaemonians The Thebans which till that day had noe reputation of valour but afterward by exercise vse of armes vnder Epaminondas and Pelopidas became the bravest souldiers of Greece Not vnlike was the saieng of Pyrrhus to his muster-master choose you said hee good bodies and I will make them good souldiers The strength of the body is requisite in a souldier to vndergoe the labours of warre but exercise it is that giveth the perfect skill and the desire to handle weapons Therefore as Demosthenes being demaunded what was the first and principall thing in the arte Oratory answered Action what the second Action what the third Action So may wee truely say that in the art military exercise is not onely the first second third principall thing to make a souldier but also all in all Aelian speaketh not of exercise but in Generall what particuler exercise is fitt for a souldier hee that desireth to knowe let him reade Xenoph. Cyrop lib. 2. 42. B. C. lib. 3. 77. C. D. Veget. lib. 1. ad caput 9. ad caput 19. lib. 2. caput 23. 24. Iust. Lips comment ad Polyb. lib. 5. dialog 14. Leo. caput 7. Patric Parallel parte 2. 139. Now for the victories that haue beene obteyned by a small number of men well exercised against a multitude vnskillfull and vntrained I need say nothing Histories are plentifull witnesses therein I will onely recite one example wherein the difference may bee seene not between skillfull and vnskillfull but between skillfull and skillfull both enured to labour and both brought vp vnder the same practise and discipline of Armes At what time after the death of Alexander the great his chiefest Commaunders fell at oddes emongest themselues and sought every man to establish himself in the possession of his Conquests it chaunced that Antigonus and Eumenes came together in two sundry battailes In the first Antigonus had in his army aboue 28000. foote 8500. horse 65. Elephants Eumenes lesse foote 17000. in all but emongest them 3000. Argyraspides whoe had served in all Alexanders battailes were invincible strok a great feare into the enemies harts about the number of horse his enemy had So. Elephants When the foote came to ioyne saith Diodorus Siculus the fight continewed a good while at last many falling on either side Eumenes his foote had the better by reason of the valour of the Macedonian Argyraspides They albeit they were stroken in years yet in regard of the manifold perills they had been in excelled in courage skill of fight in so much that no man was able to withstand them And therefore being but 3000. in number they were notwithstanding sett against the enemy as the strength of the whole army In the other battaile he speaketh of their age At that time saith he the yongest of the Argyraspides were noe lesse then 60. years olde or thereabout the most of the rest about 70. some were elder al of thē vnmatcheable in skill readinesse of fight strength of body such was theire dexterity and courage gathered in continuance of dangers which they had passed Afterward rehearsing the battaile he saith The Argyraspides serring themselues close and with liuely force falling vpon the enemy killed some and put other some to flight And fought against the whole Phalange of the enemy with irresistible fury not loosing one of theire owne men yet through skill manhood slayeng of the enemy aboue 5000. routed theire whole foote which in number were many times more then themselues Thus writeth Diodorus Siculus of the olde practised Macedonians who yet fought not against straungers or rawe souldiers or such as were newly brought into the field but against men of their owne nation that had long handled armes wonne many victories been instituted and trained in the same discipline and course military that they themselues had been before Such difference long practise and experience wrought in the one against the other What a file or Decury is and of how many men it consisteth CHAP. IIII. TO order into files is r to make files A file is a number of men beginning at one Leader and contineuing in order of followers to the last man The number of a file is diversly given 2 for some allow it eight some twelue and some sixteen men Wee for this time will retaine the number of sixteen both because that number is proportionable to the indifferent length of a Phalange and also if vse require at any time to double the depth thereof and to giue it thirty two men or to lessen and contract it and make it but eight neither of both shall hinder the service of the light-armed behinde 3 for whether they vse Darts or slings or Arrowes they may easelie with their flieng weapons overreache the depth of the Phalange Notes NExt after arming and choyce of souldiers it followeth to put them in order for service that is first to file them then to band them which is ioyning of files and lastly to embattaile them which is to make a Phalange Of these in the following chapters 1 To make files The Tacticks haue not expressed the precepts of this arte all in the same wordes A file is heere called Lochos the signification whereof is divers Sometimes it is taken for an Ambushe and Lochan signifieth to lye in Ambush it signifieth beside a number of men that are of one body as it were and vnder one commaunder who is called Lochagos and Lochizo is to sett in files The number of this body hath beene diversly taken The Thebans Lochos Hieros first instituted by Gorgidas or as other say by Epaminondas consisted of three hundred men The Lochos of the Lacedaemonians of fiue hundred and twelue Xenophon in his returne out of Persia telleth that the number of the Lochoi of the Graecians which hee ledde was almost a hundred armed men And when they chose extraordinarie men to preserue the Plaesium a hollow forme of square
more then a long line as it were and carieth neither Thicknes nor breadth but in respect of the Phalange the depth whereof is measured by the file And in the fourth the twelfth and fourtenth chapters hee termeth the depth of the Phalange it self Thicknes Pachos alone with out adding Bathos shewing thereby that Pachos also signifieth the dimension of the Phalange from the front to the reare But where some are of opinion that Platos breadth ought to bee read in those places in stede of Pachos Thicknes they perswade mee not to bee of theire mind For Aelian himself giveth an Attenuation or Thinning which hee calleth Liptysmos to the Phalange and that cannot bee vnderstood vnlesse there were in it a kind of Thicknes before And to make it more plaine hee saith that this Leptysmos is when the depth of the Phalange is gathered vp and from sixteen men it becometh a lesse number So that the Thicknes of the Phalange is the full sixteen which is also the depth and making of it Thinner is to lessen the depth To a Place Platos is fittly attributed a Place being onely superficies which consisteth of longitude and latitude So Poliaenus speaking of a valley wherein an ambush was layde to entrap Alexander saith the length stretched farre out but the breadth Platos was narrowed to foure furlongs The name of Platos is likewise given to a place by Polybius But to say the truth Platos in a Phalange rather signifieth the length then the depth as appeareth by Aelian after in the foure and fourty chapter And Leo calleth the front of the Phalange Platos and when hee would haue the front enlarged or doubled hee giveth this word of direction Plátynon pròs tà amphâ—tera mere enlarge the front on both sides 4 The right wing That which in the English toung is called a wing is termed in Greeke Keras a horne Wee in our warres of auncient time divided our armies into three parts The vantgarde the battaile and the reare-warde and when wee came to fight set them for the most parte in an even front the battaile in the middest on the right hand the vant-garde which was called the right-wing on the left the reare-warde which was called the left-wing Properly enough for our embattailing For the battaile is as it were the body and the vant-garde and reare-warde are the wings which in a manner sticke out from the body and whereby the body is supported that that wee call wings the Graecians and Romans called horns in the battaile The word Keras signifieth a point bearing out from the height or ends of any thing It is vsed for the toppe of Rocks and for promontories and such like And in a Phalange it properly signifieth the two points the right and the left of the winges The English worde wing I am faine to retaine because it is familiar and in vse Aelian heere will haue the wings to stretche out from the middle section to either point the right and left of the Phalange vnder which appellation must fall to the right wing the whole space that beginneth at the middle intervall and runneth along to the corner of the battaile on the right hand to the left all that is comprehended betwixt the same space and the left corner of the battaile 5 Thâ— twâ—â—fould section In Greeke it is named Dichotomia because it parteth and divideth the Phalange into two even parts beginning at the front and stretching out to the reare And Aelian in the tenth chapter of this book nameth it Apotome But heere hee speaketh of no more intervalls or partitions of the Phalange then of this one in the midst I would thinke there should bee more Onosander saith let there bee certaine intervalls in your battaile that if your enemy advance your light-armed after they haue spent theire missiue weapons and before the Phalanges joyne may retire leasurely in the intervalls and without disorder come behinde to the reare For it is not safe for them in retiring to fetch a compasse about the whole armie or to turne in againe on the outside of the winge For the enemy hasting to come to hands would easily prevent and intercept them in the middest so that they neither should bee able to breake through the armed already closed for fight and falling vpon theire owne weapons they must needes disorder theire owne people every man after other seeking to finde a way through them to escape the danger hee is in Thus much Onosander from whom wee may learne both that theire ought to bee more sections in the Phalange then one and that the institution of them had this cheefe end to receiue the light-armed in theire spaces after they had skirmished with the enemy and were by them forced to retire I may adde that Aelian placing the light-armed in the reare of the Phalange if you giue but one section vnto it it will be as hard for them to advance and sâ—rue before the front as it will bee to retreat after theire service done It seemeth that Leo giveth three intervalls to the Phalange of the auncient Tacticks Hee saith they opposed the bodies of the armed against the enemy and divided them into foure parts the right and left and the middle-right and middle-middle-left parte Making so many parts the parts must bee distinguished as I collect by intervalls which ought to bee one after the first body of the right-wing another after the second which is the middle section the third after the third And this Third section is bounded with the fourth body which maketh the point of the left-wing For if the Phalange were whole and entire without more intervalls then one how could there bee foure parts For esteeming them by Phalangarchies without leauing spaces betweene it could not bee saide there were but foure parts of the Phalange considering that as well the Merarchies Chiliarchies Pentecosiarchies Syntagmataes are parts of it as the Phalangarchies But being distinguished by partition of intervalls the foure Phalangarchies become foure parts namely the right left middle-right and middle-left as Leo heere termeth them The same Leo speaketh after more plainely enioyning his generall to seperate and disioyne Diachorizein the whole number of his armie into foure parts For as Choris signifieth a part or severed so Diachorizo being derived from it signifieth to put asunder or sette a part Suidas is yet a little more cleare A Phalangarchie saith he is two Merarchies of foure thowsand and ninty six men This as some saye is the section Apotome of the wing as other it is a Meros Of auncient time it was called Strategia and the commander Strategos but nowe hee is termed Phalangarcha Suidas maketh the wing to haue a partition or section and saith some call a Phalangarchie by the name of this section Before wee heard out of Aelian that the wing right or left did stretche out from the middle section to the outward most point of the battaile on either
wound many of them The stones and darts of the light-armed were to flye over the front of the battaile and that could not bee vnlesse the light-armed were placed behinde I will adde one example onely out of Plutarch to shew the seruice of the light-armed in the reare Plutarch discoursing of the battaile fought betwixt Sylla and Archelaus the Generall of Mithridates at Cheronaea hath thus Afterwards the foote forces came to joyne the Barbarians holding out and charging theire long pikes and endevouring with locking theire targetts close together to mainteine the order and closenes of their Phalange The Romans on the other side casting away their darts and drawing their swordes putte by the enemies pikes in choler to the end they might come quickly vp to them For they espied opposed against them in front 15000. of the enemies slaues that were enâ—ranchised by Proclamation of the Kinges generalls enrolled emongest the armed And when the Roman Armed coulde hardly breake them by reason of theire depth and fast knitting together and of theire bouldnes in daring contrary to the nature of slaues to abide the danger of the encounter the arrowes and darts cast in aboundance from the Reare made them shewe their backs and fall in a route Wee finde heere that the light-armed from the reare effected that which the Armed could not These slaues endured the shocke and could not bee broken by the armed and yet were defeated with Arrowes and darts from the Reare Nowe for the distance that should bee betwixt the bodies of the light-armed and betwixt them and the reare of the armed Aelian saith nothing I make noe doubt but there ought to bee as great if not greater as in the sections of the armed For wee must vnderstand that the sections that served to sever the Phalangarchies one from another must runne through the light-armed in depth to the reare And by them are the Epixenagies to bee devided a sunder as the Phalangarchies are with Epixenagies answer the Phalangarchies for number of files albeit not in number of men Likewise there ought to bee a greater space in ranke and file then the armed had For the handling of missiue weapons require more liberty of place then the managing of a pike or sworde A dart can not bee sent for ciblie without running two or three steppes in the delivery of it A sling being throwne and circled about the head before the stone or bullet can bee forced out to any purpose will not suffer a neere stander by In bowes and arrowes is the like reason if they be vsed as they ought Besides the light-armed in their fight are tied to noe certainty of order or grounde but fight dispersedly Soe that the more grounde they haue the fitter they are for seruice In which respect a large intervall croswise betwixt the armed and them should serue to purpose it having liberty for their motion forward and backward as occasion should require 7 And behinde theÌ„ the Horse I haue not read in any greek historye that the horse-men in a sett battell haue beene ranged behinde the light-armed The vsuall manner was to place them in the wings Soe did Alexander before he passed the River Granicus soe at Issos soe at Gangamela Soe did Antigonus against Eumenes and Eumenes against Antigonus Soe Ptolomeus against Demetrius and Demetrius against Ptolomeus and in brief all the Macedonians and the Graecians before the Macedonians were accounted of for matter of armes vnlesse some speciall cause moved an alteracion And as I shewed out of Xenophon before all theire times Cyrus albeit hee set the light Armed in the reare notwithstanding hee beestowed the horse in the wings Alexander having passed the River Ister as long as hee marched in the corne lande placed his horse behinde his Phalange when hee entred the Champeigne hee sett them on the right wing and lastly cast his Phalange in to a Plaesium and ordered his horse before In the Corne-land they followed for feare of an Ambushe In the Champian they marched on the right wing because on the left the Phalange was secured by the River before the Plaeâ— sium that being over-layde with the multitude of the enimye they might haue a sure retreate to the foote The same Alexander when hee was to fight the Battaile of Issos with Darius as long as hee was in the streights marshalled his horse after his foote But in marching forward comming to open ground when he might giue full length to his Phalange hee placed his horse on both the wings But the reason of setting them behinde-was in the streightnes of the place and hee being incerteine how neere the enemye lay was loathe to put them to hasard before they had liberty of grounde to order themselues and might haue assistance of the foote For otherwise it was an ordinarie matter in marching as it is the manner also at this day to dispose the horse half behinde and half before I will content my self with one example When Agesilaus retourning out of Asia passed through Thessalie the Thessalians allies of the Thebans followed him and sought to endammage his armie to theire vttermost Hee had before disposed his march into a Plaesium with the horse half in front and half behinde nowe when the Thessalians ceased not to molest him by falling vpon his reare hee sent to the reare all the horse of the vantgarde excepting those that attended his person Either party prepared them selues to fight The Thessalians holding it not sure with Horse alone to incounter armed foote Turning about their faces began leasurely to retire and the Lacedaemonians slowly to followe Agesilaus perceaving the errour of both sent the best of his horse that were about him commanding them to signifie to the rest that they together should goe and charge the Thessalians with all speede and giue noe respite to them to turne their faces The Thessalians contrary to their expectation being hottly charged some fled other some turned about towards the enimy other some indevouring to turne were surprised by theire enemies that by that time were come vp to theire flancke Nowe for the reason of Aelians placing the Horse in the reare I haue noe more to say then that from thence they might bee soone drawen to all places front flanke or wheresoever the enemy is like to distresse vs. For it hath beene the forecast of all generals to fashion their battails according to the figure the enemy hath before chosen Examples are so plentifull I neede not alleage many Onely I will remember one latine story of placing horse in the reare L. Lentulus and L. Manlius Acidinus in Spaine being to fight with the Illergetes and Ansetans and other Spaniards that had revolted from the Romans in this very kinde of placing horse in the reare imitated and gotte the advantage of and defeated theire enemies Livy hath the story and writes thus in effect The next day at the rising of the sonne
in embatteling their armies and therefore we may the better rely vpon his authoritie Who albeit hee first affirmed the Phalange was of the number of 16000 yet after in numbring the depth and length alone he findeth 16000 and further expounding his owne meaning he sheweth there were more vpon the flanks of the ten parts into which the Phalange was diuided His words import That Antiochus diuided his Phalange into 10 equall parts giuing euery part in front 50 men in depth 32 which being multipliea together make vp the 16000. He addeth And in the flanke of euery part he set 22. If the meaning be he set 22 vpon each flanke of euery part the parts being 10 and the flanks 20 the number will arise to 440 where Aelian alloweth no more than 384. But if 22 were added to one of the flanks of each diuision which also being collectiuely taken are flanks in the plurall number we shall come short and finde no more than 220. Yet whether sense of both you admit it is plaine that Appian attributeth more than 16 thousand to that Macedonian Phalange And it may be there is an error in the number of the 22 and that it ought to be written 32. For if Antiochus had giuen 32 as he gaue 22 to one flanke of euery part and set 32 vpon the vttermost flanks of euery winge to strengthen them of the 12 times 32 had arisen the iust number of Aelians Phalange which number is the fittest for vse and for diuision of the Phalange in all doublings The armed foote then according to Aelian ought to be 16384. The light armed 4 Halfe so many The armed amongst the Graecians were accounted the strength of the field which was the cause their number was greatest For you shall not finde in their battailes for the most part that the light armed amounted to halfe the number of the armed The fact of Cyrus sheweth what account he made of light armed Xenophon reporteth it thus He led with him the Lydians those whom he saw to take delight in Armes horse and chariots and willingly doe what they were commanded he gaue armes to of those whom he saw followed him against their wils he gaue the horses to the Persians that were his first companions in Armes All that followed him vnarmed he exercised to the sling because he reckoned that weapon most seruile of all others How much you increase the number of the light armed so much you diminish the number of the armed and by consequent so much weaken your field For the light cannot maintaine any stable fight but in case of danger they are forced either to shew a faire paire of heeles or else retire to the armed for succor Yet serue they for many vses ioyned with the armed And the proportioÌ„ that Aelian setteth downe namely to haue halfe as many of them as there are armed standeth to good reason vse The Romans notwithstanding were more sparing in their light armed allowed not aboue the 4th part of them or litle more to the armed The Legion conteined saith Polybius 4200 footmen Of these they chose 600 Triarians 1200 hastati 1200 Principes which come to 3000 and the rest Velites which were 1200. And the Velites were the same in effect amongst the Romans that the light armed amongst the Graecians albeit their arming somewhat differed Aelian before shewed that the Graecian light armed had no manner of defensiue armour but offensiue only as bowes darts or stones Polybius describeth the Armes of the Velites to be a Sword a Parma which is a small Target and darts the sword a spanish sword the Target a litle round Target a foote and a halfe for so Casaubon correcteth Tripedon in breadth the darts in the steale 3 foote long and a finger thicke and the head almost a foote long And Livy mentioning the skirmishes that fell out betwixt the horsemen of King Philip of Macedonia and Sulpitius the Roman Consul compareth both thâ—ir Armies together telling that either party had their light armed ioyned to their horse and that comming to fight the Romans had the better So saith he neither the Kings horse vnaccustomed to a stedfast fight were able to match the Roman horse nor yet the foote skipping and leaping here and there and almost halfe naked in their kinde of Armes to be compared to the Roman Veles hauing a Target and a sword and being armed sufficiently both to defend himselfe and assaile his enemy The number then of Aelians light armed ought to be 8192 and these being ranged behinde the armed 8 deepe so they are fittest for seruice will make 1024 files as many as the armed did 5 Halte as many horse as c. The horse are in number 4096 and proportioned to the foote comprehending the light-armed as 1. to 6. The armed foot and light armed together make 24576 the horse 4096. And this was Alexanders proportion when he moued first against Darius For he had about 30000 foote and 5000 horse or not many more as Diodorus saith Iustin giues him 32000 foote 4500 horse Yet this number held not alwaies amongst the Macedonians themselues I meane Alexanders Captaines that possessed his kingdomes after his death The reason may be that in Ciuill warres they made their levies not as they would but as they could In the battaile betwixt Eumenes and Craterus I spake of that battell before Craterus had â—0000 foote 2000 horse Eumenes had 20000 foote 5000 horse Craterus the proportion of 1. to 10 Eumenes of â— to 4. Antigonus fighting against Eumenes in Cappadocia had in his Army aboue 10000 foote and 2000 horse Eumenes had as before Antigonus horse were to the foote as 1. to 5. The same Antigonus fighting against Alcetas the brother of Perdiccas had in his Army 40000 foote and more than 7000 horse the proportion well nigh of 1. to 6 Alcetas had no more than 16000 foote and 900 horse failing much of Aelians number Antigonus in his second battell against Eumenes had 28000 footmen and 800 horse which is 1. to 3. and halfe Eumenes had 35000 foote and 6000 horse very neare Aelians proportion Many other examples are to be read in Diodorus But as I said these are Ramasses proceeding not of choise but of necessitie which forced them to take such as came to hand as it alwaies falleth out in soddaine leuies And it seemeth the number of horse allowed to the foote by Aelian was King Philips proportion considering Alexander vsed it after he receiued his armie from Philip who by praemeditation and fore-choice had gathered it together with intent to invade Persia. And yet 1 finde that Philip himselfe when he fought against the Athenians and Beotians at Cheronea had more than 30000 joote and 2000 horse which is 1. to 15 and in diuers other fights differed from Aelian in the number both of horse and foote But the question is not what was done
he taketh vp 2 cubits 3 In Constipation or shutting one cubit Densation then or closing is when we draw wide distances close together and by side-men and followers that is both in length and depth gather vp the bodie of the Phalange so notwithstanding that the souldier yet hath libertie to moue and turne about Constipation or shutting is when the Phalange by side-men gathereth it selfe yet closer together then in Densation so that by reason of the nearenesse there is left no Declination or turning of faces either to the right or left hand The vse of Closing is when the Generall leadeth the Phalange against the enemy Of Shutting when he would haue it stand fast and as it were locked vp and serred to receiue the charge of the enemy Seeing then there are 1024 File-leaders in the front of the Phalange it is plaine that 4 in their ordinary array they take vp in length 4096 Cubits 5 that is ten furlongs and ninetie six cubits In Closing fiue furlongs and forty eight cubits In Shutting two furlongs a halfe and fower and twenty cubits Notes AFter Souldiers are armed and distributed into bodies military the next care is to be had of their Mouing For as a man let him be neuer so well proportioned and strong if he pace disorderly and either set too great strides or reele here and there or so mince and tread out his steps as if his leggs were bound together groweth hereby deformed and not onely loseth his comelinesse but his actiuitie withall and possibility to performe any thing by strength So is it of an Armie that hath either too great distances or is thronged vp or pestred too close together Too much thronging bindeth as it were the souldiers hands and taketh away the vse of his weapons as on the other side falling one loose from another and standing or mouing too farre asunder maketh the Battaile weake and disiointed and subiect to the enemies entry and easie to be broken The meane betwixt both was brought in by King Philip King of Macedonia who first constituted and raised the Macedonian Phalange and invented the distances of opening and closing the same imitating the serring of Targets called Synaspismos practised by the old Heroes at Troy Out of his discipline sprung the distances mentioned here by Aelian which are of three sorts The first are large distances of 1 Foure Cubits Which amount to six foote For a Cubit conteineth a foote and a haâ—fe This distance was vsed in marching or else in solemne pompes and shewes And the souldier hauing a pike of 14 Cubits or 21 long whereof one halfe lay forward on his shoulder and the other halfe backward it was requisite he should haue a reasonable large distance both in file and ranke to the end that in turning this way or that Cap. 11. The first distance ordnary 6 foote in file asmuch in ranck The Reare The second distance called Closing foote in file asmuch in ranck The third distance called or serring foote in file shoulder to shoulder in rank way or that way or mouing out of his place for no man in his marche can alwaies hold his ranke he offended not his next neighbours therewith This distance our exercise at this day calleth open order The next distance is of Two Cubits Or three foote The name of it in Greeke is Pycnosis that is thickning In Leo it is called Sphinxis knitting together in our moderne exercise Order And it is when from the distance of 6 foote we draw our Phalange both by file and ranke so close that the souldiers stand but 3 foote one from an other euery way This distance is vsed when the Army approcheth neare to the enemy and onely commeth not to charge that it may be ready to shut and locke it selfe for the charge which is performed in the last distance of One Cubit A foote and a halfe This is called Synaspismos ioyning Target to Target For as I before shewed the pikemen of the Macedonians vsed also Targets with their pikes and in charging the enemy closed so neare in front that their owne Targets touched one another This kind of fight the Aegiptians vsed in Xenophon which he calleth locking together of Targets and by meanes therof had the advantage against the Persians The Parthian horse likewise comming to charge Crassus with their staues After they perceiued the depth of the locking of Targets and the setlednesse and stedfastnes of the Roman Phalange they retired and durst not come to hands with them And Diodorus Siculus writes that Alexander besieging the City of Halicarnassus there was in the City and in seruice of Darius one Ephialtes an Athenian a man of great valour and strength of body He by the permission of Memnon Generall of Darius Armie determined to make a saly And taking to him 2000 mercenarie souldiers all chosen men and giuing brands flaming with fire to one halfe and reseruing the rest for fight he opened the gates and fell out throwing fire vpon the engines of battery which soone caught a mighty flame And marshalling the rest into a thicke and deepe Phalange himselfe led on and was the first that fell on the Macedonians coÌ„ming to aide and to quench the fire Alexander aduertised hereof speeded to the medley ordered first the Macedonians in front after them other choice men for seconds and in the third place men of extraordinarie account for their prowesse himselfe leading them on sustained the enemy which seemed vnresistible and sent others to slake and put out the fire and to preserue the Engines The fight was hot and albeit the Macedonians found meanes to quench the fire yet had Ephialtes the better in the fight who both himselfe killed many with his owne hands and the towers from the walls furnished with many Catapelts annoyed greeuously the Macedonians In so much that some falling in the place other-some forsaking their ground by reason of the number of Engine Darts that fell thicke amongst them Alexander himselfe was reduced to extremitie Here the old souldiers of the Macedonians although otherwise freed from such seruice in regard of their age hauing of a long time followed the warres with King Philip and gained many a battaile were by this occasion tolled out to succour and as they excelled the yonger sort in greatnes of spirit and military experience so meeting with the run-a-waies they bitterly reuiled and taunted them for their cowardice Then serring themselues close and ioyning their Targets together they repressed and held the enemy short who now seemed to haue the victory in his hands Finally killing Ephialtes and many other they droue the rest into the City A memorable seruice of the vse of Targets and of the Synaspisme of the Macedonians which was not vsed but when they either gaue vpon or receiued the charge of the enemy And the Targets so knit together serued for a wall as it were to the whole Phalange and
which regard I preferre the Target of Aelian before that of Leo Aelians reaching vp to the height of the necke from the middle of the thigh Leos carying a handfull more in bredth which in the circumference groweth to a good proportion of weight and greatnesse 4 No shorter than 8 Cubits That is 12 foote Short pikes against long haue a great disadvantage With the long pike a man is able to strike and kill his enemy before himselfe can be touched or come in danger of a shorter the pike keeping the enemy out so farre as the length is The experience of the battaile of Sorano sheweth it where Vitellozzo Vitelli discomfited the Almaines onely with the advantage of pikes an arme longer than theirs Against long pikes this policie was vsed by Cleonymus the Lacedemonian King as Polienus tells Cleonymus besieging Aedessa and hauing ouerthrowne the wall of the City the pikemen of the City sailed out whose pikes were each 16 cubits in length Cleonymus closed his Phalange in depth and commanded the file-leaders to lay away their pikes and when the pikemen of the enemy came to charge to seaze vpon their pikes with both hands and hold them fast and the followers to passe thorough by the file-leaders sides and maintaine the fight The file-leaders laid hold on the pikes and the enemy stroue to recouer them out of their hands In the meane time the followers passing thorough the ranke of file leaders to the front slew the enemies pikemen and got the victorie This was Cleonymus deuice against long pikes which notwithstanding derogates nothing from the length of pikes more than from shortnes For the same policie might haue prevailed as well against short pikes as long each assoone as the enemies haue seized vpon them growing to be of no vse But that the longer pike is to be preferred before the shorter I haue shewed before by reason and the reformation of armes made by Iphicrates amongst the Athenians and by Philopomen amongst the Achaians will be warrant enough so to hold In the length notwithstanding ought to be a reasonable consideration that it exceede not the measure of his strength that shall beare the pike The worth that the File-leaders and next followers should be of CHAP. XIII THE File-leaders as the Commanders of files of the Phalange are to be the choice and flower of the Army and to excell the rest as well in stature as in experience and martiall skâ—ll For this Ranke knitteth and bindeth in the Phalange and of all other yeeldeth greatest vse For as a sword taking to the edge as a weight and sway the swelling yron towards the backe exhibiteth thereby more violence in piercing so in a Phalange the Ranke of File-leaders is the edge it selfe and the multitude of after-commers is the swelling and sway and increase of weight Consideration must be had likewise of those that follow in the second Ranke For their Pikes reach ioyntly ouer the front and being next in place they are alwaies ready for vse And the File-leader falling or being wounded the next follower stepping to the front in his place holdeth together and preserueth the tenor of that Ranke vnbroken Furthermore we are to order the third and the rest of the Rankes according to reason and as the valour of our souldiers shall require THis Chapter sheweth how the Souldiers are to be ordered in euery File whereof because I haue before spoken sufficiently in my Notes to the fifth Chapter and the words of this Chapter carry no difficultie or obscuritie with them I will forbeare to treat any further Of the strength of the Macedonian Phalange and length of the Souldiers Pikes CHAP. XIIII THE 1 Macedonian Phalange hath of enemies beene thought vnresistible by reason of 2 the manner of embattailing For the Souldier with his Armes standeth in close order or shutting when he is ready for fight 3 occupying two Cubits of ground And the length of his Pike is sixteene Cubits according to the first institution but in truth it ought to be foureteene Cubits whereof the 4 space betwixt the hands in charging taketh vp two Cubits the other twelue lye out from the front of the Battaile Those in the second Ranke that stand next to the Leaders loosing foure Cubits in the Phalange haue their Pikes reaching ouer the first Ranke ten Cubits Those of the third Ranke eight Cubits of the fourth Ranke six cubits of the fift 4 cubits of the sixt 2 Cubits 5 The Pikes of the other behind cannot attaine to the first Ranke And seeing fiue or six pikes are charged ouer the first Ranke they present a fearefull sight to the enemy and double the strength of the souldier standing fortified as it were with fiue or six Pikes and seconded with a maine force at his backe as the figure sheweth Moreouer they that are placed after the sixt Ranke albeit they push not with their pikes yet thrusting on with the weight of their bodies r'enforce the strength and power of the Phalange and leaue no hope for the File-leaders to flie or shift away Some would haue the hinder pikes longer then the formost that they of the third and fourth Rankes might beare out the heads of their pikes equally with the first 6 The Superordinary Lieutenant of euery Syntagma must be a man of vnderstanding ouerseeing the souldiers of his command that they file and ranke and if for feare or other occasion any forsake their ground he is to compell them againe to their places and in Closing to put them when neede requireth as neare vp together as they should stand For it is a great strength and assurance to the Phalange to haue some principall Commander not onely in front but also in the Reare of the Battaile for the causes before mentioned Notes THE strength of the Macedonian Phalange which consisted principally in the protension and charging of pikes and knitting together of Targets is here set downe The whole Chapter seemeth to haue beene taken out of Polybius who handleth the same argument and almost with the same words but that Aelian and he differ about the number of Cubits which the Pikes take vp reaching ouer the front of the Phalange 1 The Macedonian Phalange hath beene thought to be vnresistible The strength of the Macedonian Phalange appeareth no way better than by the conquests it hath made King Philip was the inventer of it and by that invention raised the kingdome of Macedonia from the poorest to the powerfullest and greatest kingdome of Europe and that I may vse the words of Diodorus Siculus finding the Crowne at his comming to it in bondage to the Illyrians made it afterward Lady of many great Nations and Cities and purchased to himselfe to be declared Generall of Greece And first ouerthrowing the Illyrians Pâ—onians Thracians and Scythians afterward let vpon the kingdome oâ— Persia to breake it after he had enfranchised the 〈◊〉 Cities of Asia And albeit death intercepted him yet he left such
or Trumpet or Sergeant of the Centurie resort for direction Adde that the light were often drawne to the winges to the front or other places of seruice which could not be done without Leaders For to put a Systrematarch or an Epixenagie to lead a Century were to leaue the rest of the Centuries vnder them without a Commander Besides the Macedonians were very particular in their commands and left no body without a heads which is the cause of the multitude of Commanders in the Phalange But they are not here mentioned No more are the Commanders of the horse in the diuision of the bodies of the horse and yet I thinke no man will doubt but the horsemâ—n had Commanders 〈◊〉 I finde in the Graecian historie Captaines of the light-armed often named 〈◊〉 is said to be Commander of the Targetires in a fight the Graecians had against the Persians Stratocles commanded the Cretan Archers in the returne of the Graecians out of Persia. Eurybates Captaine of the Cretan Archers in Alexanders army was slaine by the Thebans at the â—ege of Thebes When Antiochâ—s the Captaine of the Archers was dead Ombâ—io was chosen in his place Mention is made also in Arrian of Clearchus the Captaine of the Archers And when Aelian calleth the 4 Systremmatarchs and the 4 Epixenages superordinary Ectactous he might haue said as much of all the other Commanders And he saith expresly of the offecers of the Centurie that they were superordinary Ectactoi 4 A Psylagi The word is a body of light-armed Which word if it were taken as it naturally signifieth is common to and comprehendeth all the bodies of the light-armed whereof Aelian speaketh in this Chapter But here it is restrained to a body of light-armed which compriseth 256 men and 32 files and so it is to be taken A Xenagie That is a command of strangers Aelian before saith that a Syntagma was by some called a Xenagie I haue giuen my opinion there of the originall of the word which I neede not to repeat here This onely I will note that of all the bodies of the light-armed no one hath a common name with the body of the armed but onely the Xenagie And Aelian giueth also that body of the armed an other name calling it a Syntagma The Xenagie hath in it 512 men and 64 files A Systremma It signifieth a conglobation or trouping together Proper names are wanting for these bodies and therefore such taken as might at any hand signifie the thing meant In continuance of time vse hath gained a passage and made them to be accepted as proper enough The Systremma conteineth 1024 men and 128 files There is nothing to be found in Aelian of the Chiliarchie of the light-armed Yet doth Arrian mention 2 Chiliarchies of Archers in the Army of Alexander An Epixenagie A command aboue a Xenagie As afterward in the command of the horse there is an Ephipparchie aboue a Hipparchie The word is improper and hard enough but when it is receiued by vse what should we seeke for more It conteineth 2048 men and 256 files A Stiphos It is deriued from steibo to thicken and in penury of an other name this body of the light-armed is called Stiphos because they are thickned and thronged together There is in it 4096 men and 256 files An Epitagma Is the last body amongst the light-armed The signification of Epitasso is to place behinde From thence commeth Epitaxis placing the light-armed in the Reare which word is after vsed by Aelian Epitagma is deriued from the same fountaine and it is called Epitagma not of placing behinde for sometimes they were placed before sometimes in the flanke but it was the best name they could giue to the whole light-armed And yet it may be that because all the light-armed in auncient time were placed behinde the whole masse was called Epitagma as being placed after the armed in the reâ—re The Epitagma hath in it 1892 men and 1024 files for so many light-armed attend the Phalange Eight superordinarie men Why these eight men should be superordinarie more than the rest of the Commanders I conceiue not yet If Aelians meaning be that these alone shall command the light-armed historie and practise of auncient times convince the contrary Besides where he nameth foure Epixenagies it agreeth with the number that are in the Epitagma of light But where hee addeth foure Sistremmatarchs more to make vp the number of the eight Superordinarie it is hard to knowe which foure hee meaneth considering there are eight Sistremmas in the Epitagma Now because the fiâ—es of the light-armed are in embattailing to be marshalled to the files of the 〈◊〉 I thought good to set downe how the bodies of both agree by comparing them together iâ— files not in number of men For in number of men they cannot well agree because the file of 〈◊〉 armed hath more then the file of the light-armed And the number of the armed in grosse is 16384 of the light-armed but 8192. And I will first begin with the Systasis because it is the least body of the light The bodies of the armed The bodies of the light-armed A Tetrarchie A Systasis 4 files A Taxis A Pentecontarchie 8 files A Syntagma A Hecatontarchie 16 files A Pentecosiarchie A Psilagie 32 files A Chiliarchie A Xenagie 64 files A Merarchie Asystremma 128 files A Phalangarchie An Epixenagie 256 files A Diphalangarchie A Stiphos 512 files A Tetraphalangarchie An Epitagma 1024 files The vse of light-armed foote CHAP. XVII DArters Archers and all other that vse flying weapons are good 1 to begin the fight 2 to prouok the enemie to breake and shatter armour 3 to wound annoy and beate downe a farre of 4 to disaray the enemy 5 to repulse their horse 6 to beat in their light-armed 7 to discouer suspected places and to lay Ambushes Lastly these first vndertaking the Skirmish and continuing it with the rest and seconding them and seruing 8 for speedie and farre-of-attempts worke many and great effects in fight Notes THe arming place filing bodies and command of the light-armed are hitherto handled Now followeth the vse and seruice they performe in the field And first wee are to thinke of the bodie of an armie as of the body of a man that is compact of seuerall parts Of which some parts are of more vse then other some being able to performe their function without 〈◊〉 helpe of the other some except the other help can doe nothing to purpose of themselues The parts of an armie are like The armed are the strength of the field and are the refuge for the rest in extremitie The light ioyned with the armed worke great effects those which Aelian speaketh of in this Chapter and many more without them they cannot so much as maintaine a place in the field And as Xenophon saith Let them be neuer so many in â—umber yet dare they not stand or abide a fewe armed In
some horse But being ready to be charged by the Lacedemonian armed they fled loosing some 300 in the flight These light-armed then as long as they can keep aloofe from the enemie annoy them sore by wounding as Aelian saith a farre of as soone as the armed come vp they are glad to quite their place and saue themselues by flight 4 To disarray So long as a battaile remaineth in order no victorie is gotten against it Breaking of array and disbanding are companions of flight and of forsaking the field The armed that are to endure the efforts of the light armed must either keepe still their order and suffer themselues to be knocked downe and slaine as they stand or else prouide for themselues by flight or by yeelding For the light-armed effect with their missiue weapons the one or the other An example may be seene in the Aegyptians in Craesus his battaile who after the defeate of the rest of the armie maintained yet the fight and yeelded not to Cyrus though he had now the victorie Cyrus at the first charged their backes with his horse and being not able to breake them was faine to command his Archers and darters to shoote and cast their darts at them whâ—rby the Egyptians after many wounds and losse of their people were finally constrained to yeeld A like example is before alledged of Domitius the Lieutenant of L. Scipio who with missiue weapons alone forced the Macedonian Phalange to scatter and take themselues to flight 5 To repulse their Horse The light armed alone without a sure retreate to the armed or else some place of strength can dâ—e little in repulsing of horse I haue shewed before in the â— exploite of Crassus into Persia how the lightarmed were beaten in by the Persian horse and by the shew of wounds they receiued and with their feare discouraged the armed The like happened in Antonies retreate out of Persia the light-armed being faine to shroude themselues from the Persian horse within the Phalange of the armed Be they neuer so many without some such assurance the horse will soon ouerrunue them hauing this assurance their seruice much afflicteth horsemen both in wounding them and in killing their horse Therefore of ancient time it was vsuall to mingle horse and light armed together For the enemies horse so charged cannot be able to resist both A notable example is in Hirtius Caesar saith hee hauing a iourney in hand and but a small number of Horse and legionary Souldiers was in his way set vpon by the enemie abounding in store of Horse and of light armed Numidians amongst them And when the Souldiers of Caesar fell out to charge the enemies horse galloped away and the foote stood fast till the Horse with a full carreare returned to the rescue This kinde of fight troubled Caesar much and would haue troubled him more had hee not recouered hills that were not farre of and by that meanes shaken of the molesting enemy And for repulsing horse there is no better meanes for the armed foote then with the light armed to line that part of the battaile where the horse shall be about to giue on 6 To beat in the light armed The light armed being nimble and quick and seeking alwaies aduantages by changing of ground can neuer be forced by the armed foote who are charged with heauie furniture and by reason thereof can make no speed to seeke succour in the battaile of their armed Either they must be beaten in by the horse or by the contrary light armed as Aelian hath heere The Horse are commonly to encounter with Horse and the light-armed with light-armed amongst whom the greater number preuaileth their skill and armes being alike For the fight being a farre of many will sooner wound or kill a few then a few many saith Xenophon If the fight bee at hand the better armed or better minded will driue the other out of the field The Roman Horse and the light-armed were too hard for the Macedonians and chased them to their Campe. And that happened by reason their armour was fitter to close and to fight at hand So our Archers at the battaile of Cressy compelled the Genua crossebowes to forsake the field the english bowe being better in vse then the Genua crossebowe When they haue made the contrary light armed to quit their place they are at liberty themselues to serue where most aduantage may be had of their seruice 7 To discouer suspected places and lay ambushes Suspected places are such for the most part as ambushes are laid in Ambushes are of two kindes being laid either to endamage the enemies battell in the field or to hinder and disapoint his march The places such as are remoued from sight and had neede of speciall discouery As woods mountaines forrests rockes banckes of riuers caues hills hollow and deepe waies and the like The most part of which are rough and intricate and scarce passable for the heauy armed and horse But the light armed that are not incumbred with weight of armes able quickly to aduance or retire are fittest to lie close in such places or to search if the enemie be lodgâ—d there For the first kinde of Ambushes wee read that both heauy armed and horse haue beenâ— imploied The warres of Anniball in Italy afford plenty of examples herein For the other which is to bâ—set or discouer waies there are none so fit as the light armed whose quicknes and expedition giueth then aduantage to assault their enemy with their missiue weapons though the ground be neuer so vnequall and meanes to view any place suspected without almost any danger of their owne 〈◊〉 Cap 18 The Square 9.in Front .3 in Flank 8. in Front .4 in Flank .10 in Front .5 in Flank 8 For speedy and farre attempts A heauie armed man is not fit for farre or suddaine attempts he is armed for a firme and stedfast fight and not for concursations Alexander whensoeuer he was to vse expedition tooke with him the horse and light-armed leauing the armed to come after So did he when he oppressed Clytus and Glaucias in their campe so when he possessed himselfe of the streights of Cilicia so in preuenting of the burning of Tarsus so in seeking to take the straights of the Vxians and the gates of Persia and the rocke of Aorne The same hath beene the manner of other Generalls as I haue noted in other places For when Celerity is requisite who so fit to be imploied as they who haue nothing to hinder their speede The Targetiere had but a light target and a spâ—are the lightarmed but their armes And what are they bowe and arrowes darts and slings which haue no weight in them Which was the reason also that in victory they were imployed in giuing chaâ—e to the enemie that had lost the field The armed vsed to follow in good order of batâ—ell the slaughter and execution was deliuered
to the light armed and horse Wherein notwithstanding the counsell of Iphicrates was held good take heede said hee to his light-armed of ambushes and spare not to presse hard vpon the reare of those that flie till you come to riuers or straights or ditches For it is dangerous in such places to hinder the enemies flights least feare turne into desperation The fashion of Horse-battailes and first of the Rhombe the Wedge and the Square CHAP. XVIII THose that haue written before mee haue diuersely framed Horse-battailes some of iust squares some longer in flanke then in front some like a Rhombe some like a Wedge but none of them haue if I may speake freely expressed fully their owne conceits Therefore to make all things cleere and better to bee vnderstood I will set downe the seuerall figures of each seuerall kinde 1 It seemeth the Thessalians whose power was great in Horse were the first that vsed the kinde of battaile 2 fashioned in forme of a Rhombe the inuention whereof is attributed to Iason as fittest for all encounters The Horsemen thus ordered being ready to turne their faces euery way with speede and not easie to bee surprised in flanke or in the Reare Because the best men stand in the flanke and the Commanders in the Angles as namely the Captaine of the troupe in the front and in the right and left Angles those that are called Flanke-commanders and the Leiutenant in the Reare-angle 3 The Scythians and Thracians haue vsed Wedges and likewise the Macedonians by the ordinance of King Philip. For this kinde of battaile was held of mor exact vse then the square because the Commanders are placed in a circle and consisting of a narrow front it maketh readie passage thorough any distance and an easier wheeling and returning to the first posture as hauing no such troublesome windings about as hath the Square 4 The Persians and Sicilians and most Graecians made choice of Squares being of opinion they were more easie to frame and fitter for ioint-mouing of the Horse and more effectuall in vse For they are sooner in order being digested into files and rankes and in this order alone all the Commanders fall vpon and charge the enemie with one maine force Those are best Squares that double the number of the length to the number of the depth As when there are eight in length and foure in depth or tenne in length and fiue in depth These in number are of vnequall sides but in figure foure Square For the length of a Horse from head to taile compared with his bredth requireth more men in rank then in file to make vp the Square Some allow thrice as many in length as in depth and thinke by that meanes a perfect square may be formed because for the most part the length of a Horse seemeth thrice as much as the bredth betwixt his shoulders Therefore they giue nine in front and three in flanke For a multitude of Horsemen yeeld not the same aduantage behinde that foote doe when in the depth of the Battaile they iointly thrust on in as much as the Horse helpe nothing to the setlednesse of fast resistance being neither able to thrust those forwards that are before nor yet to linke and knitte with them and so to make one weight as it were of the whole body and in case they presse vpon the formost by disordering and distempering their owne Horse they annoy themselues more then the enemy Therefore it alwaies falleth out that when there are as many Horse in length as in depth a Square of number is made but the sides of the figure are vnequall the depth exceeding the length in proportion but when the figure of the Troupe is Square the number of the sides and front is vnequall Notes IN the second Chapter of this booke the armie was diuided into two kindes footemen and Riders Footemen againe into three armed Targetieres and light armed Of these three is hither to treated Riders follow who either vsed Horses or Elephants Horses either alone or else in Chariots Of these Aelian treateth seuerally hereafter For the arming and place of Horse in the fielde hee hath sufficiently spoken already The following discourse is First of the manner of embattailing horse wherein he setteth downe the diuersity of vsage in ancient time Then of Chariots and lastly of Elephants That a horse is a kinde of beast that loues man and is most faithfull vnto him Pliny testifieth The vse of him is for carriage and for seruice in the field And in the seruice of the field an armie without horse is in a manner no armie Iphicrates as I haue said before comparing an armie to a mans body resembleth the horse to feete And as the body hath no power of mouing or rather remouing the feete being lame or taken away so is the armie slow and vnfit for expedition that is destitute of horse and may be well resembled to those beasts that creepe vpon their bellies whose greatest hast is with little speede The horse do great seruice in the field of themselues alone and are principally imployed in matters that require quicknesse in dispatch Therefore are they fit for discoueries either of the enemies country or of his campe or of his marche or of other things whereof the Generall desires to haue notice And not for discoueries alone but to spoile and destroy whatsoeuer the enemy hath growing to make prey of his Cattle burne his houses kill his people surprise his places of strength and to â—mbarre him from doing the like to vs to bring and conuay prouision for our Campe to shut in the enemie that he goe not out his campe for like causes to hinder the enemies march by falling on the reare Briefely all expeditions of celeritie are for the most part deliuered to the horse alone Especially as long as they are in such places as giue them liberty to go on or retire at their pleasures Yet are they often ioyned with the light armed as I haue shewed They often ioine likewise with the armed And if they may come to charge the enemies battaile in the flanke or reare at such time as our armed charge in front they â—ndanger all But for imployment alone against the armed foote many examples of former times shew how weake there force is And how little they preuaile especially against armed that are practized in fight and resolute Souldiers The examples I haue quoted in the margent make the matter cleare For further confirmation I will set downe Xenophons opinion which all be it it were deliuered concerning the Persian horse that came against the armed foote of the Graecians in their return out of Persia yet the reason stretcheth to all horse in generall His words sound thus If any of you faint in minde said he to the Graecians because we haue none the enemy many horse let him consider that ten thousand horse-men are no more then ten thousand men For no man was
hindereth no more the readinesse of framing them then the vse of filing and ranking helpeth the other The fourth is rather curious then profitable as I take neither doe I findâ— example of it And it may bee truly affirmed of it that the square is much easier to be fashioned We shall haue occasion to speake of the last three in due place Touching the ioint falling on of the Commanders I confesse the aduantage is great For when the best men such as the Commanders ought to be altogether fall vpon the enemy they are very like to put hard to them And as it is a great part of skill to bring many hands to fight so is it no lesse to bring the best hands to fight Many hands make light worke the best hands sure worke Now for the Rhombe Aelian alledgeth these reasons First that it is fittest for all encounters because the horsemen are ready to turne their faces euery way with speed Then that they cannot be surprised in flanke or reare hauing the best men in their flanks and the Commanders in euery point of the Rhombe And cannot the square turne faces euery way They can but not with the same advantage For the Rhombe which way soeuer faces are turned remaineth in the first forme And whether it be to the right or left flanke or to the reare it keepeeh still 4 euen sides and the men of most seruice in the sides Besides that one point alwaies affronteth the enemy Not vnlike a Calthrop which howsoeuer you cast it to the ground hath one point bearing right vp to wound the horses feet But the square in turning faces to either flanke altereth the forme of the front In a broad square the front at the first was longer than the sides faces being turned to either flanke the sides become longer than the front contrariwise in the Herse battaile Besides in such turning of faces the square leeseth the advantage of embattatling the Commanders that stood in the front standing now in one of the flanks and being not able to charge the enemy iointly the greatest advantage of that forme and so the front being without Commanders is subiect and in danger of surprise where the Rhombe which way soeuer faces turne hath as many Commanders in the front as at first But let vs take the horse square in full strength with all Commanders in front whether shall that forme be better than the Rhombe I dare not affirme it For where there are two kindes of fight One with maine force the other with sleight and Art in the first I will preferre the square in the last the Rhombe The square for slaughter and violent ouerthrowing the Rhombe for piercing and artificiall breaking the enemies battaile which last amongst great Commanders hath alwaies beene accounted the best kinde of winning In the square all the Commanders fall iointly vpon the enemy and because they are supposed to be the chiefe of the Army in all likelyhood they will ouerthrow the formost and slay many Yet by reason of the length of their front they sticke man to man and can make no farre entrance and the victorie hangeth doubtfull till they haue slaine the most of them that resist and so make the rest to flie The Rhombe contrary-wise being narrow and pointed in the front first forceth a passage with the point which maketh way to the rest that follow and then without great labour piercing further and further breaketh the aduerse battaile disperseth and putteth them to flight and after doth execution at pleasure Neither can I make a fitter resemblance then by comparing the 2 figures one to an axe the other to a wedge both instruments vsed for diuiding solid masses of wood For the axe albeit sharper than the wedge yet hauing the edge drawen out in length can not by any strength be driuen farre into the wood but by doubling many stroaks and by much labour commeth at last to diuide it The wedge contrary-wise though not so sharpe being once entred insinuateth it selfe more by litle and litle with the narrownes of the point and maintayning the hold it first got at last forceth it asunder though it be neuer so tough So is it in the square and Rhombe whereof the square beginneth and endeth with violence the other vseth first cunning and mildenes as it were to enter being once entred renteth a peeces and disparteth all that standeth in the way The manner of our times alloweth not of Rhombes Experience of former times highly prized them I will insist vpon the Thessalians alone who are accounted the inventers of the Rhombe fought alwaies Rhombe wise Polybius had seene their seruice and beene Generall of the Horse in his owne country and therefore able to iudge He giueth this censure of them that in troupes and being imbattailed they could not be resisted to fight man to man in single combat they had neither will nor courage What then should be the reason they should be so powerfull in troupes No other then the forme of their imbattailing which forme was the Rhombe here mentioned by Aelian In this forme they commonly beat the Graecian and Persian squares and gat the reputation of the best horsemen of Europe 3 The Scythians and Thracians vsed the wedge The Rhombe is of 4 sides the wedge but of three and halfe a Rhombe maketh a wedge as will be shewed in the next Chapter The wedge was vsed by the Scythians and Thracians and whether King Philip of Macedonia borrowed it of them I am vncertaine But I rather incline to thinke that his The ban Master taught him as well the wedge as other formes of battailes The cause of my coniecture is for that I finde that his fellow scholer Epaminondas beat the Lacedemonian horse at Mantinaea in that forme Xenophon recounteth the storie to this effect The enemy they were the Lacedemonians ordered their horse like a Phalange of armed in depth without mingling foote with them But Epaminondas made a strong wedge of horse also for before he tells the Theban armed were cast into a wedge and ioyned some foote with them conceiuing after he had cut in peeces the horse he should not misse of ouercomming the other forces of the enemy And so going to charge he was not deceiued of his hope Thus Xenophon Of ioyning horse and light armed together I haue spoken before And that they were light-armed that Epaminond as ioyned to his horse Diodorus Siculus sheweth By Xenophon then it is plaine that not onely the Scythians and Thracians but the Graecians also when they thought it convenient vsed the horse-wedge and that Epaminondas ordered both foote and horse in a wedge And considering King Philip was brought vp in Epaminondas his Fathers house and made partaker of the learning wherewith Epaminondas was instituted it is like in erecting a new military discipline amongst the Macedonians as he tooke many other things from the Graecians so he borrowed this forme hauing first seene
horse in euery troupe because in horse a greater depth will be idle and to no purpose For they cannot as foote doe with their thicknes thrust one an other forward from behind and so the formost will they or nill they are forced to goe against the enemy And this is done amongst foote But the horse can not thrust forward those that are before them nor the file-leaders that stand in front be seconded in that kinde by the rest that stand in depth after the fourth man For if they be Lancers the fift ranke cannot reach with their launces to the front If Archers they shall be faine to shoot aloft for feare of hurting their companions before and so their arrowes serue for no vse after fight is ioyned Therefore is the number of 4 sufficient in depth as I haue said This was the opinion of Leo. To which I cannot absolutely assent vnlesse he had giuen 8 for the front of his troupe and so made it of 4 equall sides in figure not in number as Aelian requireth to be done in the best squares For the reason of launces not reaching to the front in the fift ranke reacheth not home to the reason of warre Aelian before hath declared that the pikes of the seuenth ranke reach not to the front of the Phalange Yet no man will thereof inferre that the Phalange ought to be but 6 deepe Yea but the foote that come after helpe the formost seconding them and thrusting them on with the weight of their bodies which the horse can not doe This must be granted to be an advantage that foote haue aboue horse in depth Yet are there other reasons also of giuing depth to a Phalange In the order whereof two considerations concurre one of offence the other of defence The reaching of pikes or horsemens staues ouer the front is good for offence that is to annoy the enemy in the shocke likewise the thrusting on of those that come behind serueth with the violence to make them giue ground A reasonable depth is for defence in as much as it defendeth a Phalange against the indeuour of the enemy to breake it a sunder And as it is a fault to make it too deepe so is it likewise a fault to make it too shallow Too much depth narroweth the front and giueth easie meanes to the enemy to incompasse and oâ—er front it Too much shallownesse on the contrary side maketh it weake and ready to be broken and disseuered by the enemy and giueth a passage thorough and meanes not onely to incompasse the front but at the same instant also to assault it behind and so vtterly to defeat it So that the reasons of Leo reach not home as I said there being other causes of thickning a horse troupe besides reaching of Launces to the front and ioint thrusting on of the horse comming behinde And where Leo speaketh but of 4 horse in depth of a troupe Polybius saith plainely that being ordered for fight they had for the most part 8 in depth Polybius a man which liued in the times whereof Leo speaketh and had beene Generall of the horse of the Achaeans Besides Leo seemeth not a little to differ from himselfe For in his seuenth Chapter he writeth after this manner If there be many horse that is aboue twelue thousand let the depth be of 10. If but few let it be no more than 5. In squares therefore I hold Aelians proportion best to double the number of the front to the number of the flanke and as the number of the troupe ariseth for horse troupes are not alwaies of one number to inlarge the length of Cap. 19 A Rhombe filing but not ranking The Front The Reare Cap. 19. A Rhombe neither filing nor Ranking The Front The Reare Cap. 19. A Rhomb Ranking but not Filing The Front The Reare the front and the depth of the flanke proportionably one to another 6 When there are as many horse in length as in depth I noted before in the ninth Chapter that there were two squares of equall sides the one of number the other of figure which two squares differ in this that the one maketh vnequall sides in the shape of the battaile the other equall The first at this day we call a square of men the other a square of ground When the number of the sides is equall in length and depth it giueth but halfe so much ground in front as in flanke Each souldier if it be a foote battaile occupying a foote and a halfe of ground in front when he goeth to charge where in flanke he must haue 3 foote And in a horse troupe 3 foote in front and double or as some say treble as much in flanke And so are the sides vnequall The euen length of flanke and front giueth a like ground to both and maketh the sides of the figure equall but the number of the front double to the number of the flanke whether it be in horse or foote In foote because the souldiers in Ranke haue but halfe so much distance as they haue in file In ranke a foote and a halfe in file three foote In horse because the length of the horse is much more than his breadth and that length is fully stretched out in flanke the bredth onely in front Why Rhombes were first brought into vse and the diuers formes of them CHAP. XIX THE forme of the Rhombe seemeth to haue beene taken vp for the necessarie vse thereof For the Captaine possessing the first place the next following Horsemen are not to ranke with him but to come a litle after on both sides so that 1 the heads of their Horses may reach to his horse shoulders on the right left hand and behind they ought to keepe good distances that too much thronging and clustering together breed not disorder whilest some horses being by nature sullen fall a flinging oftentimes and foule with other and considering the beast is somewhat long of body that in turning about he wound not the horsemen that are in fight whilest with his heeles he aymeth at the Horses next vnto him They that fashion Horse into Rhombes so fashion them that some Rhombes file and ranke some neither file nor ranke othersome file but ranke not other ranke but file not euery particular whereof standeth thus They that would haue 2 a Rhombe both file and ranke make the greatest ranke being the middlemost of an vneuen number as of 11 or 13 or 15. To which they ioyne other rankes before and behind euery one conteyning two lesse than the former as if the greatest ranke consist of 15 the next rankes on either side are to haue but 13 the next on either side of these 11. and so euery one two lesse till at last you come to 1. And the whole Troope is to consist of 113 horse 3 The halfe Rhombe is called a wedge being fashioned three square so that the forme thereof appeareth in the Rhombe Other haue formed the Rhombe
the right hand 2 Ecperispasmos I could neuer hitherto conceiue any vse of a treble wheeling for so Aelian takes the word vnlesse a Perispasmos were first made and the battaile had the front already brought to the reare and so an Epistrophe added from the reare to the same hand Otherwise seeing that one wheeling is sooner made then two and therefore sooner then three I see no neede of three wheelings especially seeing we may doe that wee desire with one For example let vs wheele our battaile thrice to the right hand the front will come to be in the place of the left flanke The same will be performed as well with one wheeling to the left hand Et frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora especially in matter of warre where the least moment of time often carieth the whole businesse The like may be said of Ecperispasmos to the left hand The vse of the motions of wheeling and double wheeling is when the battaile being closed and the enemy comming to assault you in any other one place then the front you seeke to bring the best men to fight For if you be to be charged in two places at once or more wheeling helpes little except it be to turne the front to one enemy and in that case your onely shift is to turne faces against them that come to charge on what side soeuer they come Examples of these two motions I meane Epistrophe and Perispasmos meete vs almost in euery Greeke Historie Of which I will represent one or two especially of the latter the rather because practise giueth both light and life to precepts Plutarch recounteth that after King Pyrrhus had in vaine assaulted Sparta he was invited by an Argiuan named Aristaeus to receiue Argos into his protection and that hee marched thitherward with his armie Arieus the king of Lacedemonia laying ambushes for him and taking the principall streights by which he was to passe charged his reare wherein the Galatians and Molossians were When Pyrrhus heard the bruite and noise he sent his sonne Ptolomy with the band of Companions to aide himselfe with all speede marching out of the streights led on his armie The medly being sharpe about Ptolomy and the chosen Lacedemonians commanded by Eualcus standing close to their busines Oroesus a Candiot of Aptera valiant of his hands and swift of foote running crosse against the young Prince gaue him a deadly stroke and ouerthrew him His fall made the rest to flie And the Lacedemonians hauing the victorie and following the chase came into the Champian ground still killing but not remembring they were not followed with armed foot Vpon whom Pyrrhus hauing euen then heard of and being much mooued with the death of his sonne wheeled about the Molossian horsemen And himselfe first aduancing vpon the spurre imbrued himselfe with the slaughter of Lacedemonians He alwaies seemed mighty and terrible in armes but then he exceeded himselfe in daring and valor For turning his Horse vpon Eualcus who shunning him shifted a side and with all strooke at his bridle hand as he passed by and wanted but little of cutting it off But missing the hand he light vpon the raines and carued them quite a sunder Pyrrhus with all strooke him thorough the body with his Launce Then leaping from his horse and fighting a foote hee cut in pieces the chosen Lacedemonians that fought to recouer the body of Eualcus This was the fight that Pyrrhus made by wheeling about his Horsemen against the Lacedemonians that followed vpon his Reare Another example of Wheeling about is reported by Polybius and it is of Amilcar Annibals father this is the history The mercenary souldiers of the Carthaginians reuolted from them and ouerthrew some of their Generalls and shut them vp within the Citie of Carthage possessing both other streights that led into the Countrey and also a bridge laide ouer a riuer called Macar which riuer was not passable but by that Bridge Besides they built a City for defence of that Bridge Amilcar seeking to dislodge the enemie from that Bridge and hauing no way to come at them conueniently obserued that when certaine windes blew the mouth of the riuer toward the sea was commonly filled vp with sand and would giue passage sufficient for his armie Finding then a fit time hee put ouer his army in the night and before day or ere any man knew of it made himselfe Master of the passage and presently led against them that held the bridge Spendius hee was one of the chiefe Rebells hearing thereof aduanced to meete Amilcar in the plaine and both ten thousand from the City at the bridge foote and fifteen thousand more from Vtica came out one to aide another thinking to wrappe in the Carthaginians betweene them who were not aboue ten thousand Souldiers of all sorts and 70 Elephants Amilcar led on his armie Before were the Elephants the horse and light armed followed next the armed foote came last And perceiuing the enemie that followed his Reare pressed hard vpon him he commanded his whole armie to turne about Those that were in the Vangard of the march hee willed to returne to him with speede the other that at first had the reare hee wheeled about and straight opposed against the enemy The Lybians and mercenaries imagining the Carthaginians fled for feare fell vpon them disorderly and boldly came to hands But when they saw the Horsemen being now turned about and come vp neere to the foote and already put in order make a stand they themselues by reason they looked for nothing lesse fell into a feare turning their backes fled presently as before they gaue on vnaduisedly and straglingly And some of them falling vpon their owne people that were comming on wrought both theirs and their owne destructions othersome were trampled vpon and trode to death by the horse and Elephants that followed the chase Thus farre Polybius And thus farre of Wheelings The figure and words of command are reserued for the 32 Chapter where the manner of wheelings and returning to the first posture is set downe Of filing ranking and restoring to the first posture CHAP. XXVII TO file is when euery particular man keeping equall distance from other standeth in his owne file lineally betwixt the file-Leader and bringer-vp To ranke is to be in a right line euen with his sidemen in the length of the battaile 1 To restore to the first posture is to bring the sight of the Souldier to the same aspect he had before the first turning As if his face were at first towardes the enemy being commanded to turne towards the Pike and thence to returne to his first posture hee is againe to returne his face toward the enemy Notes OF filing and ranking enough is spoken before 1 To restore to the first posture This motion differeth from Anastrophe before specified For Anastrophe bringeth backe againe the whole body to the first place after a Wheeling This the Souldiers faces
particularly to the first aspect So that this is vsed after the making of an Anastrophe For alwaies in motions it is requisite that the Souldiers faces moue forward To moue backeward hath many inconueniences of stumblings vpon vneuen ground or stones or pittes or stubbes or such like Which is the cause that in Anastrophe after a Wheeling Aelian willeth that the Souldiers turne their faces the contrarie way first then moue on till they haue recouered their first ground then open rankes and files and lastly to restore to the first aspect And as it differeth from Anastrophe so differeth it likewise from Metabole Metabole only turned faces about this setteth the Souldier in his former posture not onely for his face but for his armes also which are ordered as at first The wordes wherein this motion is expressed by Aelian are Ep orthon apodounai and Eis orthon apocaâ—astesai which is interpreted by Gaza in arrectum reddere to restore vp right by Arcerius rectum reddere to restore right and so the words sound Aelian interpreteth it to set againe the Souldiers sight in the same aspect in which it stood at first as if being placed with his face against the enemy he be commanded to turne his face to the Pike and then againe to restore his face to his first posture he must returne and set his face against the enemy Aelian therefore referreth it to the sight he first had which if it bee the right meaning how can it be vpright or right more in that then in any other posture For the Souldier not onely in front but in flanke and in the reare carrieth himselfe vpright or right I doubt not but that it may be applied to the vpright standing of men as appeareth by sundry places of Pausanias Who reherseth that Mineruas Image set in the Temple Parthenion standeth vpright orthon esti and in an other place that in Corinth in the Temple Pantheon there were two Images of Mercurie standing vpright Ortha and that in the Temple of Fortune the image of Fortune was carued of Parian stone and stood vpright Orthon and that in Neptunes Temple situate in the Corinthian Isthmus the images of Amphitrite and Neptune stand in a Chariot and the boy Palemon vpright vpon a Dolphin Orthos In all which places Orthos designeth the site of men But here as I take it cannot be so applied Because in euery motion not onely in this the men stand vpright How then can they be restored to their standing vpright when they doe it already I take the originall of the appellation to come from another cause and that is from the ordering of the Pike For when the battaile is first set in the field euery Souldier standes with his Pike ordered that is vpright For to order a pike is to set the butt end on the ground before the Souldier somewhat wide of his right foote and to hold it vpright with the right hand borne euen with the shoulder But when you beginne or continue any motion the manner is to aduance or to shoulder the Pike and so to proceede But being commanded to returne to the first posture it must bee ordered againe So that the first posture of an armed man is to stand with his pike vpright And after many motions and windings he at last returneth to the same posture which I take the command of Ep'orthon apodounai to signifie Now that I may not seeme to relie vpon a probable coniecture alone I will bring witnesse for the confirmation of my opinion It is reported by Diodorus Siculus that Agesilaus the Lacedemonian King with an armie of eighteen thousand foote and fifteen hundred horse inuaded Boeotia The Athenians before hearing of Agesilaus comming had sent fiue thousand foote and 200 horse to aide the Thebans who gathering their armie together seized vpon a long narrow hill distant 20 furlongs from the City And making the hard accesse to the place a kinde of fortification against the enemie they there waited his comming fearing to hazard vpon euen ground in regard of the renowne and glory of Agesilaus Agesilaus hauing imbattailed his troupes led them against the Boeotians and approching neere sent his light armed to sound their disposition to fight which being easily repulsed by the Thebans by the aduantage of the higher ground hee aduanced the rest of his forces being imbattailed in such manner as might giue greatest terror Chabrias the Athenian willed his Souldiers to awaite the enemy contemptuously both keeping their first array and their Targets at their knees and continuing their Pikes vpright ordered who when they iointly as vpon a word giuen did as they were commanded Agesilaus both wondering at the good order and at the assured fashion of the enemy thought it not fit to striue with vnequall ground and by forcing them to fight to compell them to be valiant whether they would or no. Hitherto Diodor Sicul. of the Strategem of Chabrias against Agesilaus which consisted in the contempt of Agesilaus and all his forces First in not stirring one foote to meete the enemy then in keeping the array they held before further in sincking their Targets to their knees Lastly in continuing the former order of their Pikes that is not making readyto charge but remaining with their Pikes ordered as they were at first Agesilaus aduancing his armie thought to strike a feare into his enemie Chabrias trusting to the strength of the place scorned the Brouado of Agesilaus conceiuing he would not be so hardy to aduenture the fight vpon so great an inequallity of ground He therfore willeth the Cap 28 The Macedoman Countermache by file The reare The front of the first standing The Countermarche in action The file leaders with their faces about standing firme The bringers vp dismarching The front after Countermarche The ground taken before the front of the Phalange Cap 29 The Lacedemonian Countermarche The Countermarche in action The file-leaders aduancing in Countermarche The bringers vp standing firme w th their faces turned about The front after Countermarche The ground taken beyond the reareof the Phalange Cap 20 The Chorean Countermarche The Front in the first standing The Bringers vp moving The fileleaders dismarching The front after Countermarche Cap. 20. Countermarche by Ranke The Countermarche in action diers not to alter their posture but to continue as they were The words concerning the Pike are En ortho tò dorati menein That is to continue their pikes vpright En ortho Now whether the same be the posture that the Tacticks describe when they speake or restoring Ep ' ortho vpright I referre to the iudgement of the Reader a Poliaenus remembring this Stratagem vseth somewhat different words and yet consenteth in meaning Chabrias saith he commanded his Souldiers not to runne out against the enemy but quietly to stand still holding their pikes before vpright and their Targets before their knees which they were wont to doe when they would a little ease
the Macedonians were the inventers of it Which of the Macedonians he telleth not but excludeth Philip and Alexander who both vsed the Lacedemonian Countermarch And before their times I haue not read of any warlike Kings of Macedonia The manner of it is this First all the File-leaders turne their faces about either to the right or left hand then the next ranke passeth thorough by them on the same hand and being come to their distances place themselues directly behind their File-leaders and then turne about their faces the same way And so the third ranke after them and the fourth and all the rest till the Bringers-vp be last and haue taken the reare of the battaile againe and turned about their faces The figure expresseth not well the action For in it the Bringers-vp begin first to countermarch which according to Aelian should moue last Yet may this Countermarch be done as the figure is But I take Aelians way to be easier and readier And it may be also that the Countermarch expressed in the figure is lost in the text For one of the Lacedemonian Countermarches which proceedeth the contrary way beginneth the motion with the File-leaders as this doth with the Bringers-vp as wee shall straight see 2 The Lacedemonian countermarch In this Countermarch the proceeding is contrary to that of the former that tooke the ground before the Phalange this takes the ground after In that the mouing was from the Reare to the front in this from the front to the reare This is the invention of the Lacedemonians Aelian describeth it to be done in two manners One when the Bringers-vp first turne about their faces and the next ranke likewise turning faces beginneth the Countermarch and euery man thereof placeth himselfe directly before his Bringer-vp and the third doe the like and so the rest till the ranke of the File-leaders come to be first The other when the File-leaders begin the Countermarch and euery one in their files follow them orderly The figure expresseth this last Aelian preferreth the Lacedemonian Countermarch before the Macedonian because in it the souldiers seeme to fall on and goe to the charge where in the Macedonian they seeme to flie There are notwithstanding times when it is better to vse the Macedonian As in case you meane to march on and not to fight with the enemy except you be compelled Or else you seeke to gaine some ground of aduantage For the Macedonian continueth still the march and stayeth not the Lacedemonian returneth vpon the enemy and so looseth ground in marching Agesilaus after victorie gotten against the Argives against whom he stood in the right winge hearing that the Thebans had beaten the Orchomenians in the left winge vsed the Lacedemonian Countermarch against them The words of Xenophon sound thus Here the strangers were about to crowne Agesilaus thinking he had got the victory when newes was brought that the Thebans after they had broken the Orchomenians had forced a passage as farre as the baggage Then Agesilaus countermarching his Phalange led against them The Thebans perceiuing their Confederates were fied vp to the mount Helicon closed their troupes together as neare as they could seeking to open a way by force and to get vp vnto them Agesilaus albeit he might by giuing way to the formost haue followed them at heeles and charged the reare yet did he it not but met the Thebans front to front Thus encountring and clashing their Targets together they fought thrust on killed and were killed In fine some of the Thebans broke thorough to Helicon other some as they sought to escape were left dead on the place Agesilaus here followed the chase vpon the Argives toward the mount Helicon The Thebans vpon the Orchomenians the contrary way towards the enemies Campe. The Thebans seing their confederates fled to the mount Helicon returned toward them Agesilaus countermarched to meete them met them and fought with them For the Countermarch he vsed I make account it was the Lacedemonian himselfe being a Lacedemonian And he vsed it to meet the Thebans brauely in front The same Agesilaus after he had by night incamped in a peece of ground behind Mantinaea incompassed about with mountaines perceiuing the next morning that the Mantinaeans gathered together vpon the toppes that lay right ouer the head of his Rearegard determined to lead his Armie out of the place with all speed Now if himselfe should lead he feared the enemy would giue vpon his Reare Therefore standing still and turning his armes against the enemy he commanded the last of the Phalange to march backe againe from the Reare and come vp to him and so at once he brought his Armie out of the streights and made it by little and little stronger When the Phalange was thus doubled he proceeded in that order into the Champeigne there againe reduced the depth of the armed foote to 9 or 10 men in euery file This place of Xenophon if it be not corrupted is very obscure And I cannot tell whether to take it for doubling of the front or the Macedonian countermarch The words make for a doubling For Xenophon saith plainely the Phalange was doubled Besides he addeth it was made by little and little stronger which could not be done with a Countermarch And that a deepe Phalange or Hearse such as this by the euenings march and the straights it entred seemeth to be is made stronger by doubling the front there is no question On the other side the streights thorough which it was to passe perswade me it should be a Macedonian Countermarch For in doubling the front the length still increaseth the manner is not to inlarge but to extenuate the front when an Armie is to be conveighed thorough a narrow place And Xenophon saith expresly that Agesilaus led it thorough the streights into the Champeigne in that order to which it was reduced last that in the Champion the depth of the Armed was lessened and brought to 9 or 10 for there Agesilaus imbattailed his Phalange to receiue the enemy if he would charge And in a march through straight waies the front is commonly narrowed and proportioned to the way but in open ground the Phalange is againe brought to the iust length So that it seemeth the depth was much before it come into the plaine because in the plaine it was brought to 9 or 10 men and therefore no doubling Lastly Agesilaus and the front I doubt not of the Phalange with him turned face to the enemy before the Reare came vp to him which is done in no other motion than the Macedonian countermarch In which all the File-leaders first turne about their faces toward the enemy and then the whole battaile marcheth against the File-leaders and placing themselues orderly behind them turne their faces the same way that they haue done before Now where it is in Xenophon that Agesilaus hauing gained the Champeigne extended his Armie to 9 or 10 Targeteres I suspect a
sleeuing them vpon one side which you will may be vsed without danger as well when the enemy is neare as when the fight is in as much as they disturbe not the battaile but advance fresh aides against the enemy on the flanks of it 6 By inserting the second file There are two manner of doublings of the depth or of files one in number the other in place In number when one file is inserted into another the Leader or first man of the second file standing behind the Leader of the first the second behind the second the third behind the third and so forth of the rest Or when the euen files countermarch and their Leaders place themselues behind the Bringers-vp of the odde their files following them or which commeth all to one the files being whole they diuide themselues into two parts in the front and halfe countermarch and place themselues in the Reare of the other file to file albeit the two last are Doublings both in number and place and not in place alone The true Doubling of the place alone is not Aelian The Insertion whereof I spake remedieth this defect also There it is said that when 16 men that is a file are so extended that they possesse as much length as 32 should doe that is as 2 files it is doubling of place which is nothing else but changing of the Souldiers order into open order For in their order they haue 48 foote in depth in their open order 96 foote in depth In this Doubling of depth we must take heed that we make not the front of our Armie to narrow lest we giue oportunitie to the enemy to incircle and incompasse it Polybius noteth this a great faulâ— in Marcus Atilius Regulus at such time as he fought with the Carthaginians and was taken prisoner His words haue this effect k The Romans seing the enemy order his battaile marched out against him fuâ—l of courage Being notwithstanding somewhat appalled at and foreseing the Elephants violence in comming on they set their Darters before and placed many maniples of Armed behind one after an other and diuided the Horse halfe into one wing halfe into the other Then making the whole battaile shorter but deeper then they were wont they prouided well against the Elephants but not against the Horse that farre exceeded theirs in number Being now come to hands the Roman horse ouerpressed with multitude of the Carthaginians quickly fled from either wing But the foote of the left wing partly auoyding the Elephants partly contemning the Mercenaries fell on and charged the right wing of the Carthaginians and putting it to flight followed hard and gaue chase euen to the trench But of those that were placed against the Elephants the first sinking vnder the violence of the beasts perished being ouerturned and troden to death by heapes The body of the battaile remained a while vnbroken by reason of the depth of them that were after placed But when the Reare of all incompassed by the horse was forced to turne about and fight with them and the other that had by force made way thorough the middest of the Elephants and were now behind their backs came vp to the fresh Phalange of the Carthaginians standing in good order they were by them slaine Thus fortune being contrary on all sides the Romans for the most part were troden to death by the excessiue might of the beasts and the rest died with the darts of the horsemen in the place where they fought The error of Attilius Regulus was in ordering his battaile too deepe by meanes whereof it was easily incompassed and distressed by the Carthaginian horse Appian likewise blameth Antiochus for ordering his Phalange 32 men in depth where the Macedonian Phalange ought to but 16 deepe shewing that by that ouersight it was incompassed by the Romans and ouerthrowne I haue touched the historie in my notes before Many other examples might be alledged but these two are sufficient for our purpose The words of Command in doubling of the length by number Middle men double your Rankes to the right or left hand By this Command the middle men with their halfe files march vp to the front in the spaces betwixt the files and stand euen with the File-leaders and the rest euen with the rest of the Ranks Doubling of the length in place Stand in your open order One halfe openeth their files to the right hand the other to the left and stand six foote one from another Doubling of the depth in number Double your files to the right or left hand The euen files fall into the spaces of the odde files Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The euen files countermarch and fall behind the reare of the odde and place themsâ—lues lineally after them obseruing their first distances Diuide your files and double them by countermarch to the right or left hand Halfe the files diuide themselues from the other halfe and countermarch out behind the Reare then turne their faces towards the place behind the Reare of the standing files which remoued not then march on and place themselues orderly behind them file to file then turne their faces as at first Doubling the depth in place Ranks open behind to your open order The broad-fronted Phalange the deep Phalange or Herse and the vneuen-fronted Phalange CHAP. XXX PLagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange is that which hath the length much exceeding the depth Orthiophalanx or the deep Phalange commonly called the Herse is that which procedeth by wing hauing the depth much exceeding the length In generall speach euery thing is called Paramekes which hath length more then the depth and that which hath the depth more then the length Orthion and so likewise a Phalange The Phalange Loxe or vneuen fronted is that which putteth forth one of the wings which is thought fittest toward the enemy and with it beginning the fight holdeth off the other in a convenient distance till oportunitie bee to advance Of Parembole Protaxis Epitaxis Prostaxis Eutaxis Hypotaxis CHAP. XXXI PArembole or insertion is when placing souldiers before we take off the hindmost and ranke them within the distances of the first Protaxis or fore-fronting is when we place the light-armed before the front of the armed and make them fore-standers as the File-leaders are When we place the light-armed behind it is called Epitaxis as it were an after-placing Prostaxis or adioyning is when to both flanks of the battaile or to one flanke some part of the hindmost is added the front of them that are added lying euen with the front of the battaile such addition is called Prostaxis Entaxis or Insition is when it seemeth good to set the light-armed within the spaces of the files of the Phalange man to man Hypotaxis or Double-winging is when you bestow the light-armed vnder the wings of the Phalange placing them in an embowed forme so that the whole figure resembleth a
thus To your Pike turne your face that is we ought to set the particular before and then inferre the generall Like reason is if you say turne about your face or countermarch For these are also generall words And therefore wee should do 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 kind other to another kinde of Countermarch For which cause words of double sense are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall Of silence to be vsed by Souldiers CHAP. LIII BVt aboue all things silence is to bee commanded and that beed be giuen to directions As Homere specially signifieth in his discriptions of the Graecian and Troian fights The skilfull Cheef-taines pressed on guiding with carefull eie Their Armed troupes who followed their Leaders silently You surely would haue deem'd each one of all that mighty thronge Had been bereft of speach so bride led he his heedfull tongue Fearing the dread Commanders checke and awfull hest's among Thus march't the Greekes in silence breathing flames of high desire And feruent zeale to backe their friends on foes to wreake their ire As for the disorder of the Barbarians he resembleth it to birdes saying As sholes of fowle geese cranes and swannes with necks far stretched out Which in the slimy fennes Caïsters winding streames about Sheare here and there the liquid skie sporting on wanton wing Then fall to ground with clanging noise the fennes all ouer ring None otherwise the Troians fill the field with heaped sounds Of broken and confused cries each where tumult abounds And againe The Captaines marshall out their Troupes ranged in goodly guise And foâ—rth the Troians pace like birds which lade the aire with cries Not so the Greekes whose silence breathed flames of high desire Fernent in zeale to back their friends on foes to wreake their ire The words of Command CHAP. LIIII Thus then are we to command TO your Armes Stand by your Armes Cariage away from the battaile Marke your directions Seperate your selues Aduance your Pikes File and ranke your selues Looke to your Leader Reare Commander order your file Keepe your first distances Faces to the Pike moue a little further stand so as you were Faces to the Target moue a little further stand so Faces about to the Pike moue a little further stand so Double your Depth To your first posture Double your Length To your first posture The Lacedemonian countermarch To your first posture The Macedonian countermarch To your first posture The Choraan countermarch To your first posture Battaile wheele to the Pike To your first posture Battaile wheele about to the Pike To your first posture These precepts of the Art Tacticke most inuincible Caesar I haue laide out to your Matie which will be a meanes of safety to such as shall vse them and of â—he ouerthrow of their enemies THE EXERCISE OF THE ENGLISH IN the seruice of the high and mighty Lords the LORDS the ESTATES of the vnited PROVINCES in the Low COVNTRIES THE Soldiers are diuided into two kindes Foote and Horse The Foote againe are of two kindes Pikemen and Musketiers Pikemen are armed with a head-peece a Curace and Tases defensiue and with a Pike of fifteene foote long and a Rapier offen siue The Armour is all yron the Pike of Ashen wood for the Steale and at the vpper end an yron head of about a handfull long with cheekes about the length of two foote and at the butt-end a round strong socket of yron ending in a pike that is blunt yet sharpe enough to fixe to the ground The forme thereof is expressed in the grauen figure The Musketier hath a head-peece for defence a Musket the barrell of the length of 4 foote the bore of 12 bullets to the pound a Bandelier to which are fastned a convenient number of charges for powder sometimes as many as 15 or 16 a lether bagge for bullets with a pruning yron a Rest for the Musket with an yron forke on the vpper end to support it in discharging and a pike on the nether end to sticke into the ground lastly a Rapier The figure of this armour also is here inserted These soldiors both Pike-men and Musketiers are diuided into Companies and euery Company consisteth halfe of Pikes halfe Musketiers The Companies are some more in number some lesse Some reach to 300 men some 200 some 100 some 90 some 80 some 70. Euery Company hath these officers of the field A Captaine a Lieutenant an Ensigne 2 Serieants 3 Corporalls two Drommes and for other vses a Clerke a Surgion and a Prouost Companies are compacted into Regiments and the Regiments commanded by Coronells Regiments conteine not alwaies a like number of Companies some hauing 10 some 11 12 13 14 15 some 30 Companies and aboue In euery Regiment are a Coronell a Lieutenant Coronell a Serieant Maior all officers of the field a Quarter-master and a Prouost-martiall for other imployments It shall not be greatly to the purpose to mention higher officers then Coronells my principall intent being no other then to set downe the armes and exercise of our Nation in the said vnited Provinces Their armes are spoken of Their exercise followes FIrst both Pikes and Muskets are ordered into files of 10 deepe The Musketiers are sometime placed before sometime in flanke sometimes in the reare of the pikes To exercise the motions there are two distances to be obserued The first is when euery one is distant from his fellow 6 foote square that is in file and ranke 6. The second is when euery Souldier is 3 foote distant one from the other aswell in file as in Ranke And because the measure of such distances cannot be taken so iustly by the eye the distance of 6 foot betwixt the files is measured when the Souldiers stretching out their armes doe touch one an others hands and betwixt the Rankes when the ends of their pikes come well nigh to the heeles of them that march before And the measure of 3 foote betwixt the files is when their elbowes touch one another betwixt the rankes when they come to touch the ends of one anothers Rapiers For to march in the field the distance of 3 foote from file to file is kept and of 6 foote from Ranke to Ranke To order themselues in Battaile as also to goe towards the enemy the distance of 3 foote in file and ranke is obserued and likewise to conversion or wheeling The Musquettiers also going for to shoote by Rankes keep the same distance of 3 foot but going to skirmish they goe a la Disbandade which is out of order There is yet another sort of distance which is not vsed but for to receiue the enemy with a firme stand
yet for the Trumpet I cannot say that all the Graecians held themselues precisely vnto it Plutarch much commendeth the Lacedemonian manner of ioyning with the enemy and writeth it is in this sort When the King hath offered the Goate that was the Lacedemonian sacrifice when they were to giue battaile hee straight commands all the Army to crowne their heads and the Flutes to sound the measure of Castor And himselfe withall beginneth the Paean the song they vsed when they were to charge and advanceth first against the enemy So that it is a braue and no lesse fearefull thing to behold them pacing according to the measure of the Flute neither dissoluing their order nor shewing any astonishment of minde but mildely and ioyfully approching the danger of conflict diuiding out their Marche to the sound of the instrument For it is not likely that men so demeaning themselues can be transported with feare or choler Nay rather they must needes haue a setled minde full of hope and assurance as if God were present on their side thus Plutarch Out of whose words it is cleare that the Lacedemonians vsed no Trumpets in fight but Flutes and made them their instruments to daunce as it were the measures of warre by For they vsed an easie and slow pace framed to the cadence of the sound which may well be resembled to the solemne measure in dancing Athenaeus rehearseth out of Herodotus that the Lydians vsed the like But he addeth that the Cretans made choice of the Harpe for their instrument of warre as though it had beene peculiar to that nation Pausanias testifieth the like of the Lacedemonians Polybius goeth not so farre but affirmeth onely that the Cretans and Lacedemonians in stead of Trumpets brought in Flutes and measures into the warre And if it were so that the Lacedemonians vsed Harpes it is like they tooke them from the Cretans For I finde in Plutarch that Lycurgus brought many of his lawes from Crete and had great familiarity with Thales the Cretan whom he also sent to Lacedemon to make an ouerture for the establishing of his lawes that were then newly finished Yet Diodorus Siculus reporteth that the Lacedemonians vsed also Trumpets in their Battailes He writing of a fight that was betwixt the Thebans and Lacedemonians vnder the leading of Agesilaus vseth these words in effect There was a strong fight betwixt them a long time and at first Agesilaus had the better but afterward when the Thebans issued out of the City at all hands Agesilaus seeing the multitude caused the Trumpet to sound a retreat The signe of retreat here was giuen by Trumpet and it seemeth the Lacedemonians had the vse both of Trumpet and Flute Of the Flute in pacing toward the enemy to ioyne battaile of the Trumpet in all other military signalls such I haue before noted it as the rest of the Graecians gaue by Trumpet The place of the Trumpet in the time of the Battaile was within the Phalange by the Ensigne Thucydides placeth the Flutes of the Lacedemonians within the battaile where they can finde no roome vnlesse they stand by the Ensignes And albeit Polienus saith the Flute led the Army and went before yet that is to be vnderstood in the marche For in case of a Marche or exercise Leo also giueth the Trumpet place by the Captaine in front When the fight commeth he retireth himselfe to his place in the Battaile with the rest 9 A Sergeant The word Hyperetes signifieth a Minister which is all one with the French word Sergeant as appeareth by the interpretation of our Law it selfe wherein the Sergeants next degree to Iustices are called seruientes ad legem I reteyne therefore the name of Sergeant because it is familiar amongst souldiers And a Sergeant hath the same office in our Warre that Hypenetes had amongst the Graecians What his duty and seruice should be is declared out of Suidas There were of these officers as well among the horse as the foote as appeareth in Xenophon The estimation and worth of their places is expressed by the same Xenophon Cyrus held the Sergeants in warre saith he worthy of no lesse honour than messengers and Embassadors in peace He conceiued that they ought to be trusty skilfull in matter of warre vnderstanding quicke swift industrious and voide of feare besides endued with all qualities requisite in the best sort of men that they were to accustome themselues to refuse no manner of seruice but willingly vndergo whatsoeuer is laid vpon them by their Commanders These Sergeants attended their Commanders in Marches and other times saue onely when Battaile was to be ioyned and alwaies expected his command During the fight they retired to some place where they might bee ready at call for as I said before they could haue no place in front 10 A Crier Concerning the office of a Crier Suidas hath taught vs that he was to deliuer the Commanders pleasure by voice Leo calleth him Mandator from the Latine word because he signified to the souldiers Mandata the commandments of the Captaine In exercise he stood at the head of the Troupe taking from the Commander the words of direction and making as it were proclamation of them to the Souldiers and serued often when neither Trumpet nor signall might be giuen he was otherwise also of great vse For in all busines which required distinct signification of any sudden alteration in the Armie the Crier had his part alone Xenophon telleth in the Graecians returne out of Persia that Clearehus their Generall led them not against the enemy both because their courages began to fall and also because they were all the day fasting and it grew somewhat late But yet hee turned not out of the way lest he might seeme to flie but holding on right forward he came with the vantgard to the next Villages by sunne-set there quartered The very timber of the houses of some of those Villages was broken downe and carried away by those of the Kings armie The first therefore lodged themselues reasonably the last being be-nighted euery man tooke vp his lodging as it fell out and made a great noise calling one after an other so that the enemie heard it Whereby it came to passe that the next of them fled out of their tents This appeared the next day for neither was there carriage-beast nor Campe nor smoake neere at hand to be seene The King also was terrified as it should seeme with the accesse of the Armie Which he declared by the next daies worke Yet in the processe of night a feare seased the Graecians themselues and the tumult and hurleburly was such as is wont when men are possessed with feare Clearchus in this distresse commanded Tolmides the Elean whom hee then had with him the best Crier of those times after silence to make proclamation that the Commanders signified generally that whosoeuer could