their motion to their first posture which is done by facing about to the right or left hand and then by mouing and by recouering their first place The word is As you were Countermarch is the third motion vsed in the change of a battaile The vse and necessity thereof appeareth in Aelian before and that there are two kindes one by file the other by ranke The words of command that hee here setteth downe are onely of countermarch by file which may be reduced to two kindes viz. the Countermarch of the front and the Countermarch of the reare That of the front hath likewise two kindes the Lacedemonian and the Chorean That of the reare onely one and it is called the Macedonian Countermarch Now Aelians direction followeth 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch This is one of the Countermarches by file and of the front The manner is that the file-leaders beginne the Countermarch and paâ—â—e beyond the reare their files following them In our exercise the word is Countermarch the front to the right or to the left hand It is done after another sort also as when the bringers-vp face about to the right or left hand and then the whole body facing about to the same hand passe thorow the spaces of the bringers vp to the same hand and the ninth ranke beginning the rest of the ranks after one anothers place themselues euery paticular man before his follower in the same file till the file-leaders are first The word is Bringers vp face to the right or to the left hand The rest beginning at the ninth ranke passe thorow to the same hand and place euery man himselfe before his follower As you were In Aelian followeth 22 The Macedonian Countermarch We in our exercise tearme this Countermarch of the reare and it is done in two manners First when the bringers vp begin the Countermarch and their files following passe thorow the spaces of the file-leaders till the file-leaders become the last of the file and then the whole body face about and stand The word is Countermarch the reare to the right or left hand Face about to the contrary hand and stand The other when the file-leaders face about to either hand and the rest of the ranks beginning at the second ranke successiuely passe thorow the spaces of the file leaders to the hand appointed placing themselues euery man behind his next leader and facing about as they did The word is File-leaders face about the rest of the rankes passe thorow and place your selues behinde your next leaders The next in Aelian is 24 The Chorean Countermarch This Countermarch is of the front as I said but it keepeth the ground that the body had before the file-leaders their files following them remoued to the places of the bringers vp and the bringers vp to the places that the file-leaders had The word is File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and stand viz. when they come to the bringers vp Other Countermarches thereare which are not here set downeby Aelian but are remembred in his Chapter of Countermarches of which the countermarch by ranks of the whole battaile is one the other is the countermarch by ranks in the parts And as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the rankes first began to moue so in Countermarch of the flanke the files entire beginne to moue and as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the ranks followed one another by file so in Countermarch of the flankes the files follow one another by ranke that is the souldiers of euery ranke follow one another If you would countermarch the right flanke so to change one side of the battaile for the other the word is Countermarch the right flanke to the left hand In countermarching the left flanke the word is Countermarch the left flanke to the right hand To countermarch the wings into the middest both the vttermost corner-files are to moue toward the middest their halfe rankes following them and meeting in the middest to stand there and face to the front and the word is Countermarch your wings into the middest of the battaile Obserue that in Countermarch by ranke the three Countermarches Macedonian Lacedaemonian and Choraean may be practised as well as in Countermarch by file If the flanke neerest to the enemy begin the Countermarch this the Macedonian countermarch because it maketh a shew of shifting away If the flanke furthest from the enemy begin it is the Lacedemonian in that it carrieth a semblance of falling on But when one flanke countermarcheth till it come iust vp to the other and no further it is the Choraean because it keepeth the same ground Wheeling is the fourth and last motion and it is vsed in the whole entire battaile or in the parts thereof Aelian giueth words of direction for the whole battaile onely and they are these Wheele the body to the Pike or to the Target When the battaile is to wheele to the pike or right hand the right hand corner file-leader is onely to turne his body by little and little to the right hand facing euen with the ranke of file-leaders till such time as hee haue gained the right hand aspect and the rest are to moue about him making him the centor as it were of their circled motion If to the left hand the left hand corner file leader is to doe the like The same order is of wheelin the battaile about to the right or left hand Aelian as I â—aiâ— giueth here no other words of command then for the wheeling of the whole body yet are the wheelings of the parts of great vse for either the flankes are wheeled into the front or the front into the flankes The front is wheeled into the flankes when we desire to forme the Antistomus Phalange to resist the enemy giuing on both flankes And then the two middlemost bringers vp are to stand and the middle file-leaders to diuinde themselues and to moue halfe the battaile to the right halfe to the left hand making those two bringers vp the center of the motion In this the word is Wheele the front into flanks by diuision If the flanks be to be wheeled into the front the two middle file-leaders are to stand still and the two halfe bodies to moue about them one to the right hand the other to the left till the two flanks be in the front and the front in the middest This kind is practised when we would frame the Diphalange Antistomus The word is Wheele the flanks into the front It is to be remembred that after euery motion a restitution to the first posture is to be commanded in these words As you were In facing you are to returne to the contrary hand as if the command were to face to the right in returning you come to the left In doubling you must doe the like In countermarch likewise whether you countermarch the whole body or the parcels thereof you are to returne by the contrary hand After
certaine mountaines ouer which the Grecians were to passe made alte some 30 furlongs before hee came to the Enemy lest encountring with the enemy hee should fight with his army being led in a wing or Orthiophalange He commanded therefore the Captaines that followed him with their companies euery one after another to sleeue vp their companies by his to the intent to cast the army into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile When thereare Commanders were come vp hee called a counsell to aduise of the best course in proceeding Here is the order of the Grecians march expressed to be in a Herse or Orthiophalange which consisted of many companies one following another and likewise the manner of transfiguring the Herse into a broad fronted phalange viz. the Captaines one after another sleeuing vp their companies by Cherisophus his company on the left hand and making an equall front with him And yet this example containeth no more then the sleeuing vp of the Companies vpon one flanke Cherisophus first made a Stand with his companie hauing the vant the following Captaines sleeued vp their companies on his left hand as the files did one after another in the other example Alexander vsed another kinde of sleeuing a little before he fought the battell of Issos For caufing the vant-gard first to stand he commanded the rest of the foot to march vp to the front of the vant-gard on either flanke The words lye thus in Arrian Alexander hauing by midnight gained the Streights of Cilicia setting out a streight watch vpon the rockes rested and refreshed his army till morning b◠day-breake he descended from the streights in the ordinary way and as long as the passage was narrow he led in a wing afterwards the mountaines opening a greater distance he enlarged his wing into a phalange by little and little still sleeuing vp the armed one body after another to the front on the right hand toward the mountaines on the left hand toward the Sea The Horse all this while marched after the foot but comming to ground of larger capacity they were ordered on the wings This manner of working to make a phalange out of Herse was by drawing the following companies vp on both flanks on the right toward the mountaines on the left toward the sea so that it differeth from the other forme wherein the Companies were sleeued but vpon one hand A third way of making a Plagiophalange of a Herse I finde in Polybius Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant saith he being to fight with Philopaemea the Achaean Generall who had fashioned his army into a broad fronted phalange made semblance at first as though he meant in a Herse to charge the right wing of the Enemies battaile but approaching neerer at a conuenient distance he brake off the hinder part of the Herse and facing it to the right hand marched out and led it out in length and ioyned it in equall front with his right wing thereby equalling the left wing of the Achaeans In this manner of transforming the Herse into broad fronted phalange the companies or bodies follow not one another to sleeue vp to the front but halfe the Plagiophalange is broken off at once the reare halfe and facing to the right or left hand is led vp and ioyned in an euen front with the other halfe not vnlike to our vsagein exercise when we command our middle men with their halfe files to face to the right or left hand and marching out to double the front of our battaile Thus much may suffice for the names vse and reduction of one of these two Phalanges to another The third Phalange mentioned in this Chapter followeth 7 The Phalange Loxe There are two kindes of Loxes or vneuen fronted Phalanges The front of the one is figured in a continued right line stretched out bias-wise thus The other hath as it were two fronts formed out of two seuerall parts of the Phalange the one aduancing against the Enemy to begin the fight the other staying behinde and keeping the first ground being ordered without the flanke of the first that vpon occasion it may likewise aduance and ioyne or else retire from the Enemy and giue backe the figure shewes the shape of it the last hath bin vsed by great Generals as a forme of aduantage in fight The first onely to win a passage as I take it ouer a riuer or such like where the broad-fronted Phalange could not passe and to bring the Armie to a ground where it might be ordered in better forme for fight I will giue one Example for I read not many of the first Alexander hauing conueied his armie ouer Hellespont and entred into Phrygia came as farre as the riuer Granicus Three Lieutenants of Darius with 20000. Horse and well nigh as many foot had embattelled themselues on the other side of the riuer to hinder his passage The riuer was full of depths and slallowes somewhat dangerous to enter and the bankes on the further side high rough and steepie besides the Enemy was ready with horse cast into a long or broad-fronted phalange and with seconds of foot to beat him backe that should offer to clymbe the bankes Alexander being resolued to passe ouer first ordered his troopes in a broad-fronted phalange The right wing he commanded himselfe and gaue the command of the left to Parmenio then putting the Scout-horse with the Paeonians into the riuer and after them a Phalangarchy of foot led by Amyntas the sonne of Arrabius and then Ptolomy the sonne of Phillip who commanded the troope of Socrates which troop had the Vaunt of all the horse that day himselfe with the right wing entred the riuer the Trumpets sounding and the Army giuing a shout extending still his battell bias-wise against the Streame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end the Persians might not fall vpon him as he led in a wing but himselfe as much as was possible might come to ioyne with them hauing the front of his phalange extended in length The Persians cast Darts from the high ground against the troopes of Amyntas and of Socrates as they approached to the further banke and some of them where the ground was more euen descended to the brinke of the riuer so there was thrusting and sholdering of Horsemen some to ascend out of the riuer some to hinder the ascent The Persians let flye many a dart the Macedonians fought with speares The first Macedonians that came to hands with the Persians were cut a peeces fighting valiantly saue only those that retired vnto Alexander who was now neere aduanced with the right wing He himself first of all charged the Persians where the principal strength of the whole body of their horse and the Generals of the field stood about him was a strong fight and in the meane time one troope after another passed easily ouer the riuer This passage of the History is long and therefore I forbeare to recite the rest onely
the sound of the instrument they might not in the march breake their order of embattailing which great armies often doe in aduancing to ioyne with the enemy When they were ready to ioyne King Agis bethought himselfe of this strata gem It is the manner of all armies in the onset to stretch out their right wings and with them to circumuent and encompasse the left wings of their aduersaries because euery souldier carefull of his owne sefety seekes to couer his vnarmed side with the target of him that standeth next to his right hand and imagineth that the setting of targets close serues for the best defence against the enemy The cause is this the corner file-leader of the right wing desiring to withdraw as much as hee can his naked side from the weapons of the enemy proceedeth to the right hand and the rest follow him And at that time the Mantineans a great deale ouer-reached the Scirites with their wing The Lacedemonians and Tegeats much more the Athenians by reason they oâ—ermatched theâ— in number Agis therefore fearing the encompassing of his left wing seeing that the front of the Mantineans was very broad and farre extended gaue a signe to the Scirites and Brasideans to stretch out their wing and to equall the front of the Mantineans And for the void space that should remaine vpon their aduancing he commanded two Polemarchs or Coronels Hipponoidas and Aristocles to lead therin two cohorts from the right wing and fill vp the void space conceiuing that he should this notwithstanding leaue himselfe strength enough in the right wing and that the wing opposed against the Mantineans should hereby be better enabled to the encounter But it happened that Hipponoidas Aristocles followed not these directions whether the reason were in the suddenâ—esse of the command or in the preuention of the enemies giuing on for which fault they were afterward banished Sparta as men effeminate cowards When they came to hands the right wing of the Mantineans put the Scirites and Brasideans to flight And they and their allies and the 1000 selected Argiues falling into the empty space that was not filled vp made a great slaughter of the Lacedemonians and encompassing them forced them to turne their backes in hast and flye to their waggons and slue also some of the elder sort of souldiers that were left for guard there Hitherto Thucydides I prosecute not the remanenâ— of the battaile because it is somewhat long That which I haue recited is enough for my purpose namely to shew the manner of ouerwinging Thus then apply it The Mantineans had their right wing farre extended beyond the point of the left wing of the Scirites and brasidaeans who by marching out to the left hand sought to equall the front of their aduersaries but left the ground voyd wherein they were first placed This ground by Agis his commandement should haue been filled by the Cohorts of Hipponoidas and Aristocles It was not filled so that in the charge the enemy had the aduantage to enter it and to circumuent on that side the Scirites and Brasideans and put them to flight which danger will be common to all that shall be so ouerwinged by their enemie The danger then of ouer-fronting and ouer-winging being so great let vs see what remedies and preuentions against either of them haue beene deuised by antiquity Against â—ner-fronting they sought to secure the flanks of their battailes sometimes by ordering their army in such a figure as should be sufficient to sustaine the charge of the enemy wheresoeuer he gaue on Of which kinde is the Plesium or hollow-square spoken of in the last Chapter This was practised by the Grecians at their returne out of Persia and oftentimes by other Grecians as is euery where to be found in their histories And Alexander when he was to fight with Darius at Gaugamela the countrey being Champaigne and Darius abounding in multitudes defended himselfe with an Epicampios opisthia or a reare hollow battaile I haue shewed the manner of it before in my notes vpon the 46 Chapter And sometimes againe by foreseeing the danger and placing reserues in the reare or some other secret place to charge the enemy in their flanke while they busie themselues against your flankes This was practised by Cyrus the elder against Croesns as I haue shewed in my notes vpon the 46 Chapter Of this kinde also it is when you lay an ambush to charge their reare while they charge your flankes The place will likewise helpe much to auoid encompassing For if the battaile be fought in a streight place by nature where the enemy cannot draw out his Phalange in length there is no danger of encompassing So Alexander at Issos in Cilic 〈…〉 was freed from encompassing the place being too narrow for Darius to bring all his forces into an equall front The place may also be helped by art in case it be otherwise to open and fit for the enemy that aboundeth in number to encompasle vs on euery side So Caesar being to fight against multitudes of Gaules drew a deepe trench on both the flanks of his army to assure it from the charge of the enemy The like did Sylla against Archelauâ— the â—enerall of Mithridats in the battaile Cheronea and both oâ— them so securing their armies from circumuention became by that meanes masters of the field and conquerours of their enemies Of later time 10. Huniades the Hungarian King being to fight against a huge army of the Turkes gained a noble victory against them by placing his army on the one side against a fenne and enclosing it on the other side with his waggons And these preuentio 〈…〉 haue beene deuised against Hyperphalangesis or ouer-fronting Against ouer-winning they thought it sufficient to strenthen and make safe the wing that was like to be endangered by the enemy so that all remedies against ouerfronting are good also against ouerwinging but the remedies against ouerwinging are not sufficient to frustrat ouerfronting Ouerwinging therefore hath beene auoided sometimes by drawing out the endangered wing in length to equall the enemies wing that opposeth against it This is done by doubling of rankes as Aelian teacheth in the 29 Chapter and as it was practised by Cleandridas the Lacedemonian against tâ—e Thurians Wherein netwithstanding this caution is to be held that you doubâ—e not your rankes so that you make the depth of your body to thin for in so doing your body will be as subiect to breaking for want of depth as for want or length to ouerwing Beside it is done by facing to the hand where the enemies battaile ouerwingeth and marching out against it paralelly till your wing equall the wing of the enemy but so notwithstanding that the void space from whence you drew your wing be filled vp for feare the enemy giue in to it and distresse you there as may be seene by the president which in this
in the 24 Chapter rehearsing shortly the appellations or words of Military discipline he placeth these formes after Induction and Deduction I take it therefore that their proper place is after the 37 Chapter the rather because all the formes of Marches from thenceforth handled are either Squares of the one kinde or other or else spring out of these Squares I noted before that there are three kinds of Squares one that hath a longer front then flanke another that hath a longer flanke then front the third that hath the front and flanke equall Of the third Aelian speaketh in the 42 Chapter of the first and second in this Chapter of these two therefore I will treat in order And first I will handle the Names then the Vse lastly the Manner how to transforme one into another The first is called 1. Plagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often interpreted for oblique which signification it cannot haue heere the oblique Phalange being in this Chapter tearmed by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet distingnished from the Plagiophalanx They that translate Plagiophalanx the transuerse or ouer-thwart fronted Phalange agree better with Aelians meaning because it meeteth the enemy with a front trans-uerse and drawne out in length and directly opposite against him I haue rendred it the broad fronted Phalange as more fitting the English tongue It may also be called the long-fronted Phalange For breadth I haue remembred it before and length of a Phalange are all one In this sense is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Arrian being applied to the manner of bearing of a Pike He telleth that Alexander transported his Army ouer the riuer Ister to inuade the territory of the Getes and hath thus The number of those that passed the riuer with Alexander were about 1500 horse and 4000 foot They passed in the night and landed where the Corne was high which was the cause that their arriuall was not descried As soone as the morning appeared Alexander led them through the Corne fields Commanding the foot that bearing downe the Corne with their Pikes held a thwart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should march into the Champeigne The manner of their bearing of Pikes as I interpret it was this They tooke the Pikes in the midst with both their hands and so bore them out not with the points forward but crosse and paralell the front of the Phalange that the file leaders with one ioynt force might ledge and beare downe the high-growne Corne and make easier passage for those that followed If they had carried them out slope or oblique which is the other signification of the word it had beene no more then the particular force of euery man a part that held his Pike sloping besides that they would haue beene intangled in the Corne whereas the bearing of them crosse parrallell with the front was the ioynt force of so many file-leaders as did thrust forward against the Corne. Therefore as when the Pike is borne in full length crosse the front of the battaile the posture of the Pike is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is a Phalange termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath a front stretched out in euen length and opposed against the euen front of the aduerse battaile of the enemy 2. The length manifoldly exceeding the depth Aelian sets not downe expresly any proportion of the excesse of the length aboue the depth onely he saith it must manifoldly exceed the depth We must take it then that the excesse of the length must be at the least threefold for thrice fals into the appellation of manifold A Macedonian fourefold Phalange may iustly challenge this name being 1024 men in length onely 16 in depth And likewise a Phalangarch led seuerally and by it selfe as hauing 256 men in length but 16 in depth The rest of the bodies of the fourefold Phalange till you come downe to a Pentecosiarchy albeit ranged by themselues are likewise Plagiophalanges or broad-fronted bastacles A Pentecosiarchy hath onely twice so many in front as in flanke as 32 in front 16 in flanke and therefore commeth not vnder the name of a broad-fronted Phalange So that let the battaile be as long as you list hauing but the ordinary depth it still is accounted a Plagiophalange When it is but twice so long in front as in flanke it cannot deserue that name but it is to be termed rather a Square of ground because the flanke in a square of ground taketh vp as much ground as the front To the Battaile-broad-fronted is next added the Phalange called 3. Orthiophalange or Herse which albeit it haue the length and depth vnequall as hath the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted Phalange yet must the depth manifoldly exceede the length which is contrary in the Plagiophalange This saith Aelian proceedeth in 4. A wing To proceede in a Wing is to march on with a parcell or one body of the Army namely with a certaine number of files as with a Tetrarchy Taxis or Syntagna and to follow with the rest in like manner so that the whole army holdeth no proportion of length or breadth to the depth That which is called by Aelian Orthiophalanx is called by Diodorus Siculus and by Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deepe phalange because the forme of it ariseth out of the depth of the embattailing as I haue noted vpon the seuenth Chapter This kinde of march the Greeke writers expresse by the words of leading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a wing whereas the other kinde with a large front I meane the broad-fronted Phalange is said to be led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a Phalange and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in front 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in extention of breadth The words I recite to helpe them who although they be skilfull in the Greeke tongue yet are not so well acquainted with the Tactickes and may easily mistake or not vnderstand the signification if they be not forewarned But because I haue before in my notes vpon the seuenth Chapter touched this matter I will here vse an example or two onely to explaine and to giue light to both formes Arrian reporteth that when Alexander was to passe the riuer Granicus on the further side whereof the Persians had embattailed themselues in a broad-fronted phalange to hinder his passage Parmenio one of his eldest and best Commanders came vnto him and gaue him this counsell Sir said hee Consider the Persians are ready to encounter you on the other side my opinion is you cannot gaine the passage without exceeding danger both because your phalange cannot be led in front that is in a broad front by reason of the many and sundry depths that are to be
seene in the Riuer and of the height and steepenesse of the banks as also for that the enemies horse ordered in a phalange will be ready to charge vs whilest we disorderly and wingwise which is the weakest kinde of fight endeauour to scamble vp the bankes Thus Arrian vsing the words before recited and noting the difference of both the formes Leo hath the like passage instructing his Generall how in the night to surprize an Enemy in his lodging His words are these in effect When you march saith he to the intent that no tumult or confusion of noise be heard nor the stretching out of your battaile into a great length breede error and inequality in marching and hereupon cries and loud commands arise so that the Enemy may easily perceiue the accesse of your Armie It behoueth you to march not in front that is in a large extension of breadth but wingwise that is to say in a deepe forme of Embattailing as if one file should follow in the reare of another obseruing still to maintaine the depth or thicknesse of the battaile His meaning is That in the night an Army ought not to be led in a broad-fronted Phalange because the places are wayes through which you are to march are sometimes large sometimes streight sometimes rough sometimes plaine and so you cannot preserue an euen front but must change the forme and disorder it but in a Herse or deepe Phalange which will fit all passages and in the greatest inequality of way maintaine the forme of the battaile entire And so much of the signification of the words marching in a Wing and marching in a Phalange 5. Euery thing is called Paramekes It is to be obserued that there is a difference betweene Paramekes and Heteromekes I thought good to note it because Aelian in diuers places mentioneth both Paramekes is the figure according to Aelian wherein the length many times exceeds the depth it may be Heteromekes albeit it be but twice as long as deepe I am not ignorant that Euclyde nameth all foure sided figures that haue right angles and vnequall sides Heteromekes But Aelian though hee apply Heteromekes sometimes to the front sometimes to the flanke yet he giues no more then a double proportion either of front to flanke or flanke to front 6. Orthion Albeit the word Orthium properly signifie things rising in a height yet in military discourse it is applied to the dimension of the depth of a battell and not of the length Here a Phalange is termed Orthia and in Leo in the place last by me cited mention is made of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— deep embattailing and in Xenophon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Company stretched out in depâ—◠〈…〉 Polyen also and Arrian and Appian Polyen hath besides 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for an army that is cast into a great depth and into a narrow 〈…〉 Therefore as Paramekes signifieth the length of the front so Orthion signifies the depth of the flanke of any battell ordered as is aforesaid Thus much of the names of the two battels It remaines to shew the Vse of them and how one may be transformed into the other The Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battell bringeth most hands to fight with conueniency and therefore is accounted the better forme and as neere as opportunity of ground would giue leaue the ancient Generals principally affected and sought to put this forme in vre It hath the commodity to ouerfront the aduerse battell and is safe it selfe from ouerfronting vnlesse the Enemy bring a greater multitude then you haue to ouer-match your Army The Macedonian Phalange was for the most part of this forme as all the fields Alexander fought euidently declare So ordered he his troopes at Granicus so at Issos so at Gangamelos so in other places if the ground would serue This Caution notwithstanding was obserued that the depth held proportion with the length otherwise the length profiteth not so much as the thinnesse of the depth hurts by giuing meanes to the enemy to breake through and put the aduerse battell in a rout I haue noted it before out of Leo. The Herse or deepe Phalange was thought the weakest kinde to fight in Parmenio one of the chiefest Commanders Alexander had distrusted it as I haue shewed a little before Cyrus the elder in the embattailing of the Egyptians derided it yet cannot the forme of the broad-fronted Phalange be so exactly taken vp but that necessity will sometime force the other In straight places it hath beene often vsed So Darius in the battaile of Issos by reason of the straightnesse of ground was forced to this forme So Boâ—ilâ—ar the Carthaginian was faine in a straight place to make a narrow front of his phalange and to extend it in depth And Acilius Glabrio the Roman Consall in the streights of Thermopyle against Antiochus and P. Scipto in Spaine against the Illergets Therefore in large grounds the first forme is to be chosen in narrow and rough places the other The Herse is also fit for Marches because in a March you are assured to meet with variety of ground sometimes with woods sometimes with bushes sometimes with streight wayes with riuers with hils with pits with bridges with ditches and such like impediments so that the front of your broad-fronted phalange must needs be dissolued whereas no difficulty of wayes can hinder the passage of a Herse the front whereof may be narrowed according to the ground you march in as you list Alexander being to lead his Army against the Thracians that had planted themselues in the mount Aemus was â—â—ine to narrow the front of his phalange according to the way that led vp to the Mount The same did Agesilaus passing through the streights of Mantina the History is by me recited before in my notes vpon the 26 Chapter Panimenes likewise leading his Army through Phoâ—is toward â—hebes and finding that the Enemy had taken and possessed a place called Philoâ—aeoton that had two streights leading toward it one of which the Enemy held with a gard casting is troopes into a Herse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 making the bulke of his Army slender and â—it to march shaped himselfe to the right hand as though he ment to hold on to that passage The Enemy therefore leauing the left hand streight which they had in gard ran with all speed to the right hand to stop his passage but hee taking the opportunity speeded hastily to the left and conueyed his Army thorough without danger Many like examples of Herses accommodated to streight wayes where a broad-fronted Phalange cannot march are to be found in Histories The Orthiophalange or Herse was also muchâ—sed in an ascent against a hill which the enemy possessed and in this sence are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deepe Companies takes in the Greeke writers especially when a
one directly after another How they stood Polybius shewes describing the same battaile He saith that Scipio ordered the Hastati and their ensignes first of all the rest and in front and gaue interuals to their maniples behinde them the Principes not against the interuals of the Hastati as the Roman manner was but behinde them in a right line because of the multitude of the Enemies Elephants and lastly the Triarij On the wing of the left flanke he ranged C. Lelius with the Italian Horse vnder him on the right Massanissa and all the Numidian Horse which he commanded The interuals of the first Ensignes that is of the Hastati he filled with the bodies of light armed commanding them first to vndertake the fight and in case they were not able to withstand the affront of the the enemy or of the Elephants he willed them to retire some that could preuent the rest with speed through the direct interuals of the maniples to thereare of the army other that were in a manner surprised to the flankes neere the Ensignes This ordering of Maniples one directly after another so termed and described by Polybius Appian calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding if truly examined cannot according to the Grecian practise come within the compasse of that name For the Grecians as I said drew their Companies seuerally each into a file and laying foure or fiue or six or more of them together made a body the depth whereof much exceeded the length or breadth the front being of 4. 5. or 6. men in ranke the depth of 100 whereas the Romans as appeareth by Polybius kept their ordinary manner of embattelling sauing that they placed their principes not against the interuals of the Hastati as their custome was but directly behinde the Maniples of the Hastati to the end the Elephants of the Carthaginians might haue an empty and void lane as it were to passe through their whole Army As for the Roman Maniples they consisted of two parts ioyned together which they called Ordines and euery Ordo contained 60 men commanded by a Captaine so that the Maniple had in it 120 men and two Captaines or Centurions These 120 men being digested into files containing 10 men a peece for that was the length of file and the depth of the Maniple make 12 files which stood one by another ranged in front not stretched one after another in depth But because the Maniples of the Hastati principes and the Triarij stood directly one after another therefore Appian called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either out of the ignorance of the manner of embattelling amongst the Romans or else because the Grecians in their writings reduced the order of the Roman embattelling vnto their owne vsage So they called a Tribune of the Roman Army a Chiliarch albeit a Chiliarch amongst the Grecians and a Tribune amongst the Romans differ very much as I haue noted vpon the ninth Chapter of Aelian the manner of embattailing of the Army of Acilius Glabrio a Roman Consull in the streights of Thermopyle commeth neerer vnto the Greekish forme Appian describeth it thus Antiochus hauing fortified the streights of Thermopyle with a double wall and drawne forth his army ordâ—â—ly for fight to make good the place against Acilius Acilius diuided his troopes into three parts and giuing one part to Cato toâ—laccus â—laccus the one to make his passage on the one side of the Hils the other on the other himselfe led the ordinary way against Antiochus and framing of his owneâ— part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which manner of embattelling alone saith Appian seruetâ— for streight wayes â—e pushed on and forced his Enemy to retire gained his Campe. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mentioned are no other then the Orthie-phalange which Aelian hath set downe in this Chapter namely hauing one Maniple or if the streight permitted not a Maniple of 12 files to march entirely in front one Ordo consisting of six files to aduance the rest following in the same â—inde as the fashion is of the right induction remembred by Aelian hereafter in his 36 Chapter Now albeit that forme come neerer to the Graecian forme yet it is not the same the one filling the way with the Maniple or Ordo as it fell our in the same figure that it stands in the field the other changing the order of the field drawing the Company out into one file and ioyning other Companies with it in front as many as the way would receiue So that the Grecian had too in depth of the body the Roman but 10. We are not to pretermit that albeit Acilius vsed this forme to dislodge 〈…〉 from the Hâ—ll yet he trusted not to it alone but diuiding his 〈…〉 into three parts he caused two of them to march vp the hils on both sides himselfe on the midst to the end that one part might â—aine the height ouer 〈…〉 head and so make him forsake his ground Thus farre of the vse of these two 〈…〉 of Phalanges or battailes it remaineth to shew how one of them may be transsormed into another The next proceeding Chapter teacheth that out of doublings of Rankes the length of the battell ariseth as the depth out of doubling of files I haue shewed the manner of both in my notes vpon the 8 and 29 Chapter And this manner is easie in a single Company or in a small Army In great Bodies it hath no great vse let the Example be of a Phalangarchy which is the fourth part of a fourefold Phalange and containeth 256 files Double the files once you shall 128 files and 32 men in depth and but 3 foot distance in ranke The second doubling bringeth forth 64 files and as many men in depth but the distance betwixt ranke and ranke is but a foot and a halfe Beyond this doubling you cannot proceede for beside the confusion of places of officers which are in number aboue 250 in a Phalangarchy the interuals betwixt man and man will not conueniently allow aboue two doublings your open order betwixt man and man wherein they stand at first giueth but six foot The first doubling takes away three foot from euery internall the second leaueth but a soot and halfe And considering that when the battell is closed for fight the neerest distance betwixt ranke and ranke ought to be no lesse then three foot in regard of handling of weapons as I haue shewed before out of Polybius The second doubling albeit it yeeldeth roome from the bodies of Souldiers to stand in yet it takes away the halfe of this distance but the third doubling allowing but 3 quarters of a foot for each man to stand in giueth not so much ground as his body will possesse So is it likewise of Ranks which will not suffer aboue two doublings fit for vse Aelians file is of â—6 men double your rankes once your file will containe no more then eight men and
I adde that after a long fight the Persians were forced to flye and the victory remained with Alexander And this that I haue recited may serue to shew the vse of this kinde of Loxe-phalange which was practised by Alexander to no other end then to gaine the passage of the riuer for in this forme hee would neuer haue fought nor is there any president for it out of his battels ranged vpon euen ground where he might haue chosen the forme he liked best but here he was to get ouer a riuer the enemy held the bankes on the other side with 20000. Horse ordered in a broad phalange the riuer was full of shallowes and depths and thereby hardly passable the bankes on the other side steepe and broken and hard to ascend Parmenio disswaded him to lead in a wing or herse and himselfe had no great fancie to aduenture in that forme In a broad-fronted phalange he could not which must needs haue beene broken by the vnequall footing in the bottome of the riuer What did hee then hee thought best to choose a passable foord and through it to put ouer the right wing of his Army slope-wise toward the further banke whither when they came they should proceed against the streame that the front being still extended and the rest comming vp and ioyning he might front toward and charge the Enemy phalange-wise And that this was his meaning is plaine by Polyen who rehearsing the same Stratagem saith that Alexander led his Army in that forme along the further banke to the end to over-ouer-front the Enemies Horse-battaile So that this kinde of Loxe or vneuen-fronted Phalange is no forme to fight in as I conceiue but hath beene sometimes taken vp as a meanes to attaine to a ground fit for a better forme as Alexander changed it as soone as he came to the banks of the riuer on the other side The other as I said great Generals haue vsed and by it haue gained great victories I will adde an example or two whereby the vse of it may more clearely appeare Epaminondas the Theban in a field against the Lacedemonians gained a famous victory by this forme Diadorus Siculus writeth thus The Baeotians also being ready to fight the battailes on both sides were fashioned in this order Amongst the Lacedemonians the Chiefetaines of the race of Hercules had the wings viz. Cleombrotus the King and Archidamus who was the sonne of Agesilaus the other King On the Baeotian side Epaminondas vsing a peculiar and choice kinde of embattailing obtained a renowned victory by his martiall skill For selecting the best men out of all his troopes he opposed them against one of the Enemies wings himselfe resoluing in his owne person to try the fortune of the day with them Against the other wing he set the weakest commanding them to fight retyring and to giue ground by little and little when the Enemy came on to charge framing therefore an vneuen fronted Phalange he determined to hazard the fight with that wing which consisted of his chosen Soldiers The Trumpets sounded and the Armies gaue a shout and the Lacedemonians figuring a halfe Moone thrust out both their wings of purpose to enuiron the Baeotians who with one of their wings retired with the other ran forth to ioyne with the Enemy after ioyning the Victorie hung a good while doubtfull thorough the valour of both parties notwithstanding Epaminondas by the manhood of his people and the thicknesse of his battaile hauing the better many of the Lacedemonians fell for they were not able to endure the weight of the resolution of those chosen men yet so long as Cleombrotus liued and had many to ioyne Targets for his defence and ready to dye before him the sway of victory was vncertaine But after he had cast himselfe into all kinde of dangers and yet could not force the Enemy to retire fighting heroically he was borne to ground with many wounds and so ended his daies There arose a flocking and concourse about his body and multitudes of dead men were heaped one vpon another That wing being now without a Commander was hardly laid to by Epaminondas and first with plaine force somewhat disordered The Lacedemonians on the other side brauely hazarding for their King recouered his dead body but could not attaine to the victory as also the selected band albeit prouoked by the vertue and exhortation of Epaminondas it vsed extraordinary valour yet with much adoe did it force the battaile of the Lacedemonians who first giuing backe somewhat disordered themselues at last many falling and no man being to command them the whole armie tooke it selfe to flight Epaminondas his soldiers followed the chace slew many made themselues Masters of the field and carried away a notable and famous victory Their honour was the more because they fought with the most valiant men of all the Grecians and ouercame them being many more in number then themselues contrary to all mens expectation but of all other Epaminondas was the man that merited most praise who by his owne valour and martiall skill won a battaile against those Generals of Greece which to that day were held inuincible This Testimony of the Loxephalange is somewhat long but the worthinesse of the circumstances will I hope beare me out to recite it wherein the forme agreeable to Aelian is first to be noted as aduancing one wing against the Enemy and holding off the other albeit it goe a little further then Aelian prescribeth in that the wing kept off stood not still waiting time to come forward but when the Enemy came vp ioyned with him giuing ground of purpose to distract his phalange and on that side to busie him with a slow fight lest happily he might giue vpon the aduerse flanke of Epaminondas and succour his owne partie that already was in fight It sheweth besides the aduantage of Military skill for the Lacedemonians Masters of Armes at that day in Greece hauing fashioned a halfe Moone and imagining in that forme to inclose the small number of the Baeotians and to charge them on euery side Epaminondas with his Loxe Phalange so plyed the front of their wings that the rest of the halfe Moone being neuer able to strike stroake became vnprofitable It shewes further what kinde of battaile is fittest to encounter the halfe moone Lastly it hath the reason and vse of the Loxe phalange that is to charge one of the Enemies wings with the best and strongest part of our forces and at the same instant to annoy him with the other wing thereby to embarre him from giuing aide to his people that were in fight Alexander vsed this forme at Gangamela beginning the fight and victory with his right wing and after with his victorious troopes succouring his left wing that was in danger to be routed by the Persians The like forme with the like successe was vsed by Antigonus against Eumenes it is a battaile worth the
placed in Front I will adde one example out of Xenophon more to the same purpose When the Grecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia returned toward their Country they came as farâ—e as the riuer Phiscus they found there a bridge and not farre off a great City called Opis at which the base brother of Cyrus and Artaxerxes leading from Susa and Ecbatana a mighty Army with him to giue aid to the King met the Grecians and causing his owne Army to make alte hee tooke vnto of the Grecians as they passed by Clearchus led his Army 2 in Front and in his march oftentimes made alte As long as the Vaunt of the Army staied so long the Reare must likewise stay So that the Grecians were of opinion they had a great Army and the Persian was abashed at the sight of such a multitude Whether this march were Aeliaâ—s right Induction a man would doubt because it is not expressed by Xenophon particularly how the bodies of the Phalange did march onely hee saith that Clearchus led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in binos saith the Latine translation I interpret it 2 in Front For two in depth it could not be because Xenophon speaketh of a stand made oftentimes by the Vaunt which caused the Reare to stay And had the Army beene but 2 in depth it had bean all Vaunt the 10000 Grecians beeing ordered into two ranks and no more each of them being 5000 men besides that the Persian wondered at the multitude which passed by him in flanke which flank if it had consisted of no more then two his wonder would soon haue ended But Clearchus vsed Art to make his number seeme greater and being but 2 in Front they must needs be 5000 in file to which 5000 giuing 6 foot a peece for their open order the ground wil contain 30000 foot in depth which amouÌ„t to six miles of ours The vsage of the Lacedemonians was to march sometimes with 2 in Front if the way were straight So did Dercyllidas in Asia the lesse when entring into a City his whole Army followed him peaceably 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two in Front So b Archidamus the sonne of Agesilaus aduancing against the Arcadians by a cart way that led to Cromnum ordered his Army 2 in front as then his march fell out When they approached one to another Archidamus his army being in a wing by reason of the streightnesse of the way the Archadians in a broad-fronted phalange with targets close faced together the Lacedemonians could not endure the charge of the Arcadians and forthwith both Archidamus was wounded through the thigh and they slaine that fought before him Hee saith that Archidamus marched two in front wing-wise by reason of the streightnesse of the way In that he saith wing-wise he sheweth the army was drawne out in depth which is proper to an induction and when he maketh the way the cause he giueth a reason why it so marched But to returne to that I first propounded the inductions hitherto specified in the former examples seeme to differ from Aelians right-induction as neither hauing all the file-leaders in front nor yet single bodies of the same kinde one to follow another the companies being each drawne into one file and then two or three or foure or more of these files laid together according to the largenesse of the way and the rest of the army following in the manner afore expressed 5. Against it is opposed the Caelembolos The Caelembolos is a wedge hollow in front and to be opposed against the right induction saith Aelian I haue noted before that it hath beene the manner of all famous Generals to fit the embattailing of their armies to the forme which the enemy vseth at the time of ioyning and therefore it much concerneth the Commander of an army to be skilfull in all formes which are of true vse and to know the aduantage that one carrieth against another The right induction is and alwayes hath beene the ordinary forme to march in To order your troopes in an aduantagious forme against it the Caelembolos was inuented It is called by the Greekes a hollow wedge because it is not filled vp in the middest but includeth a void space bias-wise in front betwixt the points of both wings and ioyneth it selfe together in the reare So that to one that shall view it behinde it seemes a plaine wedge and yet in propriety of speech it cannot be called a Wedge for a Wedge hath three sides and three points and beareth the true forme of a triangle and with the former point it chargeth the enemy as hath beene showne in the horse-mans wedge This hath but one point and two sides neither doth it charge the enemy with the point but receiuing the front of his battaile into the empty space striketh vpon both the flankes thereof with the wings it hath opened and so seeketh to distresse it the Caelembolos hauing this aduantage that it fighteth with the best men viz. the file-leaders ordered in the inside of the wings thereof not against the file-leader of the right induction but against the weaker sort who are ordinarily placed in the flankes thereof The Latine names are more fit and significant to expresse the forme By some it is called a paire of tongues by othersome a paire of sheeres both appellations seruing to set forth the right forme of the Caelembolos for the one and the other open their foremost parts to a pretty distance and the hinder parts which are pinned and fastened together end in a narrow point as doth the Caelembolos And they were so farre from tearming it a wedge that they held it the best forme to receiue and frustrate the charge of the true wedge as may be seene in Vegetius 6. Which is framed when The fashioning of the Caelembolos springeth out the Diphalange Antistomus What that Diphalange is we shall see in the 40 chapter of this booke Thus much I may before-hand signifie that the file-leaders ought to be placed within the hollow flanks of the Caelembolos as it were a lyning to the insides and the Di-phalange Antistomus being once framed which is to haue the file-leaders in the middest from the one end of the battaile to the other there needeth no further labour then to dispatch the front in the middest leauing the file-leaders on both sides and to fasten and ioyne together the reare to the end that the front of the right induction may enter into the hollownesse but yet be mashed as it were in a net and neither able to passe through the reare of the Caelembolos being close shut nor yet to giue offence to those that fight in the front of the Caelembolos hauing no man whom they may charge in the void space nor yet daring to breake the forme of their battaile after ioyning For it is a good obseruation of Vegetius that in fight the manner of your embattailing is not
addeth that halfe the armed soldiers haue their faces bent forward and change not the other halfe turned about backward whereas in the Antistomus all the souldiers moue and halfe face to one flanke halfe to the other and none to the front or reare besides he saith that halfe the armed in the files stand backe to backe whereas in the Antistomus halfe the armed in the ranks stand backe to backe not those of the files 2 Now that the Amphistomus receiueth the charge of the enemy in the front and reare Leo also declareth The manner whereof appeareth in Appian who recounteth that Asdruball the Carthaginian sought to entrap Scipio giuing Mago his generall of the horse commandement to charge Scipio his army in front whiles himselfe charged it in the reare But Scipio turning the reare of his battell against Asdruball and opposing the front of it against Mago ouerthrew them both and slew 5000 Carthaginians and tooke 1800 prisoners To make the manner of fight in this forme more plaine I thought fit to insert an hystory or two out of Polybius and Arrian as examples to illustrate that meaning of Aelian In Polybius this is the history The Gaules in great multitudes vnder the conduct of Concolitanus and Aneroestus their Kings transcending the Alpes and passing thorough Lombardy and falling vpon a part of Hetrucia had gathered rich spoiles out of that terretory and being now vpon returne to their countrey they were pursued by one of the Roman Consuls L. Aemelius and his army not with intent to fight with them for hee held it not safe but to obserue fit times and places to distresse them or else to keepe them from further spoile At the same time C. Attilius the other Consull hauing imbarked his legions in Sardinia and setting saile for Italy arriued at Pisa and holding his way toward Rome marched directly in the way in which the enemy was comming The Celts being now about Telamon a promontory of Hetrucia their foragers fell into the hands of the Vantcurrers of Attilius and were taken prisoners They informed the Consul of all that hapned and signified the presence of both armies telling that the Gaules were at hand and that L. Aemilius followed them close in their reare Attilius partly maruailing at the strangenesse of the newes and parly being full of good hope because the Gaules seemed to be surprised and hemmed in betwixt two armies commanded the Tribunes to order his legions in a broad-broad-front and so to lead on leasurely as long as the ground would giue leaue himselfe in good time discouering a hill which hung ouer the way in which the Gaules were to passe tooke with him the horse and sought with all speed to seise vpon the top of it and to begin the medly conceiting thereby to haue the honour and title of the whole seruice ascribed to him the Gaules were at first ignorant of Attilius approaching but coniectured onely that it might be Aemylius had led his horse about in the night to seise vponvseful places they sent therefore their horse and light-armed to beat the Romans from the hill but soone vnderstanding by some captiues that Attilius was there they presently embattailed ordering thir army into two fronts the one before the other behinde for they knew that one army was following and they expected as well by the newes they heard as by that which they saw fall out at that time that the other would meet them vpon their march Aemylius heard that the legions of Attilius were arriued at Pisa but could not imagine they were come so neere but after that by the fight about the hill he perceiued certainly they were at hand he sent out his horse to second those that fought for the hill himselfe ordering his battels after the Roman wonted fashion led on against the eenmy The Celts embattailed those that are called Gesates and dwelt in the Alpes against Aemylius who they imagined would charge the reare and next to them the Insubrians In the front they set the Taurtscans and Boâ—ans inhabiting beyond the riuer Po turning their faces a contary way to the former and opposed to the accesse of Caius Attilius the waines and waggons they placed without both wings and sent their pray gained to a hill thereby appointing a sufficient gard to keepe it So the Amphistomus Phalange which the Celtes cast themselues into was not onely fearefull to the eye but also fitly ordered for fight The Insubrians and Boyans came forth to fight wearing bretches a kind of loose and light coats but the Gesates out of a vaine glory and rashnesse cast them away and stood naked sauing that they had their armes alone in the front of the batell imagining they were by that meanes fitter for action by reason of the bushes of the place which would catch hold of any garment and be a hinderance to the vse of armes The first fight was about the hill in the sight of all by reason that the multitude of so many horse-menout of both armies were mingled together in fight wherein it happened Attilius to be slaine while too venturously he offered himselfe to danger and his head to be presented to the Kings of the Celts but yet the Roman horse-men brauely fighting became masters of the place and of the enemy After this the foot ioining the accident was rare and maruailous not onely to them which were present but also to all those who can by reading represent before their eyes the truth of that which was done For first the fight being attached by 3 armies it must needs be that the very sight and manner of the conflict appeared strange and wihout example secondly who would not doubt either now or then whether the Celts manner of embattailing were more dangerous the enemy charging them in two places at once or the best and aptest for victory as opposing against both the enemies at once and withall securing themselues from encompassing and inuasion of the reare and which is of most importance no hope being left of safety if they should chance to be foyled For that is the property and profit of the Amphistomus battaile it made the Romans more confident to haue the enemy enclosed on all sides and yet the brauery and noyse and tumult of the Celts gaue them cause of astonishment For there was an innumerable multitude of Trumpets and Shalmes to which the whole army together adding the Paean the cry was so great that not onely the trumpets and army but the places round about with their rebounding ecchoes seemed of themselues to speake Furthermore the sight and motion of the naked men that stood in the front being in flower of their age and excelling in talnesse of stature was fearefull Now all the Gaules that had the front were adorned with bracelets and chaines of gold which the Romans eyeing were partly astonied partly being filled with rich hopes were incited much the rather to ioyne battell but when the
their weapons on all sides distresse the Rhombe both in front and flanke which is a dangerous kinde of fight and such a one as seldome may be tolerated or endured 2 Against the square horse battaile in figure or ground he opposeth in this Chapter the wedge of foot which albeit it cannot with the like art wrappe in and encompasse the square yet is it of force sufficient to breake and disseuer it and so to disorder and deface it For the square of horse hauing a large front and going with full speed to charge falleth vpon the narrow front of the wedge which according to Aelian ought to containe no more then three men and they knitting themselues close their pikes pretended and being seconded with the rest of their companions behinde pretending their pikes likewise receiue the charge with a firme stand so that onely the middest of the horse falling vpon the point of their front cannot reach to the flanks of the wings thereof because the wedge from the first narrowing groweth backward into an increasing breadth without breaking of their forme and altering of the front of their square wherein they were ordered which if they doe their repulse cannot but follow because they fight out of order Now that the forme of the wedge in horse is able to endure the shot of the horse that came against them in a square appeareth by the 18. Chapter of this booke where it is said that Philip King of Macedon Alexanders father vsed this forme alone and that Alexander himselfe ordered his horse in the same manner who were both victorious in all their fields That it is as good for foot against horse besides the reasons before rehearsed may be euident by this that the horse are in motion in the charge and by that meanes are soone disordered whereas the foot stand fast and keepe themselues secure to repulse the violence of the horse 3. So Epaminondas the Theban This battaile is excellently described by Xenophon in his seuenth booke of his history of the Grecians His words sound thus After Epaminondas had embattailed his army as he thought fit he led not streight way against the enemy directly but declined westward toward the Tegaean mountaines lying right ouer against the enemy which bred an opinion that he had no will to fight that day For after he came vp to the mountaine and had taken a view of his army he cansed them to lay downe their armes in the vppermost part of all as if he meant to incampe and by this meanes allayed the preparation of fight which most of the enemies had conceiued in minde and likewise their care in maintaining their place and order in battaile After sleeuing vp to the front his companies that marched in a wing hee fashioned his whole army into a strong wedge Then commanding them to take vp their armies he led on and they followed The enemy seeing him aduance contrary to their expectation had no leisure to be still but some ranne to their place in battaile some embattailed themselues some bridled their horse some put on their curaces all were like to men that were like rather receiue then giue a foyle to the enemy Epaminondas led on his army like a gallie with the prowe against the enemy imagining that wheresoeuer he should breake their array he should thereby ouerthrow their whole army For he resolued to bring the best and strongest part of his army to fight casting the weakest behinde in the reare knowing that being defeated they would discourage their owne side and breed new courage in the enemy The enemy ranged his horse like a phalange of armed foot in a great depth without ioyning foot with them But Epaminondas made a strong wedge of his horse also allotting them foot which had no herses conceiuing that cutting asunder the enemies horse he should easily ouerthrow their whole army For you shall hardly find any that will make good their ground after they see them of their owne side take themselues to their feet And to the end to with hold the Athenians from succouring those of the left wing next vnto them he placed both horse and foot right ouer against them vpon the hils to put them in feare of charging their reare if they gaue ayd vnto the enemy so led he on to the charge and was not deceiued of his hopes For hauing the better wheresoeuer he gaue on he put the whole army of his aduersaries to flight So Xenophon Where you may note not onely a square of horse defeated by a wedge of horse but also a square battaile of foot defeated by a wedge of foot And to shew more plainely that the forme of the wedge is forcible against abroad fronted Phalange I will recite two examples more The first is out of T. Liutus who writeth of a battaile fought betwixt the Romans and Celtiberians thus The Celtiberians knowing that the Roman army hauing spoyled their Countrey would retire through a forrest called Manlius his forrest â—id themselues in it of purpose to the end to fall vpon the Romans vpon aduantage and vnlooked for When the Roman army had entred the forrest by day-light the enemy rising out his ambush vpon the sudden inuaded them on both flanks Which Flaccus hee was the Roman Generall seeing stilled the tumult by the Captaines commanding euery man to his place and armies and bringing the baggage and carriage beasts together he constantly and without feare embattailed his army partly by himselfe partly by his Legates and by the Tribunes of the souldiers as the time and place required The enemy came on and the skirmish was attached in the vttermost parts of the Roman Phalange and at last the battailes ioyned The fight was hot in all parts but fortune diuers for the Legeons behaued themselues brauely and the auxiliarie in both wings as well The mercinaries were hardly laid vnto by the enemy who bore the like armes and was a better kind of souldier had much ado to make good their ground The Celtiberians when they saw they could not match the legions in the ordinary manner of fight and Ensigne against Ensigne cast themselues into a wedge and so assayled the Romans in which kind of fight they are so powerfull that they are scarcely to be resisted Then the legions also branced and the battell was almost broken Which danger when Flaccus perceiued he rode to the legionary horsemen And is there no helpe in you said he This army will immediately be lost When they cryed out at all hands they would gladly doe whatsoeuer he commanded Double the troopes said he of both legions and with all your might force your horse against this wedge of the enemy wherewith they presse vs you shall doe it more violently if you giue on drawing off the horses bridles which the Roman horsemen haue of ten done heretofore to their great coÌ„mendation They obeyed and pulling off their horses bridles they passed
your army into a hollow square wherein the baggage is to be couched and to be desended on all sides For if the ground be open enough to cast your selfe into a square hee holdeth the forme the safest to giue security to your baggage These be his words Place all four carriage seruants and baggage and prouision in the middest of your army And in another place speaking of a retreat to be made after an ouerthrow receiued he writeth thus You shall order your whole power into two Phalanges or battailes or into one square Plinthium in the middest whereof you shall put the carriage beasts and baggage and without them the souldiers in order and without them the archers and so retire and depart in safety Againe he saith In marches the enemy approaching it is necessary to haue your carriage in the middest lest being vnguarded it be spoyled and rifled With Leo doth Xenophon agree His words haue this shew I will not wonder if as fearfull dogges are wont to follow and bite such as passe by if they can and to flye from such as follow them so the enemy hang vpon our reare Therefore we shall perhaps march the safer if making a Plesium of the armed the carriage and vnprofitable multitude be throwne into the middest for more security And if it be now determined who shall command the front of the Plesium and who the two wings and who the reare wee shall not need to consult when the enemy approacheth but execute that which is resolued vpon This is Xenophons counsell for the march in open ground when the enemy aboundeth in number of souldiers which counsell was often put in practice and the Grecians being but 10000 secured themselues against infinite multitudes of Persian horse that charged them on all sides and also preserued and led their carriage sate in dispite of the enemy The like was practised by Xenophon afterward in the last warlike action of the Grecians in their returne out of Persia He setteth downe the history after this manner Now was it time viz. after they had assaulted a fort in vaine the enemy of the country gathering head to thinke vpon a faire retreat and conueâ—ing the oxen and sheep they had taken and likewâ—se the slaues into a Plesium they quickly dismarched not so much esteeming their prey as fearing in case they left it behind their departure might seeme a plaine running away and the enemy gathâ—r heart the Grecian souldiers be discouraged So now they departed fighting as it were about the prey The Souldiers with Xenophon being shrewdl annoyed wiâ—h bowes slings cast themselues into a ring to the end to oppose their targets against the shot of the enemy and with much adoe passed the riuer Caicus the one halfe of them being wounded Agasias also the Stymphalian Captaine was hurt whilest hee maintained fight with the enemy during the whole retreat Yet they all returned safe to the Campe bringing with them about 200 slaues and sheepe enough for Sacrifice Here Xenophons souldiers figured themselues first into a Plesium couching their prey in the middest afterward being ouerlayed with the enemies shot they conuerted their Plesium into a Ring in which forme they tecouered their Came notwithstanding the molestation and often charging of a great multitude of horse and foot that were enemy and followed them Of the forme of Rings I finde not many examples amongst the Grecians the Romans vsed them often when they found themselues encompassed by the enemy as Vegetius hath and may bee seene in Caeâ—ars Commentaries And let thus be said of the foure manners of placing the carriage in a march Of the words of Command and certaine obseruations about them CHAP. LII LAst of all we will briefly repeate the words of direction if we admonish first that they ought to be short then that they ought to be without double signification For the Souldiers that in haste receiue direction had neede to take heede of doubtfull words lest one doe one thing and another the contrary As for the purpose If I say turne your face some it may be that heare me will turne to the right some to the left hand and so no small confusion follow Seeing therefore these words Turne your face import a generall signification and comprehend turning to the right or left hand we ought in stead of saying turne your face to the pike to pronounce it thus To your pike turne your face that is we ought to set the particular before and then inferre the generall for so will all doe alike together Like reason is if you say Turne about your face or countermarch for these are also generall words and therefore wee should doe well to set the particular before As to the pike turne your face about or to the target turne your face about Likewise the Lacedemonian Countermarch not the countermarch Lacedemonian For if you place the word countermarch first some of the Souldiers will happily fall to one kinde other to another kinde of countermarch For which cause words of double sence are to be auoided and the speciall to be set before the generall NOTES IF we admonish first that they ought to be short The ordering and motions of an army ought to be quickly performed the rather because the transmutations of the body and the occasions of them are sudden for the most part And therefore the meanes to worke the transmutations commanded these meanes are the words of direction ought to suite to the nature of the motions themselues and to be applyed to celerity by shortnesse of speach Short speach is better carried away and sooner put in execution then speech that is longer Yet is not such a shortnesse to bee affected as will bring with it obscurity according to the saying of the Poet Breuis esse laboro Obscurus fio I labour to be short and so become obscure And therefore I take the practice of French Commanders when they command Facing in these words A droie a gauche to the right to the left without adding face and likewise of the Netherlanders in imitation of the French Reehes om slinks om and of some English in these words To the right to the left not pronouncing the motion which is to be made to the hand appointed These I say I take to be without the warrant of reason and of all antiquity from which Aelian draweth this rule For the command of right and left alone sheweth that the Commander would haue a motion performed to the named hand but leaueth vncertaine what the motion should be so that albeit some souldiers fall to a countermarch some other to wheeling or to doubling or to facing they are to be reputed blamelesse and to haue performed that which their direction willed them to doe because the command was of mouing to the right or left hand onely not shewing what motion should be made to either hand Shortnesse therefore is required by Aelian but such a Shortnesse as