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
THE TACTIKS OF AELIAN Or art of embattailing an army after the Grecian manner Englished illustrated with figures throughout notes vpon the Chapters of the ordinary motions of the Phalange by I. B. The exercise military of the English by the order of that great Generall Maurice of Nassau Prince of Orange Gouernor Generall of the vnited Prouinces is added At London for Laurence Lisle are to be sold at his shoppe at the signe of the Tigers head in Paules Churche yarde The Peerlesse Macedon chvlde of triuÌ„phaÌ„t victâ—… Presents his armes his arte of warr G'fortuÌ„e vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 warre is a necessary schoole of necessary knowledge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gelius Sculpvt Woudrichemÿ in Hollandia MYâ—IFICENTIA REGIA 1715 GEORGIVS D.G. MAG BR VR ET â—â—â— REX FD. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY CHARLES ONLY SONNE OF HIS MAIESTY PRINCE OF Wales DVKE of Cornewall Yorke and Albany MARQVISE of Ormont EARLE of Chester and Ross LORD of Admanoch and KNIGHT of the most noble order of the Garter HOw much the Graecians excelled all other Nations in the Sciences called Liberall is better knowne in generall then needfull at this time particularly to be rehearsed to your Highnesse The Romans themselues albeit otherwise ambitious and out of measure thirsty of honour and challenging to themselues the highest degree of grauity constancie greatnesse of minde wisedome faith and skill of war contended not herein but freely left them the possession of that praise vnquestioned For warre it is not my purpose at this time to make comparison or commit the two Nations together The controuersie is already moued by other and hangeth vndecided in the Court of learning Thus much me thinks I may truly affirme that the Graecians were the first that out of variety of actions and long experience reduced the knowledge of Armes into an Arte and gaue precepts for the orderly mouing a Battaile and taught that the moments of victory rested not in the hands of multitudes but in a few men rightly instructed to manage armes and trained vp in the obseruation of the discipline of the field In which regard they had almost in all Cities amongst them Masters of Armes whom they called Tacticks which deliuered the Arte Military to such as were desirous to learne Out of whose Schooles issued those chiefs of warre in number so many in skill so exquisite in valor so peerelesse in all vertues beseeming great Generals so admirable that no Nation of Europe euen to this day hath been able to match much lesse to ouer-match their fame and glory And the time was when the Lacedemonians exceeded the rest in Martiall skill and were thought to be the best Souldiers of Greece by meanes whereof they aduanced themselues to the Principality of Greece which they held with such reputation that an enemie by the space of 500 yeares was not seene within their Territory Till at last growing insolent and surfeiting of and being not able to brooke their owne fortune they sought to oppresse and with wrong and force to possesse the City of Thebes and stirred vp Epaminond as a The ban by birth and from his tender yeares nourished by his fathers care in the study of Philosophy and the science of Armes to oppose against them who in two battailes the one at Leuctra the other at Mantinea so broke their forces that from that day forth they were neuer able to recouer their wonted authority and power in the field Philip the sonne of Amyntas King of Macedonia being but a priuate man was deliuered as a hostage to the Thebans brought vp in the same house and learning with Epaminond as He afterward became King of Macedonia which being of it selfe but a poore kingdome and before his time sometimes kept vnder by the Athenians sometimes by the Lacedemonians sometimes by the The bans finding it at his entrance to the Crowne harried and spoiled by the Paeonians and forced to pay tribute by the Illyrians by erecting a new arte and discipline of warre to which he exercised and enured his Macedonians he not only freed his Countrey from the Barbarous nations but also ouercame the Graecians accounted the only Masters of armes till that day and caused himselfe to be declared Generall of Greece against the Persians against whom after he had made his full preparation he resolued to go in person But being preuented by death he left the succession of his kingdom and execution of his designes to Alexander his sonne whom he had before curiously instructed in the discipline of Armes inuented by himselfe The same Alexander being about 20 yeares of age after he had vanquâ—shed Darius in 2 great battailes in 12 yeeres ran through and subiected the spacious rich and flourishing kingdomes of Asia euen as far as the East Indies and with terror of armes made the whole world to tremble at his name His kingdomes were after his death diuided amongst many Successors who by the same Arte military easily maintained the possession of their conquests This Arte is it that I at this time present vnto your Highnesse It was comprised in writing by many and yet none of their works attained our age but only that of Aelian who hath in a small volume so expressed the arte that nothing is more short nothing more linked together in coherence of precepts and yet distinguished with such variety that all motions requisite or to be vsed in a Battaile are fully expressed therin Aelian liued in the time of Adrian the Emperor How much the booke was of ancient time esteemed may appeare by this alone that Leo a succeeding Emperor setting downe Martiall instructions for the gouernment of his Empire transcribeth whole passages out of Aelian whensoeuer he citeth or nameth the Tacticks he giueth still the first place vnto Aelian How be it the practise of Aelians precepts hath long lien wrapped vp in darknes buried as it were in the ruines of time vntill it was reuiued restored to light not long since in the vnited Prouinces of the low Countries which Countries at this day are the Schoole of war whither the most Martiall spirits of Europe resort to lay downe the Apprentiship of their seruice in Armes and it was reuiued by the direction of that Heroicall Prince Maurice of Nassau Prince of Orange Gouernour and Generall of the â—aid Countries a Prince borne and bred vp in Armes and beside the completenes of his other eminent vertues for skill experience iudgement and military literature comparable to the greatest Generals that euer were I haue of late aduentured to take from Aelian his Greekish cloake and to put him in English apparell that in that habit he might attend your Highnesse and be ready with his seruice in case he were thought worthy of employment He had before for his Patron Adrian an Emperor and Ruler of the Roman world Now he humbly craueth your HIGHNESSE fauour for his protection who as in Princely descent and succession of Royall blood
besette with precious stones A sword hee had of wonderful temper lightnesse the gift of the Citiean King Hee wore a baudricke of prowder worke then the rest of his armour the work of the elder Elicon the honour of the Rhodian City And Cyrus the elder that liued before Alex. time had armes provided by his Grandfather Astyages both very faire fitte for his body Abradates the Susian king had his headpiece of gold vambraces and bracelets about his wrests a purple Coate and a plume of hyacinthine feathers Neither did this bravery rest emongest the Princes alone The souldiers of Cyrus were furnished with the same armes that Cyrus himselfe bore with scarlet coates Curaces of brasse brasse helmets white plumes swordes euery one a darte They differed onely in this that their armes were guilded Cyrus his armes shined had a reflexion as it were a looking glasse And Alexan. hearing of the riche armour the Indians bore to make his owne souldiers equall with thē in bravery whom they exceeded in valor caused theire targets to be plated over with silver whereof they were after called Argyraspides their horse-bittes to be made of gold adorned theire Curaces some with silver other with gold This might seeme pompe superfluity in a yong King were it not that the like was done by other the greatest Generals of auncient times Cesar may serue for an example for al whose souldiers how gallant and braue they were Plut. testifieth in his life The Romans otherwise much addicted to frugality allowed yet liberally ornaments to the honouring of worthy souldiers rewarding them for their service with rich trappings for horses chaines of gold bracelets crownes of gold other honors which they wore not only in the field but at al other solemnities meetings in the City And for every common souldier they provided plumes of purple or blacke fethers every one of a cubit long Of which plumes Polyb. giveth this iudgement Pluimes saith hee being added to the rest of the armour maketh a souldier seeme twice as great as hee is and beside the faire shewe they make they are terrible to the enemy in fight A man may seeme as light as a fether that discourseth of plumes fetcheth ornament from fethers Yet may I truely affirme that the vse of plumes is very auncient that the Romans borowed it from the Graecians and the Graecians from the Carians whoe were the first inventers of them As much is testified by Polyenus He saith that Tementhes K of Egypt going to the oracle of Ammon about the state of his kingdome had aunswer to beware take heed of Cockes Psammetichus that sought the kingdom had Pigretes a Carian to one of his familier friends learning of him that the Carians were the first that invēted Plumes to their helmets evē then continued the vse of them contecturing that the meaning of the Oracle was not of Cockes but of men that wearing some ornament on their heads had a resemblance of Cockes waged a multitude of Carians against Tementhes by whose help he overthrew Tementhes in battaile possessed himself of the crown of Egypt Now for the true end of souldiers ornaments I wil onely adde one example Philopoemen the Achaean in reforming the abuses crept into the Achaean State with great iudgement I will vse the wordes of Plutarch reduced to order theire delicacies superfluities It was not possible quite to take away the sicknesse of vain idle desires wherewith they had of long time been possessed delighting in excesse of apparaile in riche dyes of coverlets carpets striving one with another whoe should be most sumptuous in bankets feastings But by litle litle beginning to turne theire thoughts from vnnecessary expences to a loue of comelinesse in thinges that were profitable honest he brought them at last to leaue the expences of the body to shew themselues gallant braue in soldierly warlick furniture A mā might therfore haue seene the shoppes full of silver and golden cuppes cutte a pieces of curaces guilded with gold of silvered targets and bittes the places of exercise fraught with colts then first backed for service with yong gallāts managing their armes in the handes of women head-pieces adorned with divers-coloured trymmings horsemens coates and souldiers cloakes curiously embellished with flowers For the very sight of these things both encreaseth Spirit stirreth vp desire engendreth an vndaunted boldnesse and alacrity to daungers In other shewes to much lavashing bringeth in effeminatenesse worketh a remissenesse of minde the sence with vaine pleasings and ticklings subverting as it were the vigor and force of the vnderstanding But in these the Spirits are much heigthened and exalted As Homer bringeth in Achilles at the very sight of his newe armour ravished and inflamed with a desire to bee doing with it Thus garnishing the youth hee exercised hardened them to laboure and warlicke motions making them thereby to vndergoe with desire whatsoever they were commaunded So farre Plutarch Out of whose opinion it followeth that Bravery of armes raiseth the spirits stirreth vp desire to fight maketh the souldier bold and cherefull to perills and as Polybius holdeth pleaseth the sight encreaseth stature in shewe and is a terror to the enemy Yet ought there therein a meane to be sought rather an assuraunce followed then vaine gazing and ostentation Antiochus being to fight with the Romans gathered a mighty army together And seing them glitter with gold and silver and with all excesse of bravery as the manner of the Asiaticall people was tooke so great delight therein himself that calling Anniball vnto him hee shewed his troopes and demaunded if hee thought not that Army sufficient for the Romans yes quoth Anniball though they were the most covetous people in the world Anniball with good reason derided the vaine shewe fitter for a mask then a field which hee assured himselfe would fall into the Romans handes to bee spoiled Mithridates committed the like errour in his first warre against the Romans For as Sophisters are wont for the most parte saith Plutarch hee was in the beginning vaine glorious and conceited by prowde warring against the Romans with weake forces but yet sette out with pompe and bravery to the outward view But being foiled to his shame and weighing in his minde he must take vp second armes against them he sought to reduce his forces to a true kinde of arming fitte for the service he intended Reiecting therefore multitudes and confased threatnings of barbarians and furnitures of armes guilded and sette with precious stones as being a pray for the conqueror and noe assurance for him that weares them hee brought in the Roman swords and caused long heavy targets to bee framed and chose horses rather that were already managed and made fitte for service then those that were richly trapped and garnished So
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
the light armed and shutt them vp with in theire battels themselues kneeling vpon one knee hâ—ld out theire targets before the second rankes with theire targets covered the heads and vpperparts of the foremost the following rankes did the like one for another the figure was like the tyling of a house represented a shew worth the seeing and was the surest defence that might bee to make the arrowes glaunce of without harme doing The Parthians imagining this kneeling proceeded from wearinesse and faintnesse layed aside their bowes and taking in hand theire launces ranne vppon the Romans whoe giuing a iointe showte sprung vp presently and striking them with their darts slewe the first and put the rest to flight By these two testimonies the launce of the Cataphract is clearly proved In what manner the Cataphracts came to fight Nazarius cited by Stewechius sheweth plainely in a Panegyrick of his The Cataphracts saith hee in whomâ— was the principall strength of the field vse this discipline in charging After closing theire files they keepe an equalitie in moving forward to charge being free from wounds they break without difficulty any strength of battel opposed against them They are saide to bee free from wounds because both themselves horses especially before are covered with sure armes Theire moving must be slow because of the weight of theire armes which slownesse was recompenced with the violence of theire charge which neither horse nor foote was able to resist And yet they had another incoÌ„venience in that being overthrowne or slipping or falling to the ground neither horsâ—â—or man were able easily to raise themselues againe Such was the weight of theire armo 14. Launciers are such Launciers saith Aelian ioine with the enemy fight hand to hand with the launce And did not the Cataphracts so They did but theire armour differed much The Cataphracts both horse and man were all over armed The horse of the Launciers was not armed and himselfe albeit hee were armed yet not so armed but that many parts of his body were bare of armes And his armour came much short of the compleate Arrian saith that the Macedonians being launciers were not able to encounter with the Scythians whoe were Cataphracts both because of theire number and also of theire manner of arming And as the Launciers armour was not so â—eauie as the Compleate so was it more heauie then the armour of the foote Xenophon seemeth to signifie so much telling of himselfe that taking the targetiers of the front and some out of the midst of the hollow square battaile and three-hundred chosen men that Cherisophus had with him in the front hee marched away with all speed to seise vpon the toppe of a certaine hill And exhorting his souldiers to haste you may well quoth Sotridas the Sâ—cionian talke of haste that are on horseback I in the meane time with this heauie target am scarce able to marche Xenophon hearing this streight dismounted and disranking â—otridas tooke away his target and with it on his shoulder continued his hast in marching By chance hee had on at that time a horsemans armour where with although he were overpressed yet slacked hee nothing of his pace The rest of the souldiers beating and reviling Sotridas compelled him both to his target and place againe At last they gained the hill they purposed and made the enemie abandon the nether ground Xenophon was 〈◊〉 overpressed with the horsemans armour If it had beene but equall in weight with a foote mans hee might as well haue endured it as the rest Plutarch sheweth likewise the weight of the horsemans armour Philopaemen saith hee willing yet to giue more strength to the Kings party hee meaneth Antigonus the gardian of Phillip afterward King of Macedonia to come to hands with the enemy that was already in route lighted from his horse and in a horsmans Curace and heauie armour wrestling hardly and laboriouslye on foote with the ground that was rough full of brooks ditches hee was strooken through the thighes with a darte the stroke beinge not daungerors but forceble so that the head passed through both his thighes Hence both the heavinesse of the Launciers furniture may bee seen and that Philopoemens thighes were vnarmed through both which at once hee was wounded with a darte And so the Launcier not so surely armed as the Cataphract The armes that the Launcier bore are described by Polybius speaking of the armes of the Roman horsemen who writeth thus The armour of theire horsemen is at this day like the Graecian Of old they had noe curaces but fought in short gownes girded to them By reason whereof they were ready actiue to alight from and gett vp quickly on theire horses But their fight was daungerous with the enemy because they wanted armes Theire staues had two incommodities For being made slender and quivering they neither could touche the mark they aymed at and most of them shaken with the motion of the horse fell out to bee broken before the head touched or fastened vpon any thing Ioyne that having no iron point at the butt end they served but for one stroke onely and that at the first And yet the head being broken of the remnant of the staffe was of noe vse The targets they had were made of oxe-hyde in forme like to cakes named Popanae which are vsed in sacrifices And they were neither fitte to encounter the enemy by reason they had noe stiffnesse or fastnesse in resistance and being resolved and soked or putrified with raine they could not bee any thing worthe Finding these inconveniences by experience they quickly chaunged for the Graecian armour In which the first stroke of the head of the staffe is certeyne and worketh the designed effect by reason of the forme which is not quivering but stiffe and sturdy likewise turning foreward the butte end which is armed with a sharpe point they might therewith fasten a sound and forcible blowe vpon the enemy The like may be said of the Targets which both in charging and defending haue a sure vnfailable vse Which they noe sooner saw then imitated For the Romans if any other nation are good to change their fashions and to choose that which is best wheresoever they finde it The Launcier then had a Curace a head-piece a launce and a sword for his armes and this was generall in Launciers but some had besides a target and were therefore called targetiers The Launciers were called in greeke Doratophoroi or Xestophoroi two seuerall appellations in shewe but signifieng in deed but one thing the one being derived from the matter the other from the forme of the launce Doru as I said before signifieth wood and because all the Launciers armes excepting the launce were of other matter then wood the launce was called Doru of the wood and the Launciers Doratophoroi As for Xyston or Xeston for they signify one thing it commeth of the verbe Xuo
governed so is it in matter of warre Further as his skill so his valour ought to bee most that his example may incourage and incite the rest Which is the cause that other commaunders also are placed in front and in the eye of the souldiers that theire valour forwardnes may bread an honest emulation in the souldiers to doe as they doe Besides the first place is most beseeming him that best deserveth and the more valiant a man is the more hee desireth to shewe it in the face of the enemy thereby to winne himself honor and reputation Furthermore hee may doe best service in the front by entring into the enemies battaile and making way for the rest Not vnlike a sworde whose edge maketh speedy passage into the thing it cutteth and draweth after it the rest of the iron bee it never so blunt In the front the ranke of the file leaders giue the push to gaine the field Which reason I thinke lead Gorgidas the first institutor of the Theban Hieros Lochos not to make an entire troupe thereof apart but to place it man by man in the first ranke of the Phalange Lastly the sight of the file leaders being the choice of the armie both for stature and resolution for so Aelian would haue them breads a terrour in the minde of the enemy Who seeing such gallants in the front haue cause to imagine that the rest of the armie which they see not is like to those they see And being never so valiant they had rather haue to doe with weake and relenting then stout and resolute adversaries As at the battaile of Cannae Annibal answered one that brought him newes that the Consull had commanded the horse men to alight and fight one foote how much rather would I quoth hee hee had delivered them bound into my hands I haue heard many hold opinion that the manner of the Graecians to bring theire best men first to fight is contrary Cap. 5. The ordering of a File 4 Enomoty 3 Enomoty 2 Enomoty 1 Enomoty Dimerites 2 Dimery or half File 1 Dimery or half File the File-header the birnger up and 4 Enomotarcha 2 leader 1 follower 1 leader 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower 3 Enomotarcha 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower 2 Enomotarcha 2 follower 2 leader 1 follower the Fileader and first Enomotarcha to the institution of the Romans who held the Triarij theire eldest and best souldiers in the rear and brought them not to ioyne till both the Hastati and Principes were beaten or retired But if wee consider the diuersity of both theire embattailings wee shall see noe great difference or at lest wee shall see that the reason of placing their-best men was not much different The Graecians in framing theire foure-fold Phalange made in length an even front of a 1024. files The files were 16. deepe and the best men therefore in front because being placed in the midst or in the reare there would haue beene no vse of theire valour and the Phalange might haue beene broken before it had come to theire turnes to fight The Romans contrary-wise in ordering a Legion made many maniples and gaue the front to the Hastati the middest to the Principes the reare to the Triarij Nowe the Triarij being ordered in the Reare might at the beginning bee brought to fight in Front if need were being noe need they kept theire place till their Generalls found it fitt to call vpon them So then this is the difference The File-leaders of the Graecians had the Front because otherwise in so deep a body as the Phalange was they could not haue come to fight The Triarij might alwayes haue beene imployed in Front in flanke or in the reare as pleased the Generall And that the Romans also in theire seuerall Maniples placed theire best men in Front I cannot doubt There stood the Centurions which were the leaders of the Maniples and in reason were to bee seconded with the hest men vnder theire commaund C. Crastinus may serue for an example whoe being noe Centurion but an Evocate in the battaile of Pharsaly betwixt Caesar Pompey bidde his Manipulers they were of the Maniple which hee once commaunded to followe him and said hee would make his Generall giue him thanks aliue or dead Yet must I confesse that the front was not the proper place of the Evocates But hee chose the front and held it a place worthy of his valour It is said of Catiline that when hee fought with C. Antonius hee placed in the front of his army all the chosen Centurions and Evocates and besides of common souldiers such as were best armed Livy speaking of a fight betwixt the Romans and the Latines and describing the forme of the Roman battaile after hee had limited the place of the Hastati Principes writeth thus of the Triarij After the ensignes hee meaneth the Standards of the Legions not the Ensignes of Maniples were ten other Maniples whereof every one had three Ensignes The first Ensigne led the Triarij ould souldiers of tryed valor the next the Rorarij not soe well esteemed for strength in either age or deeds the third the Accensi a troupe of lest trust which was the cause that they were cast in the reare The Accensi were put in the reare because there was noe great opinion of theire valor the Triarij had the front because they were ould souldiers and had beene sufficiently tryed Soe then in dividing of their armie into small bodies or battailions the Romans differed from the Graecians in placing the best men of theire maniples in front they observed the same manner that the Graecians did in placing theire file-leaders in the first ranke of the Phalange 2 A verse I haue translated stichos a verse The more vsuall signification is a rowe of any thing placed orderly Soe Xenophon applieth it to trees which were planted orderly one after another and Eustathius to the standing of dâ—uncers one after another in depth even as our souldiers are placed one after another in file Iulius Pollux also acknowledgeth that there were files and ranks in Choro that is in daunces vppon the stage But Suidas saith it was commonly taken for a line which was read from the left to right hand And to say the truth a verse as wee read at this day and as they read when Aelian wrote this treatise rather resembleth a ranke then a fiâ—e because in a ranke men stand side to side as words doe being placed in a line Yet because the word is received by vse in that other sence wee must like wise admitte the same 3 A decury This in Greeke Aelian calleth Decania a word which in this sence I find in no other Author then in him and in Suidas Xenophon calleth it Decas soe doeth Vrbicius and Arrian and likewise Hesychius Leo calleth it decarchian and Akian 4 An Enomotie The word cometh from
said are the files of the Phalange But if the conueniency be obserued it will not seeme impertinent For all the Leaders being in front therefore are they called Leaders because they precede and the rest follow it makes both a gallant shew and that rancke being as it were the edge of our battaile not only serues to hew a sunder and rent a pieces the forces of our enemie But also standeth as an assured bulwarke of defence before the rest of the Armie that followeth And it is well noted by Leo that the multitude of Commanders in orderly diuisions both signifies that there are many worthy and valiant men in the armie And is a meanes to keep the Souldiers in greater obedience and to giue vndoubted effect to all directions Of what qualitie and disposition those Leaders ought to be you may see in the fourth Chapter of Leos Tactickes Onely I will adde that as they are higher in dignity so ought they in vertue and valour exceede those that are vnder their command 1 A Dilochy Consists of two files for so signifies the word Dilochia and the Leader is called a Dilochite 2 A Tetrarchy Of foure files and the Leader is called a Tetrach one that hath the command of foure files And here I must once more admonish that in the words of diuers signification we must not weigh what is the proper signification but how they are vsed in this Art and booke For the word Tetrarch signifieth sometimes a King as Hesychius hath and Deiotarus in Tully is called a Tetrarch and Herode in the Gospell who both are commonly knowne for Kings Thessaly likewise was diuided into 4. Principalities Thessaliotis Pthiotis Pelasgiotis and Astiotis whereof euery one was named a Tetrarchy Onely the difference is that a Tetrarch being a King or a Gouernour signifies him that hath the gouernment of the fourth part of the land for a Tetrarchy is the gouernment of the fourth part But a Tetrarchy in Aelian signifies a body military consisting of foure parts 4. files and the Tetrarch commands not ouer one alone but ouer all the 4. parts 3 A Taxis As the word Tetrarchy is diuersly taken so is Taxis likewise For sometimes it imports Order in a generall signification as I noted before Sometimes the order of a battaile sometimes a company of any kinde of Souldiers foote or horse as Taxis Peltastarum Taxis Equitum Sometimes a single Phalange as in Arrian mention is made of Taxis Ooeni Taxis Perdiccae and Taxis Meleagri c. who were Phalangarches as the story sheweth i Sometimes for all the armed as Taxis Phalangitarum Sometimes a rancke of men standing embattailed as in Thucidides who discribing the battell of the Lacedemonians saith the front which he calleth the first rancke teen proteen Taxin consisted of 448. But in a more speciall signification it is taken for a band of Souldiers And in that signification the number varieth In Xenophon it comprehendeth a hundred men What the number of the Athenian Taxis was I finde not deliuered by any Writer That they had Taxiarchs Polyenus sheweth plainely And if a man with leaue might gesse I would imagine their Taxis consisted of 250 men For I finde in the same place of Polyenus that they had Chiliarchies Pentecosiarchies Taxies and Lochagies I haue before shewed that Lochos in Xenophon is made sometimes of aboue 100. men Out of which may be inferred with probability that Taxis being the next degree aboue the Lochagie hath the double number or more The rather because a Chiliarchy hauing in it a 1000. the Penticosiarchy must haue 500. and by likelihood the Taxis 250. as being the next office vnder the Pentecosiarchy But whatsoeuer the Taxis of the Athenians or of other people was Aelian maketh his Taxis vp with 128 men and 8. files which is a double number to the Tetrarchy With whom Suidas agreeth giuing 2. Tetrarchies to a Taxis and saith it consists of 128 men The Commander of the Taxis is called a Taxiarch as the Commander of the Tetrarchy is a Tetrarch Here I am to note by the way that the Interpreter of Xenophon translateth Taxiarcha the Commander of a Cohort wher 's Taxis in the straighter signification cannot be taken for a Cohort because a Cohort differeth much in number hauing in it at the least 500. and odde men where the Taxis when it is greatest hath no more then 128. And Polybius saith plainely that spira is the Greeke word that fully expresseth the Romane Cohort 4 A Syntagma The word commeth of Syntasso or Syntatto to place together and a Syntagma is a body compounded of many parts artificially put together But it may be taken for anybody in the armie Diodorus reports of Dionysius the elder That after he had diuided his whole Armie which had in it 30000 into three parts he imployed two against the Carthaginian Campe in diuers manner himselfe tooke the Syntagma or third part which consisted of mercenary Souldiers and led against that quarter of the campe which had the Engins Aelian also vseth the word diuerslie For he calles the whole armie by the name of Syntagmata in the plurall number and sometimes Syntagma in the singular And further giues the same name to a file Suidas likewise discribing the length of a Phalange saith it is the first rancke Syntagma of file Leaders which stretcheth forth in a right line from winge to winge Whereby appeareth that which the Logitians affirme which I touched before that there are more things then names of things And that fit names cannot be giuen to all The names that haue beene giuen by antiquity to expresse the seuerall bodies of the Phalange are to be reteined by vs as proper enough to signifie the thing they meant Neither are we to vary from them vnlesse we our selues can inuent better The Syntagma that Aelian here mentioneth is framed of two Taxies that is of 16. files of 256 men The Commander of it is named a Syntagmatarch And where he addeth it is called of some a Xenagy we are to vnderstand that Xenagos was he amongst the Grecians that had the command of a band of strangers as he that leuied strangers was called Xenologos and the band it selfe was called a Xenagy Why the Syntagma should haue the appellation of Xenagy I cannot diuine vnlesse the reason were because it was about the number wherof strangers made their companies that serued amongst the Graecians And I thinke and shall till better information that the body of the light armed called a Xenagy mentioned hereafter had that name likewise for the same reason Now of all the bodies in this Chapter mentioned there is none that commeth so neere the companies vsed at this day as doth the Syntagma for excepting that our numbers differre and are in diuers places more or lesse the offices of each are alike You haue in
aboue an other Out of this rule of proportion Aelian deriueth the giuing equalitie of strength in the Leaders to euery bodie in the Phalange For Leaders and Commanders are or ought at least to bee chosen by worth and valour and the preferments of the feild haue beene held the due reward of vertue Say then the Phalangarchs are preferred to their places according to their worth and that the first Phalangarchs is most worthy the second next him the third next the fourth least deseruing of the foure If you should place them as their worth is in a rancke successiuely one after an other the best before the first Phalangarchie in the right wing the second before the next Phalangarchie in the same wing and leaue the other two Phalangarch's to command the left wing the disproportion would bâ— great the third and fourth not being able to match the worth of the first and second But if you place the best Phalangarch before the first Phalangarchie on the right wing the second before the second Phalangarchie of the left wing the third Phalangarch next him before the third Phalangarchie on the left wing toward the middle Section the fourth before the fourth Phalangarchie of the right wing toward the same Section the valours of the Commanders will be equall in both winges For as in the number 1. 2. 3. 4. one and 4. make 5 as many as is made by ioyning 2 and 3 together so the worth of the fourth Phalangarch ioyned to the worth of the first will arise as high in true valuation as the worths of the second and third ioyned together And where the Phalangarchie on the left corner of the left wing is called the second and the next Phalangarchie standing in the same wing the third it is to be vnderstood that it is second in dignitie not in succession of number for the fourth Phalangarchie in dignitie standeth in place and number next the first and the second Phalangarchie hath the last place of the whole Phalange Their places then are after this manner according to Aelian 2 b f c 3 g 4 d e a 1 For the vnderstanding whereof you are to note that a signifieth the first Phalangarchie b the second Phalangarchie c the third Phalangarchie d the fourth Phalangarchie e the Section of the right winge f the Section of the left winge g the middle Section 1 the place of the first Phalangarch 2 the place of the second Phalangarch 3 the place of the third Phalangarch 4 the place of the fourth Phalangarch 2 The Leaders of the Merarchies As the Phalangarchs so are all the other Commanders of the seuerall bodies placed by foure and the same obseruation to be had of the dignities of the place that was in the Phalangarchs and these 4 Merarchies for Aelian speaketh of no more than 4 must stand thus P 2 M 2 M 3 P 3 P 4 M 4 M 1 P 1 P standeth for Phalangarchs M for Merarchs Robertellus confesseth he findeth these Merarchs so placed in a written booke and it is the true placing The figures he setteth downe out of his owne wit as he termeth it carry with them no sauour of Aelians proportion Patricius likewise seemeth to haue mistaken this proportion in the figures he hath set downe of which not one is right I will referre the Reader to their bookes admonishing him onely of the mistaking But Aelian placeth here but 4 Merarchs what order shall be for the other foure I haue alwaies thought Aelian defectiue in this place neither could I hitherto finde any man that hath brought light to cleare the doubt Patricius that purposely discourseth of this place of Aelian speaketh of bestowing 4 Merarchs onely as though the rest were to be throwne away from the Phalange Robortellus seeking to bestow all 8 bestoweth them indeed but not according to Aelians proportion which notwithstanding he would seeme to follow His figure is this P. 1. M. 8. M. 4. M. 3. M. 6. P. 3. P. 4. M. 5. M. 2. M. 1. M. 7. P. 2. The right wing The Middle The left wing The proportion is his as I said and not Aelians For Aelian placed the first Merarch in the right wing he placeth him in the left Aelian the second in the second Phalangarchie he in the fourth Aelian the third in the left wing he in the right Aelian the fourth in the fourth Phalangarchie he in the first The rest are so iumbled together as though any thing else had beene sought for rather than proportion I take not vpon mee to over-rule any doubt but if amongst the rest I enterpose mine opinion I hope I shall not incurre iust blame Thus then seeing Aelians meaning is by evenesse and worth of number of both wings to finde out the worth of the Commanders of both if I so distribute them that the number of the one side shall counterballance the number of the other I cannot much stray from Aelians meaning The figure following will doe it P. 1. M. 5. M. 1. M. 4. M. 8. P. 4. P. 3. M. 7. M. 3. M. 2. M. 6. P. 2. The right wing The Middle The left wing In this figure I haue obserued precisely the place that Aelian gaue to the 4 Merarchs The first standeth on the left hand of the first Phalangarch the second on the right hand of the second Phalangarch the third on the left hand of the third Phalangarch the 4th on the right hand of the 4th Phalangarch The rest I haue added and diuided according the placing of the first So that the number that ariseth of the addition of both wings is alike and the proportion held In all the rest of the bodies where there is a Command ouer 4 the keeping of the proportion hath no difficulty So euery Phalangarch commandeth ouer 4 Chiliarchs euery Merarch ouer 4 Pentecosiarchs euery Chiliarch ouer 4 Syntagmatarchs euery Pentecosiarch ouer 4 Taxiarchs euery Syntagmatarch ouer 4 Tetrarchs euery Taxiarch ouer 4 Dilochites euery Tretarch ouer 4 files In all which the Commander which hath the right hath the first place he that hath the point of the left hand the second place he that standeth on the right hand next to him the third place the last place is his who standeth next to the Commander of the right point on the left hand And for the place of the Phalangarchs and of 4 of the Merarchs and the file-leaders and of the Tetrarchs they are laid out by Aelian The rest appeare by these and are to be squared by the same rule of proportion as Aelian admonished The distances to be obserued betweene Souldier and Souldier in opening and shutting the Phalange CHAP. XI WE are now to speake of distances both in length and depth betwixt Souldier and Souldier as they stand ordered in Battaile The distances vary in three sorts For first they are placed in thinner distance for some speciall causes And a Souldier so placed taketh vp 1 4 cubits But in 2 Densation or closing
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
by force some by feare he came before Rhage and besieged it He found the siege longer and more difficult then any man would haue thought And the enemy made his resistance that way the Consull would hardly haue beleeued he could For he imagined that all his labour should be in throwing downe the walls If once he found passage for the Army to enter there would after be nothing else but flight and slaughter as is wont in wonne-Cities But after that part of the wall was throwne downe with the Ramme and the Armie entred the Citie by the breach it was the beginning of a new and fresh labour For the Macedonians that were there in Garrison being many and chosen thinking it also a glory to them if they could defend the Citie rather with armes and valor than with walles serring themselues close together in a deepe Phalange when they perceiued that the Romans began to enter the breach droue them out the place being cumbersome and hard to make a retreat The Consul much offended therewith and thinking that shame concerned not only the delay of winning one Citie but also the state of the whole warre which for the most part dependeth vpon moments of small matters purging the place which was heaped vp with the fall of the halfe-ruined wall aduanced a Tower which in many stories was stuffed with multitudes of armed men and sent besides Cohorts vnder their Ensignes to breake with maine force if it were possible the body they call it the Phalange of the Macedonians But the kinde of weapons and fight was more aduantagious for the enemy than for the Romans especially in that place which was narrow and streightned with the small space of the ouerthrowne wall When the Macedonians serring themselues close had charged pikes of a great length before their front and the Romans after their darts throwne in vaine against the Iestudo compacted as it were of the thicke knitting together of the Targets had drawne their swords they could neither come vp close nor cut a sunder the pikes And in case they cut the heads of or broke any the steale amongst the rest of the whole pikes filled vp the roome with their sharpe fragments Ioyne that that part of the wall which was yet whole secured the enemies flankes on both sides neither needed they much ground in retiring or advancing to charge which things are wont to cause the breach of array There also fell out a chance which increased their hopes and spirits For the Tower being driuen on vpon a rampier that was not well rammed vnderneath but had loose earth one of the wheeles sinking deeper into the ground than the rest made the Turret to nodd lie of one side that both the enemy beleeued it would fall and they within it were put in a pitifull feare When nothing succeeded well the Consull was euill appaide that the Macedonian souldiers and kinde of Armes might seeme matcheable to his and seeing no great hope of speedy winning the Citie and that the place was vnfit to winter in raised his siege So here the Macedonian souldier is not onely equalled but also preferred before the Roman and that onely by reason of his armour the Pike and Target An other experience fell out in the battaile betwixt Perseus and Aemilius whereof I spake in this Chapter The storie is this The Romans comming to ioyne battell with the Macedonians and not able to come vp to them by reason of the length and ioint out-bearing of their pikes There was one Salius a Captaine of Pelignans who tooke the Ensigne of his Company from the Ensigne-bearer and threw it into the Macedonian Phalange The Pelignans ranne in heapes to the place for it is not lawfull nor honest for the Italians to forsake their Ensignes where the medley brought forth wonderfull effects For the Pelignans fought with swords to put by the pikes and to presse them downe with their Targets And seazing vpon them to pull them out of the handes of the Macedonians The Macedonians contrary-wise maintaining their charge with both hands and striking such as approached neare thorough the bodies armes and all neither Target nor Curace being able to sustaine the violence of the blow turned topsy-turuy the bodies of the Pelignans who not with reason but with the rage of wilde beasts threw themselues desperately vpon wounds and vpon certaine and fore seene death So the formost falling the followers began to slacke And yet they sled not but retired to the mount called Olacrus I will out of Appian ioyne a third experience in the battaile of Antiochus against L. Scipio which I likewise touched before in this Chapter As soone as the Horse and Chariots of Antiochus were put to flight by the Roman horsemen and by Eumenes his Phalange of foote being destitute of horse first opened and receiued the light-armed that had all this while fought in the front into the middest of it Then after-ward againe closed And when Domitius Scipio's Lieutenant incompassed it round with horse and light-armed which he might easily doe by reason it was thrust vp into a thicke Plinthium it was driuen to great distresse being neither able to charge the enemy nor yet to countermarch in so great depth as it carried It grieued them much that their long experience nothing auailed them to annoy the enemy and that notwithstanding they were subiect to arrowes and darts at all hands Yet bearing out a multitude of pikes on euery side of their square they called the Romans to come to handy blowes and still made a countenance as though they meant to charge keeping themselues for all that within their Ranks as being footmen and heauy armed and the rather because they had to doe with an enemy on horse-backe Besides they were loth to breake the thicknes of their battaile which forme they could not now alter The Romans also durst not approach them and come to sword fearing their experience in warre and closenesse of array and desperation But running about here and there plied them with arrowes and darts whereof none was throwne in vaine falling amongst a troupe so closely put vp together that they could neither auoide and decline any thing throwne nor giue way albeit they saw it comming At last being weary and irresolute what to doe they retired easily with a threatning countenance notwithstanding and in good order and not deliuering the Romans of feare who durst not yet come neare but sought to annoy them aloofe till the Elephants placed in the Macedonian Phalange being affrighted and not to be ruled by their Gouernours troubled all and gaue occasion of flight hitherto Appian Out of these three examples the truth of that which Aelian saith is to be seene that is that the Macedonian Phalange can not be forced or resisted by an enemy taking with all Polybius his caution if it be in the right posture and figure and haue such ground as is fit The Romans the best souldiers of all
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
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
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
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 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