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
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-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-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
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-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-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-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-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-file-Leader be the first The Choraean is when the file-file-Leader turning about toward the Pike or Target precedeth the file and the rest follow till the file-file-Leader haue the place of the Bringer-vp and the Bringer-vp the place of the file-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
bringers-vp The words of Command may be these For the Macedonian Countermarch by file File-leaders turne your faces about to the right or left hand The rest of euery File passe thorow in order one after another and place your selues at your distances after your Leaders turning your faces about and so stand For the Lacedemonian Countermarch by file The first manner Bringers-vp turne your faces about to the right or left hand The rest turne your faces about and beginning at them that are next to the Bringers-vp countermarch and place your selues in your distances before the Bringers-vp and one before an other till the File-leaders be first The second manner File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and let euery mans file follow him and keepe true distance For the Choraean countermarch by file File-leaders countermarch to the place of the Bringers-vp and stand and let your files follow you keeping their distance For the Macedonian countermarch by ranke The right or left hand corner file turne your faces to the right or left hand The rest of each ranke passe thorough to the right or left hand and place your selues orderly behind your side-men keeping your distance Cap 29 Dobling of Rankes The front before Dobling of rankes Dobling of rankes in action The front after Dobling of Rankes For the Lacedemonian countermarch by ranke The first manner The corner file where the enemy appeareth turne your faces to the right or left hand The rest of ech rankes turne your faces and passe thorough to the right or left hand and place your selues before your side-men orderly keeping your distances The second manner The right or left wing where the enemy appeareth not countermarch to the contrary wing and all in the Ranks follow euery man his side-man keeping your distance For the Choraean countermarch by ranke The vttermost corner file of the right or left wing countermarch into the place of the left or right winge and stand And the rest follow ranke-wise keeping their distance Of doubling and the kindes thereof CHAP. XXIX 1 THere are two kinds of doubling one of Rankes the other of Depth or files and 2 either of these double the number or the place 3 The length is doubled in number when of a front of 124 files we make a front keeping the same ground of 248 files by inserting in the spaces betwixt file and file some of the followers that stood in the depth This is done to the end to thicken the length of the battaile If we lift to recall them to their first posture we are to command those that were inserted to countermarch to the place they had before 4 There are that mislike these doublings especially the enemy being at hand and would haue a shew of doubling made without indeed doubling the Phalange already ordered by stretching out the light-armed and the Horse on both sides of the wings of the Battaile 5 The vse of doubling the length is when either we would ouer-wing the enemy or else our selues feare to be ouer-winged The Depth is doubled 6 by inserting the second file into the first so that the Leader of the second file be placed next behind the Leader of the first file and the second man of the second file be the fourth man of the first file and the third man of the second file be the sixt in the first file and so forth the rest till the whole second file be ingrossed into the first and likewise the fourth file into the third and all the euen files into the odde Doubâ—ing of the Depth by Countermarch is made either when the next side-files in seuerall as in the former example the second and the fourth and the rest of the euen files countermarch to the Reare and place themselues behind the Bringers-vp of the odde files or else the files remayning in their first place and number halfe of them diuiding themselues from the other halfe countermarch likewise to the Reare and conveying themselues behind the other there order themselues and so double the depth of the Phalange If we would returne them to the first posture we must recall those that were conveyed to stand behind to the place they had before the Countermarch Notes THE former three Motions alter not the forme of the Phalange For whether you turned faces wheeled or countermarched the Phalange the depth and length remained one The motion to be expressed in this Chapter induceth an other shape to the Phalange and maketh it seeme a different body from that it was before being by Doubling extended either in length or in depth For Doubling the number of men or the place of the Phalange in front maketh the length twise as much and doubling the same in flanke maketh the depth double to that it was before For Doubling is nothing else then making a military body twise as long or twise as deepe as it was before 1 There are two kindes of doubling The Doublings are either of length or depth Or which is all one as Suidas saith of ranks or files For ranks stretch out in length files in depth And these againe are diuided into two other kinds the body being 2 Doubled in number or place That which is here called number is called elsewhere persons or by Suidas men It is called persons in the Insertion which is made to Aelian I know not by whom in the precedent Chapter of Countermarches Which because it lay thrust in betwixt the description of Countermarches and nothing perteined to that argument I neuer made doubt was crept into the text And I am rather confirmed in my opinion because I saw it noteâ— with an Asteriske in that Aelian being of Robortellus Edition which the learned Isaack Casaubon had quoted and purposed to set forth if vntimely dâ—ath had not prâ—vented him I will here set downe the words because they differ not much from Aelian and may giue some light to the manner of Doubling It is to be vnderstood so are the words â—hat a Phalange is doubled in persons or place when we therefore take halfe the souldiers from the Depth and making files of them place them euen with the rest in length of the front so that of 124 files we make 248 this is Doubling of persons In like sort we double the place with 124 files not increasing the number but onely commanding some to turne to the Pike some to the Target till the Phalange be stretched out to a convenient length as from 5 furlongs to 10. In the same manner is the depth doubled For either one file is inserted into an other man for man so that the second File-leader becomes the follower of the first and the second man in the second file the follower of the second in the first file and so the rest Or else 16 men are so extended that they hold as much ground in length as 32 vsuallydoe So farre the insertion It followeth in Aelian 3 The length is doubled in
three-fold gate or doore How the motions of wheeling double and treble wheeling of the battaile are to be made CHAP. XXXII IT followeth to shew how a battaile may be turned or wheeled and how after reduced to the first posture or Station Cap. 30. Plagiophalanx or the Brode-Fronted Phalange Orthiophalanx or the Herse Protaxis or forefronting The Front Lâ—â—halanx or the vneven fronted Phalange Cap. 31. Hypotaxis or double-winging Entaxis or insertion Protaxis or forefronting Cap. 32. The manner of wheeling The first posture Closing of files Closing of rankes forward The Front But in case we desire to wheele to the left hand we command the left-hand-file to stand still and all the rest to turne their faces to the left hand and mooue forward close vp to the left hand file Then to turne their faces as they were Then to gather vp the hinder rankes Then to wheele the battaile to the left hand and stand and so is it done that was commanded But if restitution to the first posture be needfull we must doe as we did in returning from the right For euery man must turne about his face to the Pike Then the whole battaile wheeling about the left-hand-corner-file-left-hand-corner-file-Leader must returne to the place it had Then all the file-Leaders stand firme and turne about their faces and the rest open their rankes in mouing forward and make Alte Then the left hand file is to stand firme for it hath the place it first had and the rest turning their faces to the right hand to open their files and moue forward till they haue recouered their first distances then to turne their faces as at first and so shall euery man be in his first posture Now if we would wheele the battaile about to the pike we are to make 2 wheelings to the same side so will it come to passe that the file-Leaders shall in the change haue their faces turned to the Reare where before they had them looking out from the front But in restoring to the first posture we command it to wheele about to the right hand That is we giue it two wheelings more the same way So the file-Leaders will haue their faces set as at first Then we command the file-Leaders to stand firme and the rest to open their rankes behind then to turne their faces about Then the right hand file to stand still for it hath the right place and the rest turning their faces to the right hand to march on till the former distances are regained then to make Alte. So is the battaile reduced to the first Station If you would haue the battaile turne about to the Target you are to giue contrarie directions That is in stead of commanding a double wheeling to the Pike to command a double wheeling to the Target Then by making two turnes the contrary way to vse the like changes we spake of before There is likewise a treble wheeling of the battaile when it turneth thrice to the same hand namely to the Pike or Target The double wheeling to the Pike transferreth the Souldiers face from the front to the backe of the battaile The treble wheeling to the Pike bringeth his face to the left flanke The treble wheeling to the Target contrariwise to the right flank Notes BEfore in the 26 Chapter Aelian discoursed of wheeling and the kindes thereof The manner how it is to be done is reserued for this place I neede not therefore remember any thing else besides the words of command The words of command in Epistrophe The vttermost file on the right or left hand stand firme The rest turne faces to the side purposed and march vp to the file standing firme Faces as you were Close your rankes forward Wheele the body to the hand appointed and when you haue your ground stand Returning to the first Posture or Anastrophe Faces to the right or left hand Wheele backe the body to the ground it first had File-Leaders stand firme the other rankes open to their first place Faces about to which hand you will The corner file to which the turning was stand firme the rest open to their first ground Faces as you were and order your Pikes Perispasmos or wheeling about In wheeling about the same wordes to close the files and rankes are to bee vsed which were vsed in Epistrophe there remaineth no more then to say Wheele about your body to the right or left hand Anastrophe or returning to the first Posture Returne to your first Posture The same forme is vsed that was held in the former returning vnto the first posture for opening rankes and files Ecperispasmos or treble wheeling In this motion the same course is held that was in the wheeling But only that you command a treble wheeling And the returning to the first Posture or Anastrophe is all one but for the same difference Of closing the battaile to the right or left hand or to the middest CHAP. XXXIII Cap â—â— Of Changes The front after closing Closing to the right hand in action Closing to the left hand Closing to the middell Closing to the right hand The Front before closing The Front of the 〈◊〉 before closing If the Phalange be to be closed in the middest the Diphalange on the right hand must turne their faces toward the Target and the Diphalange on the left hand their faces toward the Pike Then moue forward toward the middest of the Phalange Then after their true distance gained to set their faces as they were and to gather vp the Rankes behind When we would reduce the Phalange to the first posture wee command to turne faces about then to open the Rankes and all to moue on but the first Ranke then to turne their faces againe and the right Diphalange turning to the Pike and the left Diphalange to the Target to follow their Leaders till they haue recouered their first distances Then to set their faces as they were This rule is to be obserued in all turnings about of faces when they are made out of closings that the Pikes be aduanced least they hinder the Souldier in making his turning The light-armed are to be taught and exercised after the same manner Notes IN the 11 Chapter the distances that ought to bee betwixt souldier and souldier are particularly treated of This Chapter sheweth how they are to be gained that is how we are to proceede out of one distance into another And because the open order is it that is commonly begunne withall it is here taught how from thence to passe to the rest and to returne to it againe The end of closings is spoken of before In regard of place they are said to be of two kindes One to the wing right or left the other to the middest of the Phalange I cannot expresse the manner better then by setting downe the wordes of command or direction which are these in Closing to the right wing The right-wing-corner-file stand firme The rest turne faces to the Pike and moue according to
battaile where in the Graecians marched from breaking they appointed six Lochoi of a hundred a piece for that purpose and Commaunders to leade them And after hee reckoneth seventy men to a Lochos And in the first booke of Cyrus his expedition hee telleth of two Lochoi of the armed of the Regiment of Menon that were slaine by the inhabitants of Cilicia and counted them a hundred men Cyrus in the same Xenophon commaundeth his Lochos to bee made of twenty foure men But the Lochos that Aelian heere speaketh of is a lesse number namely sixteene which was the file of the Macedonians as appeareth by Arrian and Polybius Albeit Arrian calleth it not Lochos but Decas and Polybius the depth of the battaile This number of sixteene was vsed by the Graecians also before King Phillips time as appeareth by Xenophon in his historie of the Graecians And likewise by Thucydides who reporteth that the Siracusans were so ordered against the Athenians Leo saith it was the manner of the auncient warriers to make a file of sixteen calleth it a Tetragonall number 2 Some allow it eight some twelue The Lacedaemonians made the depth of theire battaile sometimes eight men for a file is it that measureth the depth of the battaile and so fought with theire enemies Thucydides witnesseth as much the Lacedaemonians saith hee were not alwaies ordered in depth alike but as theire Lochagoi they were commaunders of fiue hundred and twelue a piece thought good commonly notwithstanding the depth was of eight a piece Xenophon also writeth that Dercyllidas the Lacedaemonian being to fight with Tissaphernes and Pharnabazus ordered his Phalange into eight The same proportion was helde by Mnasippus the Lacedaemonian against the Corcyraeans and by Clearchus the Lacedemonian against his enemies Xenophon saith that Thrasybulus the Athenian salieng out of Pyraeum against Pausanias the Lacedemonian King ranged his men into eight His wordes are When Thrasybulus and the other armed sawe these things they quickly gaue aide to theire owne people and put theire armed in order eight deepe Pausanias being hardly layed vnto and retiring foure or fiue furlongs commaunded the Lacedemonians and theire Allies to resort vnto him and there casting his men into a deepe Phalange ledde against the Athenians Out of which words wee may note that the Lacedaemonians observed not alwaies that order of eight deepe but varied according to place or other circumstance Yet ordinarily they gaue but eight to a file or to the depth of theire Phalange as Thucydides witnesseth before The same Thrasybulus with his complices entring the base Citty of Athens called Pyraeum to free his countrie from bondage of the thirty tyrants having but a fewe with him possessed the court which led to the temple of Diana called Munychia and being assaulted by the garrison of rhe Lacedaemonians ordered his armed men into ten deepe and the light armed behinde them The tyrants and theire followers stood in battaile fifty deepe At the battaile of Leuctra the Lacedaemonian armed were twelue in depth the Thebans fifty Alexander the great leading his armie against Clitus and Glaucias the way being so narrow that no more then foure might marche in front made the depth of his armie a hundred and twenty And the souldiers that Xenophon brought backe out of Persia when they purposed to sacke Byzantium put themselues without commaunde in order of fifty deepe In the text is fifty deepe but the margent hath eight which I take to bee the truer reading because Xenophon saith the place was faire to sett a battaile being voide of building and having an even plaine And it was not the manner of the Graecians to make a Phalange fifty deepe vnlesse there were extraordinarie occasion In the battaile of Delos betwixt the Athenians and Thebans the Thebans were fiue and twenty in depth the Athenians but eight The same Athenian were eight in depth against the Syracusans So that the depth of eight was much vsed among the Graecians How-be-it I find not that they called a file of eight by the name of Lochos Cyrus the elder made his files of twelue men and the leader thereof hee called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the file it selfe decas which in signification albeit it importe ten yet wee must retaine the word as it is vsed and not fly to the originall of the Etimologie as I noted before vpon other occasion But Aelian maketh his file of sixten His reason followeth 3 For whether they vse darts c. The file being sixten in number the souldiers therein every one having after-distance from other three foote take vp in the whole depth fourty eight foote and being doubled to thirty two men they take vp ninety six foote which amounteth to thirty two yards That bowes and slings easilie out reache this distance appeareth by Vegetius before by mee alleaged who saith they stroke their marke six hundred foote of which in our account by scores is ten score Of the darte a man may rather doubt which notwithstanding with an exercised arme is sent much further then thirty two yards Lipsius writeth that a dart was vsually cast foure hundred foote which amounteth to a hundred thirty three yardes or as wee in shoting measure it six score and odde The reason why Aelian placed the light armed behind wee shall see beere after in fitt place The order and parts of a file or Decury CHAP. V. ' THE best man of every file is the first in place and hee that leadeth the file who is also called the file-leader the Commaunder the fore-stander The last man of the file is called the Reare-Commaunder or bringer-vp The whole file it self is termed 2 a verse and 3 a Decany and of some 4 an Enomoty Yet there are that hold Enomotia for the fowerth parte of a file and the Commaunder of an Enomoty they call Enomotarcha and two Enomoties they take for a Dimery name the Commaunder thereof Dimerites so that the half file is said to bee a Dimery 5 and the Commaunder Dimerites This man is the last of the file Hee that standeth next behinde the file-leader is named a follower and the next after him a Leader and the next after him againe a follower So that the whole file consisteth of Leaders followers placed successiuely one after another 6 It behoueth the file-leader to bee more sufficient then the rest of the file and next him the Leader of the half-half-file or bringer-vp They define a file to bee a Rowe of followers placed according to theire worth successiuely after a file-leader Notes 1 THE best man of every file Why the file-leader ought to bee the best man of the file many reasons may bee given first because hee commaundeth the rest And as in all other things hee that is to rule and governe another ought to haue more knowledge then hee that is commaunded and
omnymi to sweare not of omos a shoulder as Robortellus and Patricius immagine of whom the first translateth it in latine Intergutio the other in Italian Spalaggione as it were a backing Vpon this conceite I thinke because in a file the whole number standeth one at the backe of another Suidas saith Enomotia is a body militarie amongst the Lacedemonians of 32 men and is soe called because they take theire othe together not to forsake the place assigned them in battaile With whom agreeth the great Etymologicon and Hesychius likewise who termeth it a body militarie that taketh an othe and sweareth by the sacrifice which is offered at such time as they goe into the field And surely you shall not finde the word Enomotia applied to other souldiers then the Lacedemonians or else to them that the Lacedemonians commanded vntill it was afterward taken vp by the Macedonians And Iulius Pollux expresly noteth that Moira and Enomotia are proper appellations of the Lacedemonians given to certaine of theire militarie bodies Albeit both the text bee corrupted in Pollux having Eunomotia for Enomotia the interpreter hath worse trāslated it rēdring Enomotia militarie discipline Moira a duty As the Lochos is great or little so is the Enomotia The Lacedemonian Enomotia was 32. men the Lochos being 512. but the file of Aelian being 16. and the Enomotie noe more then the fourth part of a file the Enomotie must conteine noe more then foure men One of euery of these foure must bee a commander who is called Enomotarcha or the commander of that Enomotie So that in the whole file consisting of 16. there ought to bee foure Enomotarchas Where they should stand in the file is a question Patricius maketh the file-leader the first Enomotarcha the fift man the second the ninth man the third the 13 man the fourth excluding the bringer vp whom notwithstanding hee acknowledgeth to bee the second man of the file and in dignitie next to the file-leader I am of another opinion and yet allowe the places of the first fift and ninth but thinke the bringer-vp ought to bee the last Enomotarcha Arrian confirmeth my opinion who writeth thus Alexander returning to Babilon found Prucestes newly come out of Persia bringing with him 20000. Persians Then commending the Persians for theire obedience in all things to Prucestes and Prucestes for his care and diligence in ordering them hee reparted them into bands according to the Macedonian manner Over every file hee appointed a Macedonian file-leader to command and next a Macedonian dimaerite and a Decastater so called of the paye hee had which was lesse then Dimaerites and more then the common souldiers then twelue Persians and last of all the file a Macedonian who also was a Decastater So that in the whole file there were foure Macedonians three whose pay was more then the common souldiers and a file-leader the fourth and more over 12. Persians So Arrian Out of which wordes wee may learne first the number of the Macedonian file which consisted of 12. Persians and 4. Macedonians in all 16. the number that Aelian requireth in his file Next that the Enomotarchs or commanders of the foure parts of the file were likewise 4. Lastly that the bringer-vp was one of the foure by expresse words of Arrian which is contrarie to the opinion of Patricius and whereas Arrian termeth the third Enomotarch Decastateros of the pay hee received it is to bee vnderstood that Stater was a piece of coine of the weight of foure dragmes of Athens whereof the Enomotarch had ten by the moneth The dragme was of value seven pence sterling and the Stater conteyning foure dragmes two shillings and foure pence sterling and ten of them were valued at twenty three shillings and foure pence Which was the pay of the second Enomotarch and of the bringer-vp as Arrian affirmeth 5 And the Commaunder Dimaerites About the Dimerite Arrian and Aelian differ Suidas leaveth the matter vncertaine saieng the Dimerite is commander of the half-file but pointeth not out which is hee Arrian distinguisheth the Dimerite from the bringer-vp and giveth a greater pay to the Dimerite then to the bringer-vp The bringer-vp he saith was noe more then Decastateros where as the Dimerite had a greater pay But Aelian twice in this chapter affirmeth that the bringer-vp was the Dimerite and addeth hee ought to bee the second man of worth in the file And that the place of the reare is not much inferior to the front Cyrus teacheth his bringers-vp in Xenophon in these words You haue a place saith he no lesse honorable then they that stand in front For being in the reare and seeing encouraging them that behaue themselues valiantly you make them more valiant and the remisse and backward you incite spurre on likewise to doe as well as the rest Leo appointeth two Officers to a file the file-file-leader and the bringer-vp so maketh the bringer-vp the second person of the file The reare being then the second place of the file I conceiue no reason why as the file-leader commandeth the one half of the file so the bringer-vp should not bee the Dimerite and command the other and I rather assent to Aelian that of purpose describeth the particulers of this arte as hee findeth them set downe in the auncient Tacticks then to Arrian that writing the historie of the deeds of Alexander stumbleth by chance vpon these things not greatly incident to his narration Yet may there bee a resonable construction of both their meanings if wee consider the severall respects of the offices of these Enomotarchs For the middlemost Enomotarch may bee termed the Dimerite in regard he standeth in the head of the second half-file and in doubling the front and some other motions leadeth it the bringer-vp because he absolutly governeth it and seeth that directions given by higher officers bee executed 6 It behoveth that the file-leader bee more sufficient The file-leader and bringers-vp ought to bee the most sufficient because they haue the whole governement of the file the one in the front the other in the reare Therest are vnder them and to bee called by the names of leaders and followers But yet is there a further disposition of the file which as I finde it in Leo I will sett downe His words sound thus over the other sixteen you are to appoint a file-leader as hee is termed resolute and fitt for service and eight of these sixteen that shall bee found fittest you shall place in the front and reare of the file foure in the front namely in the first second third and fourth place other foure in the reare in the sixteenth fifteenth foureteenth and thirteenth place that the front and reare may be strengthened with foure men a piece The weaker are to bee placed in the midst of the file This counsell or rather precept of Leo hath this reason The front and the reare are the principall
places the enemy commonly giveth vpon The front wee alwaies turne against the enemy if we can The reare the enemy seeketh to attache and by it to distresse vs if hee can The flanks for the most part are secured by the horse and light armed For Leo placeth the light armed and horse in the flanks Soe these two places being most subiect to the violence of the enemy require extraordinarie care and assurance As for the weakest which are in the midst they never come to strike stroke but after the front and reare are broken In another place hee writeth to this effect your Contubernies the souldiers that cabin together you shal order according to fiue men or to ten or to foure or to eight or to sixteen as you shall find most convenient that being bound one to another with mutuall acquaintance they may fight one for another in battaile and bee more valiant against the enemy But you shall doe more wisely if when you are to joyne you place brothers by brothers friends by friends For when hee that fighteth hath an entierly beloved frend standing next behind him hee must of necessity hasard himself with more egernesse for his frends sake And the other being ashamed not to requite one that sustaines such danger in his behalfe will hardly bee brought to forsake his friend so well deseruing and first betake himselfe to his feete The same is the advise of Onosander and was much practised in auncient time The Lochos Hieros or Holy-band of the Thebans whereof I spake before consisted all of friends that had bound themselues one to another in friendship With this Holy-band Pelopidas gaue the first disgracefull overthrow to the Lacedaemonians that ever they had Of this band Plutarch writeth that it was never beaten vntill the battaile of Chaeronaea when Philip the father of Alexander vanquisht the Athenian and Theban forces both together After which battaile Phillip surueying the dead bodies and comming to the place where these three hundred lay all close mingled one with another and strooken through with the Macedonian pikes hee wondred greatly and hearing that it was the band of louers and beloued wept and said evilly may they perish that suspect any filthines in deede or suffering to haue been practised amongst such men Cyrus the elder had his Homotimos nourished vp together and Alexander his Hetairos whose extraordinarie service appeared in all theire battailes Diodorus Siculus writeth of Sesoosis the Aegyptian King to this effect at the birth of Sesoosis his father did a magnificent and royall deed For gathering together all the children of Aegipt that were borne the same day and setting over them some to nourish and governe them hee gaue the same education and institution to them all conceiving that they that were brought vp together partakers of the same liberty would become the best affected and most assured fellow helpers in warre This was the iudgement of Myris the father of Sesoosis King of Aegipt in providing assured assistance to his sonne for the conquering of the whole world which by certeine blinde prophecies was promised him Now what little trust theire is to bee given to men that are not acquainted one with another Pompey that great Captaine of the Romans sheweth in his epistle to Domitius For men saith hee are not quickly to be assembled hether by musters and if wee had them you are not ignorant how much they may bee relyed vpon being vnacquainted to fight against ould Legions Yet hath Leo another mixture in his files For hee would haue the ould and new souldiers put together in one file Least saith hee the ould being by themselues alone proue weake and of small force and the yong disorderly having litle experience For the one albeit ould yet are well acquainted with service the other albeit young and valiant yet are vnskilfull For the Enomoties dimerie and file see the figure Ioyning of Files CHAP. VI. 1 IOyning of Files is when one file is layed flank-wise to another the Leader of the second file to the Leader of the first and the follower of the second File-leader to the follower of the first and so the rest Every man that ranketh Cap. 6. Joyning of Files 1 File 2 Files Joyned 4 Files Joyned The Flank The Front is called Parastates as for example the Leader of the second file to the Leader of the first and so theire next followers and the rest As often then as the second file the third the fourth and so the rest are layd flank-wise to the first it is named Ioyning of files Notes 1 IOyning of files is A file of it self will worke litle effect against an enemy For what can a man alone in front doe Cyrus in Xenophon wisheth that where as the Aegiptians stood a hundred in depth they had beene in depth a thowsand for soe saith hee wee should haue the fewer hands to fight against The ranke bringeth the multitude of hands to fight And it is held that the more hands are with conveniency brought to fight the more is his advantage that bringeth them This is done by ioyning filâ—s together out of which ioyning ranks spring and ranks the more they increase and extend themselues in length the more hands are ready to encounter the enemy Now as it was said in the former chapter that files consisted of leaders and followers from the first to the last so is it in this chapter saide that ranks consist of side men from one end of the length of the Phalange to the other Fewe or many men placed side to side in a right line make a ranke as in two or three files ioyned together there are sixteen ranks of two or three men in a ranke And the two or three file-leaders make the first ranke theire followers the next and soe the rest vntill you come to the sixteenth The like falleth out in more files Vrbicius saith that the file-leaders make the front as they terme it of the Phalange which they call also the first ranke And further hee saith they that runne in an even line betwixt the two wings the right and the left are said to bee Parastatai or sidemen Likewise the last ranke is called Oura or the reare and the commander Ouragos the bringer-vp So Vrbicius agreeing with Aelian Now out of these two chapters is a cleare distinction of the names of souldiers that by reason of theire posture or place in battaile make the diversitie of files and ranks They that make files are Protostatai first-standers Epistatai after-standers which are by vs commonly called Leaders and followers For these two saith Aelian make the file from the beginning to the end Parastatai side-standers or as wee terme them sidemen make the ranks And if you measure the length of the Phalange you doe it by number of men in the ranke if the depth by number of men in the file Of a Phalange the length and depth thereof of rankinge and
sleeuing them vpon one side which you will may be vsed without danger as well when the enemy is neare as when the fight is in as much as they disturbe not the battaile but advance fresh aides against the enemy on the flanks of it 6 By inserting the second file There are two manner of doublings of the depth or of files one in number the other in place In number when one file is inserted into another the Leader or first man of the second file standing behind the Leader of the first the second behind the second the third behind the third and so forth of the rest Or when the euen files countermarch and their Leaders place themselues behind the Bringers-vp of the odde their files following them or which commeth all to one the files being whole they diuide themselues into two parts in the front and halfe countermarch and place themselues in the Reare of the other file to file albeit the two last are Doublings both in number and place and not in place alone The true Doubling of the place alone is not Aelian The Insertion whereof I spake remedieth this defect also There it is said that when 16 men that is a file are so extended that they possesse as much length as 32 should doe that is as 2 files it is doubling of place which is nothing else but changing of the Souldiers order into open order For in their order they haue 48 foote in depth in their open order 96 foote in depth In this Doubling of depth we must take heed that we make not the front of our Armie to narrow lest we giue oportunitie to the enemy to incircle and incompasse it Polybius noteth this a great faulâ— in Marcus Atilius Regulus at such time as he fought with the Carthaginians and was taken prisoner His words haue this effect k The Romans seing the enemy order his battaile marched out against him fuâ—l of courage Being notwithstanding somewhat appalled at and foreseing the Elephants violence in comming on they set their Darters before and placed many maniples of Armed behind one after an other and diuided the Horse halfe into one wing halfe into the other Then making the whole battaile shorter but deeper then they were wont they prouided well against the Elephants but not against the Horse that farre exceeded theirs in number Being now come to hands the Roman horse ouerpressed with multitude of the Carthaginians quickly fled from either wing But the foote of the left wing partly auoyding the Elephants partly contemning the Mercenaries fell on and charged the right wing of the Carthaginians and putting it to flight followed hard and gaue chase euen to the trench But of those that were placed against the Elephants the first sinking vnder the violence of the beasts perished being ouerturned and troden to death by heapes The body of the battaile remained a while vnbroken by reason of the depth of them that were after placed But when the Reare of all incompassed by the horse was forced to turne about and fight with them and the other that had by force made way thorough the middest of the Elephants and were now behind their backs came vp to the fresh Phalange of the Carthaginians standing in good order they were by them slaine Thus fortune being contrary on all sides the Romans for the most part were troden to death by the excessiue might of the beasts and the rest died with the darts of the horsemen in the place where they fought The error of Attilius Regulus was in ordering his battaile too deepe by meanes whereof it was easily incompassed and distressed by the Carthaginian horse Appian likewise blameth Antiochus for ordering his Phalange 32 men in depth where the Macedonian Phalange ought to but 16 deepe shewing that by that ouersight it was incompassed by the Romans and ouerthrowne I haue touched the historie in my notes before Many other examples might be alledged but these two are sufficient for our purpose The words of Command in doubling of the length by number Middle men double your Rankes to the right or left hand By this Command the middle men with their halfe files march vp to the front in the spaces betwixt the files and stand euen with the File-leaders and the rest euen with the rest of the Ranks Doubling of the length in place Stand in your open order One halfe openeth their files to the right hand the other to the left and stand six foote one from another Doubling of the depth in number Double your files to the right or left hand The euen files fall into the spaces of the odde files Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The euen files countermarch and fall behind the reare of the odde and place themsâ—lues lineally after them obseruing their first distances Diuide your files and double them by countermarch to the right or left hand Halfe the files diuide themselues from the other halfe and countermarch out behind the Reare then turne their faces towards the place behind the Reare of the standing files which remoued not then march on and place themselues orderly behind them file to file then turne their faces as at first Doubling the depth in place Ranks open behind to your open order The broad-fronted Phalange the deep Phalange or Herse and the vneuen-fronted Phalange CHAP. XXX PLagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange is that which hath the length much exceeding the depth Orthiophalanx or the deep Phalange commonly called the Herse is that which procedeth by wing hauing the depth much exceeding the length In generall speach euery thing is called Paramekes which hath length more then the depth and that which hath the depth more then the length Orthion and so likewise a Phalange The Phalange Loxe or vneuen fronted is that which putteth forth one of the wings which is thought fittest toward the enemy and with it beginning the fight holdeth off the other in a convenient distance till oportunitie bee to advance Of Parembole Protaxis Epitaxis Prostaxis Eutaxis Hypotaxis CHAP. XXXI PArembole or insertion is when placing souldiers before we take off the hindmost and ranke them within the distances of the first Protaxis or fore-fronting is when we place the light-armed before the front of the armed and make them fore-standers as the File-leaders are When we place the light-armed behind it is called Epitaxis as it were an after-placing Prostaxis or adioyning is when to both flanks of the battaile or to one flanke some part of the hindmost is added the front of them that are added lying euen with the front of the battaile such addition is called Prostaxis Entaxis or Insition is when it seemeth good to set the light-armed within the spaces of the files of the Phalange man to man Hypotaxis or Double-winging is when you bestow the light-armed vnder the wings of the Phalange placing them in an embowed forme so that the whole figure resembleth a
the distance required to the right hand Faces as you were Close your hinder ranks forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first posture File-Leaders stand firme The other Rankes turne faces about and open behinde to the first distance Faces as you were The right-wing-corner-right-wing-corner-file stand firme the rest turne faces to the Target and proceede to your first distance Faces as you were and order your Pikes Closing to the left wing It differeth not from the other but that the mouing is to the contrarie hand Closing to the middest of the Battaile The right-wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike Each moue vp to the middest of the Phalange and stand at the distance named Faces as you were Close the hinder rankes forward and order your Pikes Restoring to the first Posture The first ranke stand firme The rest turne faces about and open the rankes to the first distance Faces as you were The files next the middle section stand fast and the right wing turne faces to the Target the left to the Pike and moue on till the first distance recouered Faces as you were and order the Pikes We may not forget Aelians generall rule for turning of faces out of Closings that the Pikes be alwaies aduanced For when you come vp to the closenesse required the Pike vpon the shoulder will hardly admit turning of the face The like falleth out when you would open from the Closing The vse and aduantage of these exercises of armes CHAP. XXXIV THese precepts of turning about of faces of wheeling and double wheeling of the Battaile and of reducing it to the first posture are of great vse in suddaine approches of the enemy whether hee shew himselfe on the right or left hand or in front or in the reare of our march The like may bee said of Countermarches Of which the Macedonians are held to bee the inuentors of the Macedonian the Lacedemonians of the Lacedemonian and for this cause either to haue name accordingly The Histories witnesse that Philip who much enlarged the Macedonian kingdome and ouercame the Graecians in battaile at Cheronea and made himselfe Generall of Greece and likewise his sonne Alexander that in short time conquered all Asia made small account of the Macedonian countermarch vnlesse necessitie forced it and that they both by the vse of the Lacedemonian became victorious ouer their enemies For the Macedonian countermarch the enemy falling vpon the reare is cause of great confusion in as much as the hindermost dismarching toward the front and making a shew of running away it more encourageth and emboldneth the enemy to follow For feare and pursuit of the enemy ordinarily accompanieth that kinde of countermarch But the Lacedemonian is of contrarie effect For when the enemy sheweth himselfe in the reare the Leaders with their followers brauely aduancing and opposing themselues it striketh no small feare and terror into their mindes Cap. 30 The File-leaders A Deduction to the left hand A right induction The Front A Deduction to the right hand Cap. 36. The Coelembolos or hollow fronted wedge The Front The right Induction Cap. 36. The Coelembolos The left wing The right wing The front The Phalange set against the left wing of the Coelembolos The Phalange set against the right wing of the Coelmebolos The forbearing Phalange Of the signes of direction that are to be giuen to the armie and their souerall kindes CHAP. XXXV WEe are to acquaint our forces both foote and horse partly with the voice and partly with visible signes that whatsoeuer is fitting be executed and done as occasion shall require Some things also are to be denounced by the Trumpet for so all directions will be fully accomplished and sort to a desired effect The signes therefore which are deliuered by voice are most euident and cleere if they haue no impediment But the most certaine and least tumultuous are such as are presented to the eye if they bee not obscured The voice sometime can hardly be heard by reason of the clashing of armour or trampling and neighing of Horses or tumult of cariage or noyse and confused sounds of the multitude The visible signes also become many waies incertain by thicknes of aire and dust or raine or snow or sun-shine or else thorow ground that is vneuen or full of trees or of turnings And sometimes it will not be easie to find out signes for all vses occasions eftsoones presenting new matter to the which a man is not accustomed Yet can it not fall out that either by voice or by signal we should not giue certaine and sure direction Of marching and of diuers kindes of Battailes fit for a March And first of the right-induction of the Coelembolos and the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kind of march is a Right-induction other some a Deduction on the right or left hand And that in a single or double or treble or quadruple-sided-battaile In a single when one enemy is feared In a double when two In a treble when three In a quadruple when the enemy purposeth to giue on on all sides Therefore the march is vndertaken sometimes in a single Phalange sometimes in a twofold Phalange or else in a threefold Phalange or in a fourefold Phalange A right-induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead and the rest follow Xenage-wise Or a Tetrarchy lead and the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe out into a wing hauing the Depth much exceeding the length Against it is opposed the Coelembolos which is framed when the Antistomos Diphalange disioyneth the Leading-wings closing the Reare in manner of the letter V as the figure after placed doth teach In which the front is disseuered the reare ioyned and knit together For the Right-induction pointing at the middest of the enemies battaile the Coelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front and to claspe in and circumuent the flankes of the right-induction Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Coelembolos one Phalange fighting against one winge of the Coelembolos The second against the other and the middle and third forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge Of Paragoge or Deduction CHAP. XXXVII PAragoge or Deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in a wing not by file but by ranke hauing the Commanders or file-Leaders either on the right hand which is called a right-hand-Deduction or on the left hand which is called a left-hand Deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple-side accor̄ding to the place and part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the Paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe make the length double to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of
fiâ—nge the division of the Phalange into winges the place of the armed foote of the light-armed and of the Horse CHAP. VII 1 THE whole bodie of the multitude of files is termed a Phalange whose 2 length is the first ranke of file-leaders and is named the front the face the edge of the battaile the ranke the mouth the Commaunders the fore-standers the head of the files As much of the Phalange as stretcheth backward from the front to the reare 3 is named the depth The bearing straight foorth of side-men in length whether they bee Leaders or followers is ranking And the standing of Leaders and followers directlie in a line in depth is filing A Phalange is divided into two whole partes beginning at the middle section of the front and houlding on cleane through to the vttermost parte of the depth whereof the one half is called the 4 right wing and head the other half the left winge and taile 5 The two fold section it self that divideth the length hath the name of the Navell and the Mouth 6 The Light-armed are placed after the Phalange of the Armed and behind them the Horse Yet if occasion require both light-armed and Horse are otherwise disposed as after in this discourse will appeare Notes THE whole body of multitude of files is termed a Phalange Ioyning of files makes ranks and a sufficient number of files and ranks together make a body which is called a Phalange For that name is given to any entire body of an indifferent greatnesse compacted and vnited for fight Hesychius deriveth the originall of the word Apo tou pelas allelois inai from the standing of the souldiers in battaile neere one to another Suidas in the same sence albeit hee differ a litle in words saith the Phalanges are so called apo tou pelasai anchi of approching one neere to an other The great Etymologicon goeth yet a little further and saith that Phalanges are as it were Palanges para to pelas kai eggys einai as it were Pelangys These are the coniectures about the originall of the name Which of them is truest is not greatly to the purpose It is enough to vnderstand in what sence the word Phalange is commonly taken amongst Tactick writers who as I said in a generall signification call any great body of armed gathered together and vnited for fight a Phalange Soe Caesar nameth the battaile of the Heluetians into which they cast themselues when they fought against him and likewise the battaile of Ariovistus a Phalange So speaketh Xenophon of the Plaesium or square holow battaile into which the Graecians that went with Cyrus the younger into Persia fashioned themselues at their returne out of Persia. And the same Xenophon saith the horse of the Graecians when they were to encounter the Persians ordered themselues foure in depth in forme of a Phalange And Arrian that the Persians at the River Granicus were ordered in a long Phalange and Xenophon againe discoursing how Iphicrates exercised his nauie when hee expected to fight with the Lacedaemonians saith hee sometimes lead in a wing that is in a large depth sometimes in forme of a Phalange in a broad front The first inventer of the Phalange is thought to bee Pan the generall of Bacchus his armie Polyaenus saith Pan was the commaunder of Bacchus his armie This man was the first that invented the order of a battaile called it a Phalange and parted it into the Right and left wing For which cause Poets faine that Pan carieth two hornes vpon his head Besides hee was the first that by slight and cunning cast a feare vpon his enemies For when Bacchus incamping in a hollow forest was advertised by his spies that an infinite number of enemies were lodged one the further side hee began to be afraide But not Pan who commanded the same night the armie of Bacchus to giue as great a shoute as they could The Rocks and hollownesse of the forest rendered it againe double to the enemy made shewe of a greater armie then Bacchus had Where with the enemy falling into a feare fled foorth with In honour of this strategeme wee faine that Eccho is Pans loue the causlesse night-feares which fall vpon Armyes were attributed to Pan. So farre Polyenus about the inventer of the Phalange The number of the Phalange is not alwayes one It may consiste of ten thousand twenty fiue thousand or as many as you list Antigonus the King of Macedony had his Phalange of ten thousand Ptolomaeus King of Aegipt of twenty fiue thousand The ten thousand Graecians that went with Cyrus into Persia are called a Phalange What number the Helvetians and Ariovistus had in theire Phalange is not preciselie set downe by Caesar. Yet it seemeth by Caesar that the most parte of the fighting multitude of the Helvetians cast themselues into a Phalange and those of Ariovistus likewise But Aelians Phalange is restreyned to a certeine number as the next following Chapter will teache 2 The length whereof The length of the Phalange is to bee accounted by the ranke not by the file The file is but sixteen men deep The ranke from the pointe of one wing to the pointe of the other conteyneth a thousand and twenty foure men in Aelians Phalange So that the files being short in comparison of the ranks it is reason that the length of the Phalange bee measured according to the ranke not to the file Suidas agreeth with Aelian sayeng that the length of the Phalange is the first Syntagma the first ranke of file-leaders which is ordered in a right line stretching from one wing to another and is called the face and the mouth and the front the edge and the first-filing and the first standers of the battaile The next rowe lyeng Parallel to this is called the second ranke and the third the third ranke and soe the rest The length is termed in Greeke Mecos to which is opposed the depth which is named Bathos Neither is there in true account any other dimensions in a Phalange besides the length and the depth which are in this chapter mentioned by Aelian Other names are given in Greeke writers sometimes but they signifie either the one or the other 3 Is named the depth As the length runneth along by front from one wing to another so the depth beareth backward from the front to the reare The depth is properly called Bathos as I said And Bathera Phalanx is a deepe Phalange And Arrian saith Alexander ordered his Phalange es Bathos in depth And Polybius that the Romans made theire battaile much shorter then before but much deeper Bathyteran And as it is called Bathos for the most part so is it by Leo called also Pachos For the depth of a file is by him termed depth or Thicknes Bathos etoi Pachos in two severall chapters of his Tacticks not in respect of the file it selfe which is no
wound many of them The stones and darts of the light-armed were to flye over the front of the battaile and that could not bee vnlesse the light-armed were placed behinde I will adde one example onely out of Plutarch to shew the seruice of the light-armed in the reare Plutarch discoursing of the battaile fought betwixt Sylla and Archelaus the Generall of Mithridates at Cheronaea hath thus Afterwards the foote forces came to joyne the Barbarians holding out and charging theire long pikes and endevouring with locking theire targetts close together to mainteine the order and closenes of their Phalange The Romans on the other side casting away their darts and drawing their swordes putte by the enemies pikes in choler to the end they might come quickly vp to them For they espied opposed against them in front 15000. of the enemies slaues that were enâ—ranchised by Proclamation of the Kinges generalls enrolled emongest the armed And when the Roman Armed coulde hardly breake them by reason of theire depth and fast knitting together and of theire bouldnes in daring contrary to the nature of slaues to abide the danger of the encounter the arrowes and darts cast in aboundance from the Reare made them shewe their backs and fall in a route Wee finde heere that the light-armed from the reare effected that which the Armed could not These slaues endured the shocke and could not bee broken by the armed and yet were defeated with Arrowes and darts from the Reare Nowe for the distance that should bee betwixt the bodies of the light-armed and betwixt them and the reare of the armed Aelian saith nothing I make noe doubt but there ought to bee as great if not greater as in the sections of the armed For wee must vnderstand that the sections that served to sever the Phalangarchies one from another must runne through the light-armed in depth to the reare And by them are the Epixenagies to bee devided a sunder as the Phalangarchies are with Epixenagies answer the Phalangarchies for number of files albeit not in number of men Likewise there ought to bee a greater space in ranke and file then the armed had For the handling of missiue weapons require more liberty of place then the managing of a pike or sworde A dart can not bee sent for ciblie without running two or three steppes in the delivery of it A sling being throwne and circled about the head before the stone or bullet can bee forced out to any purpose will not suffer a neere stander by In bowes and arrowes is the like reason if they be vsed as they ought Besides the light-armed in their fight are tied to noe certainty of order or grounde but fight dispersedly Soe that the more grounde they haue the fitter they are for seruice In which respect a large intervall croswise betwixt the armed and them should serue to purpose it having liberty for their motion forward and backward as occasion should require 7 And behinde theÌ„ the Horse I haue not read in any greek historye that the horse-men in a sett battell haue beene ranged behinde the light-armed The vsuall manner was to place them in the wings Soe did Alexander before he passed the River Granicus soe at Issos soe at Gangamela Soe did Antigonus against Eumenes and Eumenes against Antigonus Soe Ptolomeus against Demetrius and Demetrius against Ptolomeus and in brief all the Macedonians and the Graecians before the Macedonians were accounted of for matter of armes vnlesse some speciall cause moved an alteracion And as I shewed out of Xenophon before all theire times Cyrus albeit hee set the light Armed in the reare notwithstanding hee beestowed the horse in the wings Alexander having passed the River Ister as long as hee marched in the corne lande placed his horse behinde his Phalange when hee entred the Champeigne hee sett them on the right wing and lastly cast his Phalange in to a Plaesium and ordered his horse before In the Corne-land they followed for feare of an Ambushe In the Champian they marched on the right wing because on the left the Phalange was secured by the River before the Plaeâ— sium that being over-layde with the multitude of the enimye they might haue a sure retreate to the foote The same Alexander when hee was to fight the Battaile of Issos with Darius as long as hee was in the streights marshalled his horse after his foote But in marching forward comming to open ground when he might giue full length to his Phalange hee placed his horse on both the wings But the reason of setting them behinde-was in the streightnes of the place and hee being incerteine how neere the enemye lay was loathe to put them to hasard before they had liberty of grounde to order themselues and might haue assistance of the foote For otherwise it was an ordinarie matter in marching as it is the manner also at this day to dispose the horse half behinde and half before I will content my self with one example When Agesilaus retourning out of Asia passed through Thessalie the Thessalians allies of the Thebans followed him and sought to endammage his armie to theire vttermost Hee had before disposed his march into a Plaesium with the horse half in front and half behinde nowe when the Thessalians ceased not to molest him by falling vpon his reare hee sent to the reare all the horse of the vantgarde excepting those that attended his person Either party prepared them selues to fight The Thessalians holding it not sure with Horse alone to incounter armed foote Turning about their faces began leasurely to retire and the Lacedaemonians slowly to followe Agesilaus perceaving the errour of both sent the best of his horse that were about him commanding them to signifie to the rest that they together should goe and charge the Thessalians with all speede and giue noe respite to them to turne their faces The Thessalians contrary to their expectation being hottly charged some fled other some turned about towards the enimy other some indevouring to turne were surprised by theire enemies that by that time were come vp to theire flancke Nowe for the reason of Aelians placing the Horse in the reare I haue noe more to say then that from thence they might bee soone drawen to all places front flanke or wheresoever the enemy is like to distresse vs. For it hath beene the forecast of all generals to fashion their battails according to the figure the enemy hath before chosen Examples are so plentifull I neede not alleage many Onely I will remember one latine story of placing horse in the reare L. Lentulus and L. Manlius Acidinus in Spaine being to fight with the Illergetes and Ansetans and other Spaniards that had revolted from the Romans in this very kinde of placing horse in the reare imitated and gotte the advantage of and defeated theire enemies Livy hath the story and writes thus in effect The next day at the rising of the sonne
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
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