a battaile and to behold a direct space betwixt files and rankes For that is the grace and beauty as I may terme it of a Phalange ordered for fight This proportion cannot be maintayned without obseruing distance curiously Open order is sixe foot both in ranke and file betwixt man and man euery way If then any souldier in file gather vp to his leader and stand at distance of three foot it is manifest that his ranke is thereby disturbed and made vneuen although the file continue streight Contrariwise if he beare himselfe out of his place three foot toward either of his side-men by this meanes he disordereth his file and maketh it crooked This fault if it were committed by many a generall disorder would follow in the body and therefore Aelian well aduiseth to keepe the first distances especially till you be commanded to the second or third distance which will often fall out in the foure motions Of which Facing is the first and the words of direction in it are these as before in Aelian 12 Face to the Pike That is Face to the tight hand For the pike was alwayes borne in the right hand 14 Face to the Target The Pike-men in the Macedonian army bore targets on their left armes or on the left side so that facing to the target is all one with the word of command Face to the left hand 16 Face about to the pike or target That is face about to the right or left hand But where hee addeth moue a little further he signifieth that the direction is not fully accomplished and he would haue the souldiers continue their motion till their faces were fully come about to the reare and then hee willeth them to stand so because they haue gayned their place These facings here expressed by Aelian are of the whole body Other facings of the parts he hath not set downe which notwithstanding are oftentimes of great vse For say the enemy charge in front and reare your front must continue as it did but the word for the reare is Halfe files face about to the right or left hand If the enemy charge you on both flankes then is the word of command Halfe rankes face to the right halft to the left hand If in front and one flanke the front standeth firme and the word for the flanke that is charged is Halfe rankes of the right or left flanke Face to the hand named If in front and both flankes the front is to stand firme and both the flanks to face to the enemy And this is done in a hollow square or Plesium and the word is Flankes face one to the right the other to the left hand If on all sides or round about it is as before for the flankes but for the reare The reare face about to the right or left hand Now in Countermarch of the reare the ranke of file-leaders is oftentimes commanded to face about to the right or left hand In countermarch of the front the ranke of bringers vp must doe the like as wee shall see in Countermarch Doubling is the second motion vsed in battaile the precept of it in this in Aelian 18 Double your depth The word in our exercise for this motion is Double your files because files measure the depth of the battaile or rankes measure the length This doubling is made many wayes The first is when the euen files that is the 2. 4. 6. 8. 10. file fall into the odde As if the doubling be to the right hand the right hand corner-corner-file standeth firme and is the first after doubling the third is the second file the fifth the third and so the rest of the odde files in order But the manner is that the leaders of the second file fall directly behind the leader of the first file and the second man of the second file behind the second man of the first and so the rest of those two files The same order is for the rest of the euen files when they double the odde files And the word is Double your files to the right or left hand Another manner is when halfe the body of files conueyes it selfe into the spaces oâ— the other halfe of the body be it to the right or left hand according to direction giuen so that the first ranke of the halfe body which is to moue fals into the space next after the first ranke of the halfe body that standeth and so the rest of the rankes of the halfe body that moueth and the word is Halfe the body double your files to the right or left hand Another is when files are doubled by a countermarch As if the second file of the right or left hand as it is appointed countermarch and the leader of that file place himselfe behind the bringer vp of the corner file to that hand to which the doubling is to be made and so the rest of the files of euen number behinde those of odde number as the second behind the first the fourth behind the third the sixt behind the fifth and so the rest The word is Double your files by countermarch to the right or left hand The next word in Aelian is Double your length That is double your rankes or front For as I before noted the rankes make the length of the battaile which likewise is many wayes done The first is when the rankes of euen appellation as the 2. 4. 6. 8. c. fall out into the spaces of the odde namely into the spaces of the 1. 3. 5. 7. c. which stand before them and place themselues euen with them in ranke The word is Double your rankes to the right or left hand Another way is when the bringers-vp their halfe files following them by countermarch aduance vp to the front and place themselues in the spaces betwixt the file-leaders to the hand appointed and the rest of the ranks accordingly namely the ninth ranke in the spaces of the second the eight in the spaces of the third the seuenth in the fourth the sixth in the spaces of the fifth And the word is Bringers vp double your front by countermarch to the right or left hand Another is when the reare-halfe-files one halfe face to the right the other to the left hand and diuiding themselues march out till they bee past the flankes of the standing halfe-halfe-files Then facing to the front sleeue vp and front with the standing halfe-halfe-files Then the word is Reare halfe-halfe-files double your front by diuision to the right and left hand Another way is when the reare-halfe-reare-halfe-files vndiuided face to the hand appointed and being beyond the flanke of the rest of the body face to the front and sleeue vp and ioyne in front with the standing halfe-halfe-files The word is reare-halfe-Reare-halfe-files enter double your front to the right or left hand It is to be obserued that in all these motions of doubling rankes or front the souldiers are to returne after
their motion to their first posture which is done by facing about to the right or left hand and then by mouing and by recouering their first place The word is As you were Countermarch is the third motion vsed in the change of a battaile The vse and necessity thereof appeareth in Aelian before and that there are two kindes one by file the other by ranke The words of command that hee here setteth downe are onely of countermarch by file which may be reduced to two kindes viz. the Countermarch of the front and the Countermarch of the reare That of the front hath likewise two kindes the Lacedemonian and the Chorean That of the reare onely one and it is called the Macedonian Countermarch Now Aelians direction followeth 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch This is one of the Countermarches by file and of the front The manner is that the file-leaders beginne the Countermarch and paâ—â—e beyond the reare their files following them In our exercise the word is Countermarch the front to the right or to the left hand It is done after another sort also as when the bringers-vp face about to the right or left hand and then the whole body facing about to the same hand passe thorow the spaces of the bringers vp to the same hand and the ninth ranke beginning the rest of the ranks after one anothers place themselues euery paticular man before his follower in the same file till the file-leaders are first The word is Bringers vp face to the right or to the left hand The rest beginning at the ninth ranke passe thorow to the same hand and place euery man himselfe before his follower As you were In Aelian followeth 22 The Macedonian Countermarch We in our exercise tearme this Countermarch of the reare and it is done in two manners First when the bringers vp begin the Countermarch and their files following passe thorow the spaces of the file-leaders till the file-leaders become the last of the file and then the whole body face about and stand The word is Countermarch the reare to the right or left hand Face about to the contrary hand and stand The other when the file-leaders face about to either hand and the rest of the ranks beginning at the second ranke successiuely passe thorow the spaces of the file leaders to the hand appointed placing themselues euery man behind his next leader and facing about as they did The word is File-leaders face about the rest of the rankes passe thorow and place your selues behinde your next leaders The next in Aelian is 24 The Chorean Countermarch This Countermarch is of the front as I said but it keepeth the ground that the body had before the file-leaders their files following them remoued to the places of the bringers vp and the bringers vp to the places that the file-leaders had The word is File-leaders countermarch to the right or left hand and stand viz. when they come to the bringers vp Other Countermarches thereare which are not here set downeby Aelian but are remembred in his Chapter of Countermarches of which the countermarch by ranks of the whole battaile is one the other is the countermarch by ranks in the parts And as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the rankes first began to moue so in Countermarch of the flanke the files entire beginne to moue and as in the Countermarch of the front or reare the ranks followed one another by file so in Countermarch of the flankes the files follow one another by ranke that is the souldiers of euery ranke follow one another If you would countermarch the right flanke so to change one side of the battaile for the other the word is Countermarch the right flanke to the left hand In countermarching the left flanke the word is Countermarch the left flanke to the right hand To countermarch the wings into the middest both the vttermost corner-files are to moue toward the middest their halfe rankes following them and meeting in the middest to stand there and face to the front and the word is Countermarch your wings into the middest of the battaile Obserue that in Countermarch by ranke the three Countermarches Macedonian Lacedaemonian and Choraean may be practised as well as in Countermarch by file If the flanke neerest to the enemy begin the Countermarch this the Macedonian countermarch because it maketh a shew of shifting away If the flanke furthest from the enemy begin it is the Lacedemonian in that it carrieth a semblance of falling on But when one flanke countermarcheth till it come iust vp to the other and no further it is the Choraean because it keepeth the same ground Wheeling is the fourth and last motion and it is vsed in the whole entire battaile or in the parts thereof Aelian giueth words of direction for the whole battaile onely and they are these Wheele the body to the Pike or to the Target When the battaile is to wheele to the pike or right hand the right hand corner file-leader is onely to turne his body by little and little to the right hand facing euen with the ranke of file-leaders till such time as hee haue gained the right hand aspect and the rest are to moue about him making him the centor as it were of their circled motion If to the left hand the left hand corner file leader is to doe the like The same order is of wheelin the battaile about to the right or left hand Aelian as I â—aiâ— giueth here no other words of command then for the wheeling of the whole body yet are the wheelings of the parts of great vse for either the flankes are wheeled into the front or the front into the flankes The front is wheeled into the flankes when we desire to forme the Antistomus Phalange to resist the enemy giuing on both flankes And then the two middlemost bringers vp are to stand and the middle file-leaders to diuinde themselues and to moue halfe the battaile to the right halfe to the left hand making those two bringers vp the center of the motion In this the word is Wheele the front into flanks by diuision If the flanks be to be wheeled into the front the two middle file-leaders are to stand still and the two halfe bodies to moue about them one to the right hand the other to the left till the two flanks be in the front and the front in the middest This kind is practised when we would frame the Diphalange Antistomus The word is Wheele the flanks into the front It is to be remembred that after euery motion a restitution to the first posture is to be commanded in these words As you were In facing you are to returne to the contrary hand as if the command were to face to the right in returning you come to the left In doubling you must doe the like In countermarch likewise whether you countermarch the whole body or the parcels thereof you are to returne by the contrary hand After
euery man shall haue three foot distance from other in ranke double them twice the file hath but foure men and euery mans distance in ranke is no more then a foot and halfe which as it is allowable in close order so admitteth it no third dou 〈…〉 wherein the space betwixt man and man cannot exceed three quarters of a foot As therefore the second doubling of ranks in a Phalangarchy albeit it extend the front of the battell leaueth yet too small a depth to the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile it containing no more then foure men in depth so the doubling of files twice fitteth not the Orthiophalange or Herse as hauing 64 in depth and as many in length which number neither holdeth proportion of the depth manifold to the length of the Orthiophalange or Herse nor yet by reason of the length hath conueniency to apply it selfe to streight waies a thing that containeth the principall vse of that manner of battaile which was the cause that antiquity vsed another course If the march were to be made out of a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile they framed a Herse by putting forth out of the right or left wing first one Tetratchy or other body which might march whole according to the largenesse of the ways and after it followed from the same wing the rest of the Army in the same kinde If contrariwise a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile were to be framed out of an Orthiophalange or a Herse they caused the body which had the vaunt to stand firme and the rest following to sleeue vp by it on the right or left hand till they all came to an euen front Xenophon sheweth the manner in a Company whose words are these in English Then he Cyrus the elder beheld another Captaine leading his Company from the river side to dinner one souldier following another in a single file who when hee thought â—it commanded the second and third and fourth file to sleeue vp and make an euen front with the first the file-leaders being new in front hee commanded the halfe files to double the front so that new the Decadarches or leaders of halfe files stood in front Againe when it seemed good he commanded the quarter files to double the front so the Pempedarches or leaders of the quarter of files led vp and the files marched on being diuided into foure parts When they were come vnto the Tent doore hee commanded the first file to single out againe and to enter in and the second to follow it single in the reare and so the third and fourth till all were within the Tent. To cleare these words of Xenophon It is to be vnderstood that the Company or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mentioned consisted of 100 men and was diuided into foure files or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 each file containing twenty foure men The file had fiue Officers the file leader the Decadarch two Pempedarchs and the bringer vp At the head of the file stood the file-leader and behinde him directly fiue men next after them stood the first Pempedarch and fiue men that followed him in the middest of the file that is after the Pempedarch and his fiue was placed the Decadarch who â—ed the hinder most halfe file and after him fiue men more Lastly the second Pempedarch and fiue more after him the last of which was the bringer vp Now when Xenophon saith that the whole Company followed by one or file wise he meaneth that the foure files were cast into one file and followed one another in a right line and by that meanes had 100 in depth and but one in front To bring it therefore to conuenient length from this depth the Captaine commanded the first file leader to make Alte or to stand and the second file leader with his file to aduance and to sleeue vp on the left hand and to front with the first file leader and so both files to stand euen fronted in open order The like he commanded the third and fourth file to doe so that the foure files being laid one to another and fronting equally the front or length of the body had foure men the depth 24. Then because he held this depth disproporcionable to the length in so small a body he againe enlarged the front by doubling commanding the halfe files to double their front The Decadarchs hereupon marched vp to the front and ranked with the file leaders and the halfe files following them ranked with the front-halfe files man to man Now was the front eight in length the flanke or depth twelue To enlarge againe the front and to make the length exceede the depth he commanded the quarter-quarter-files to double the front hereupon the Pempedarchs aduanced marching vp with their quarter files after them till they fronted with the file leaders and Decadarchs and each man of the quarter files ranked with the rest so that the front came to be of 16 men in length the flanke six men in depth and each man in ranke had a foot and halfe distance in file six foot And thus the Company from one file as it were from an Orthiophalange or Herse was formed into a long body somewhat resembling a Plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile To reduce it againe to an Orthiophalange or Herse the Captaine at the entry into the Tent where the whole Company was lodged together first directed the first file to march out namely by the file leader with his fiue then the first Pempedarch with his fiue after him the Decadarch with his fiue lastly the second Pempedarch with his fiue which drawing out of the Officers one after another in depth with the parts of the file Commanded by them immediately brought the file to the iust depth of 24. This being done the second file followed the first in like order and the third the second last of al came the fourth and this was the manner of changing one forme into another and albeit the example be but of a Company yet is the reason all one in a Phalange or battaile for as a company is compacted of many files so is a phalange of diuers companies and as one file in the example before was led after another filewise so is or may one company or other body be led after another making thereby an Orthiophalange or Herse and as one file aduanced to front with another to the intent to alter the forme of the Orthiophalange so must the bodies or companies sleeue vp one by another to make a plagiophalange or broad-fronted battaile yet want there not Examples in the Greeke History of turning the Orthiophalange or Herse into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile and by consequence the plagiophalange into an Orthiophalange Cherisophus in the returne of the 10000 Grecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia had the leading of the Vant-gard all the way He in his march in Armenia perceiuing the Chalybes Taochians and Phasians had taken
certaine mountaines ouer which the Grecians were to passe made alte some 30 furlongs before hee came to the Enemy lest encountring with the enemy hee should fight with his army being led in a wing or Orthiophalange He commanded therefore the Captaines that followed him with their companies euery one after another to sleeue vp their companies by his to the intent to cast the army into a plagiophalange or broad fronted battaile When thereare Commanders were come vp hee called a counsell to aduise of the best course in proceeding Here is the order of the Grecians march expressed to be in a Herse or Orthiophalange which consisted of many companies one following another and likewise the manner of transfiguring the Herse into a broad fronted phalange viz. the Captaines one after another sleeuing vp their companies by Cherisophus his company on the left hand and making an equall front with him And yet this example containeth no more then the sleeuing vp of the Companies vpon one flanke Cherisophus first made a Stand with his companie hauing the vant the following Captaines sleeued vp their companies on his left hand as the files did one after another in the other example Alexander vsed another kinde of sleeuing a little before he fought the battell of Issos For caufing the vant-gard first to stand he commanded the rest of the foot to march vp to the front of the vant-gard on either flanke The words lye thus in Arrian Alexander hauing by midnight gained the Streights of Cilicia setting out a streight watch vpon the rockes rested and refreshed his army till morning b◠day-breake he descended from the streights in the ordinary way and as long as the passage was narrow he led in a wing afterwards the mountaines opening a greater distance he enlarged his wing into a phalange by little and little still sleeuing vp the armed one body after another to the front on the right hand toward the mountaines on the left hand toward the Sea The Horse all this while marched after the foot but comming to ground of larger capacity they were ordered on the wings This manner of working to make a phalange out of Herse was by drawing the following companies vp on both flanks on the right toward the mountaines on the left toward the sea so that it differeth from the other forme wherein the Companies were sleeued but vpon one hand A third way of making a Plagiophalange of a Herse I finde in Polybius Machanidas the Lacedemonian Tyrant saith he being to fight with Philopaemea the Achaean Generall who had fashioned his army into a broad fronted phalange made semblance at first as though he meant in a Herse to charge the right wing of the Enemies battaile but approaching neerer at a conuenient distance he brake off the hinder part of the Herse and facing it to the right hand marched out and led it out in length and ioyned it in equall front with his right wing thereby equalling the left wing of the Achaeans In this manner of transforming the Herse into broad fronted phalange the companies or bodies follow not one another to sleeue vp to the front but halfe the Plagiophalange is broken off at once the reare halfe and facing to the right or left hand is led vp and ioyned in an euen front with the other halfe not vnlike to our vsagein exercise when we command our middle men with their halfe files to face to the right or left hand and marching out to double the front of our battaile Thus much may suffice for the names vse and reduction of one of these two Phalanges to another The third Phalange mentioned in this Chapter followeth 7 The Phalange Loxe There are two kindes of Loxes or vneuen fronted Phalanges The front of the one is figured in a continued right line stretched out bias-wise thus The other hath as it were two fronts formed out of two seuerall parts of the Phalange the one aduancing against the Enemy to begin the fight the other staying behinde and keeping the first ground being ordered without the flanke of the first that vpon occasion it may likewise aduance and ioyne or else retire from the Enemy and giue backe the figure shewes the shape of it the last hath bin vsed by great Generals as a forme of aduantage in fight The first onely to win a passage as I take it ouer a riuer or such like where the broad-fronted Phalange could not passe and to bring the Armie to a ground where it might be ordered in better forme for fight I will giue one Example for I read not many of the first Alexander hauing conueied his armie ouer Hellespont and entred into Phrygia came as farre as the riuer Granicus Three Lieutenants of Darius with 20000. Horse and well nigh as many foot had embattelled themselues on the other side of the riuer to hinder his passage The riuer was full of depths and slallowes somewhat dangerous to enter and the bankes on the further side high rough and steepie besides the Enemy was ready with horse cast into a long or broad-fronted phalange and with seconds of foot to beat him backe that should offer to clymbe the bankes Alexander being resolued to passe ouer first ordered his troopes in a broad-fronted phalange The right wing he commanded himselfe and gaue the command of the left to Parmenio then putting the Scout-horse with the Paeonians into the riuer and after them a Phalangarchy of foot led by Amyntas the sonne of Arrabius and then Ptolomy the sonne of Phillip who commanded the troope of Socrates which troop had the Vaunt of all the horse that day himselfe with the right wing entred the riuer the Trumpets sounding and the Army giuing a shout extending still his battell bias-wise against the Streame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the end the Persians might not fall vpon him as he led in a wing but himselfe as much as was possible might come to ioyne with them hauing the front of his phalange extended in length The Persians cast Darts from the high ground against the troopes of Amyntas and of Socrates as they approached to the further banke and some of them where the ground was more euen descended to the brinke of the riuer so there was thrusting and sholdering of Horsemen some to ascend out of the riuer some to hinder the ascent The Persians let flye many a dart the Macedonians fought with speares The first Macedonians that came to hands with the Persians were cut a peeces fighting valiantly saue only those that retired vnto Alexander who was now neere aduanced with the right wing He himself first of all charged the Persians where the principal strength of the whole body of their horse and the Generals of the field stood about him was a strong fight and in the meane time one troope after another passed easily ouer the riuer This passage of the History is long and therefore I forbeare to recite the rest onely
yet remaine the files files as they were before and are not altered into rankes Aelian himselfe giueth testimony hereto affirming that the Phalange proceedeth not by file but by ranke whereas if the files held not their first name after wheeling to the right or left flank the march forward the file-leaders being in the flanke should be by file and not by ranke 4. For the phalange marcheth in a double treble or quadruple side A doublesided 〈…〉 is that which hath the file-leaders on both the flankes the rest backe to backe within when the enemy giueth on For otherwise when they march forward all their faces are set one way that is toward the place whether the march is intended A treble-sided battaile is when three sides of the battaile are to be charged whether the front and both the flankes or both the flanks and the reare or the reare one of the flanks and the front and the file-leaders are ordered on all the three sides A quadruple battaile is when the file-leaders are placed in front in the reare and in both the flankes An example of the quadruple battaile will shew the vse and framing of the rest for as the rest oppose one two or three sides against the enemy so the quadruple fortifieth and strengthneth all the foure sides by placing the file-leaders in them Of ordering the file-leaders vpon one flanke deduction may be be an example vpon both flanks the Antistomus phalange vpon front and reare the Amphistomus on all foure sides the Plesium of all which occasion will be giuen to speake hereafter Now I may signifie that the Plesium is a square hollow battaile the length whereof much exceedeth the depth hauing the armed foot placed on all the foure sides the light-armed throwne into the middest The Graecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia against King Artaxerxes after their Coronels were taken prisoners and put to death by the subtilty and periury of Tissaphernes being but 10000. and to retreat thorow open and plaine grounds in which they were like to be charged by an infinite number of horse and foot by the aduice of Xenophon cast themselues into this forme his words are in effect these Wee shall it may be march in more safety if we order our selues into a Plesium of armed foot and giue the carriage and disarmed multitude a place of security within the hollownesse of the battaile If therefore it be now resolued afore-hand who shall command in the front of the Plesium and take charge of Vaunt who on the flanks and who in the reare we shall not neede to take aduise at the approach of the enemy but put in execution that which is resolued before And a little after And mine opinion is that Cherisophus is the fittest Commander for the Vaunt because he is a Lacedemonian and let two of the â—ldest Coronels take care of the Flankes the yongest namely my selfe and Timasion will looke to the reare This was Xenophons counsell and in this forme they marched and being charged afterward with both Persian Horse and foot they defended themselues against all efforts of the Enemy The quadruple battaile therefore was vsed when the enemy was expected to giue on all sides and he that can frame it can easily cast his troopes into the other two formes yet will not euery receiuing the enemy in flanke proue a Deduction for in case of necessity and sudden approaches of the enemy you shall be driuen to Facing wherein you onely turne the faces of souldiers to the flanke without any deduction See the figure of this battaile expressed in the picture 5. Doe make the length double to the depth I suspect this place to be corrupted in the text of Aelian the rather because before in the description of a Deduction he saith that Deductions proceed in a wing wherein the depth manifoldly exceedeth the length of the battaile as the last fore-going chapter doth shew Besides the example which is giuen in the text is not of double proportion but of treble and more ten comprehending three three times and more Of the Phalange Antistomus CHAP. XXXVIII 1 THe Phalange Amphistomus for it is so called because it hath two fronts and that part of the battaile that is set and aduanced against the enemy is called a front seeing then in this forme the middle-most are ordered backe to backe and those in the front and reare make head against the enemy the one being Commanders in front the other in reare therefore it is called Amphistomus It is of great vse against an enemy strong in Horse and able to giue a hot and dangerous charge and principally practised against Cap. 38 The Phalange Amphistomus those Barbarians that inhabit about the riuer Ister whom they also call Amphippi because they change their Horse in fight The Horse battaile to encounter this forme hath a tetragonall shape being for the purpose diuided into two broad squares they are called broad squares that haue the front twice as much as the depth and those squares are opposed seuerally against the flanks of the foot-battaile NOTES 1 THere are many kinds of battailes which being vsefull for a march are described partly in the former two chapters partly in this and in the chapters following whereof some are for ease of the march as the induction some for fight Those which are for fight are either offensiue or else defensiue Of the offensiue kinde is the Caelembolos before mentioned of the defensiue the Triphalange to be opposed against the Caelembolos and both the deductions which are represented in the two last Chapters and in this chapter is described another of the defensiue formes that is to say the Phalange Autistomus in which although the march be not continued for it is alwayes taken vp in a stand to resist a charge of the enemy yet it is a remedy defensiue against the sudden attempts of the enemy which is about to charge your reare 2. The Phalange Amphistomus The title of this chapter is litigious and there is a controuersie amongst the learned which of two names the chapter should beare Gaza Gesner and Arcierus would haue it inscribed Antitistomus Robortellus Amphistomus I haue in the translation followed the opinion of Robortellus my reason was because of these words in Aelian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they in the beginnings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 charge the enemy which word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I haue not read applied to the flankes and therefore tooke it for front and reare because the one namely the front is as it were the beginning of the battaile the other viz. the reare is the end In which sence if you take the word the description must needs agree with the Amphistomus which the enemy charging both front and reare with the file-leaders and their halfe files as they stand receiue those that charge the front with the brnigers-vp and the other halfe files facing about to the right or left hand those which
the front of the enemy Agis and his troopes stood in the middest Aratus after he had imparted his purpose to the Arcadians fled himselfe and with him that part of the army which he commanded as if he feared the impression of the Lacedemonians in giuing backe hee brought the army into the forme of an halfe moone The Lacedemonians and Agis thinking they had the victory in their hands pursued Aratus and his troopes more egerly The wing followed the King esteeming it no small conquest to haue soyled Aratus In the meane time they perceiued not the Arcadians that were at their backe and the Lacedemonians being encompassed round about lost both many other of their army and Agis also their King the sonne of Endamidas was flaine Leo also in sea fight giueth his Generall counsell how to entrap his enemy with a shew of flight in giuing backe with fashioning an halfe moone These be his words in effect If a Generall be to retire before the enemies Nauy let him retire fashioning his Nauy into a battaile Menoeides anasailyng with his poupes forward and so seeme to shunne the enemy For if he flye not but retire fighting hee shall haue his ships ready to turne vpon the enemy with their prowes bent against him And if need require he may retire with his poupes toward the enemy for the enemy shall not dare to enter into the hollownesse for feare of being encompassed So Leo. The Menoeides therefore may be framed during fight but this caution is to be remembred that in sudden transmutations of battailes you vse not the seruice of raw souldiers but of such as haue experience lest all be brought into confusion and the enemy charge you while you are changing your forme Now as formes of aduantage are to be sought against the enemy so is it needfull to aduise what best opposition is to be made against such battailes in case the enemy vse them The Rombe of horse was of old time accounted a forcible figure against foot the horse therein had the better The Menoeides was inuented to resist and ouerthrow the horse The foot had beene the better what was then best for the horse to abstaine from charging saith Aelian and to ply the foot with missiue weapons to the end to force them to break their strong forme of embattailing So now they stand vpon equall tearmes and the foot can with their shot annoy the horse as well as the horse can annoy the foot Aelian then sheweth a meanes for the horse to auoide the danger of this manner of embattailing for foot vsing this forme against foot hee sheweth no remedy I will set downe what I finde and here I neede not to repeat the remedy that Epaminondas vsed against the Lacedemonian halfe-moone it is related at large in my Notes vpon the 30 Chap. Onosander giueth this aduise Diuide your battaile saith hee into 3 parts with the two outwardest charge the Enemies winges the third that is ordered against the middle and as it were the bosome of the Cressant aduance it not but let it stand firme for either they that are placed in the middest of the Cressant shall standidle or else aduancing in an euen front will throng one another and breake their battaile For the two fronts fighting in the winges and keeping their place it is not possible for the halfe circle to come forward with an euen front when they are therefore confused and haue broken their array let the third battaile that remained in the middest for seconds charge them as they disorderl aduance If they still keepe their place in the bottome of the hollownesse oppose the light-armed and darters against them who will exceedingly distresse them with their missiue weapons likewise you may doe well to frame a Loxe-phalange of your whole Army and with your two Loxes charge the winges preuenting so the circling and encompasing of the Menoeides For the Enemy being a long while hindered from comming to blowes with his whole Army shall bee kept in play with a few none fighting but those onely that are in the winges which first of necessitie must ioyne because of the oblique onset It will not bee a misse also leisurely to retire with the Army sometimes as though you were in feare or else facing about to make your retreat orderly as if you fled and afterward turning sudd onely to meete the Enemie that presseth vpon you For sometimes the Enemie being ouer-ioyed in the imagination of a true flight doth follow vnaduisedly and make a disorderly pursuit euery man pressing to be formost vpon whom you may returne without danger and againe chase them that follow you who will be struckes with a fear in that you dare contrary to their expectation turne again make head against them Onosander giueth here three wayes to resist the Menoeides one by diuiding your battaile into a Triphalange opposing two phalanges against the two wings of the Cressant forbearing and standing firme with the third till opportunity be to moue which is the battaile that Aelian opposeth against the Caelembolos The second by vsing the Loxe-phalange against it as did Epaminondas at the battaile of Leustra against the Lacedemonian halfe moone as I haue shewed elsewhere namely Chap. 30. § 7. The third in making semblance of flying for the halfe moone is a forme which in standing may well be kept whole in mouing will soone be broken and fall into disorder as Cicuta an Italian writer noteth very well If then you faine to flye keeping your men in order the Menoeides following you will breake of it selfe and so you haue good opportunity to returne and in all likelihood to win the day against it especially being in disorder Leo giueth the same aduise to his Generall onely he speaketh of Sea matters Onosander of Land seruice Words of direction for the Rhombe For the forming of the Rhombes see the 19 Chapter and my Notes vpon that Chapter § 6. For the Cressnnt First order your body into a long square Plagiophalanx 1 The 2 file-leaders in the middest of the square stand 2 The next 2 on either hand mooue forward one foot before the other two their files mouing withall and holding their distance 3 So the 4 next file-leaders each before other on either side a foot 4 Then two more on either side aduance before the rest that mooued two foot a peece 5 Then the 2 next on either side 3 foot apeece To restore to the first Posture Face about Moue all at once excepting the 2 middle files and take your first ground Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and the Plagiophalange to bee opposed against it CHAP. XLV 1 THE horse-battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the length It is profitable in many respects 2 For seeming to bee but a few in so small a breadth it deceiueth the Enemie and easily breaketh his forces with the thicknesse strength of the embattailing and may without perceiuing
directions Doe what you are commanded with silence keepe your places euery man follow your colours And in another place he writeth thus When your Army goeth out to ioyne with the enemy there ought to be a deepe silence For that both preserueth the Army from disorder and also maketh the directions of the Commanders to be heard with more attention And againe thus There ought to be as much silence as may be in the Army and if the bringers vp of any file heare but a whispering of their fellowes in the file they are to pricke the parties with the points of their pikes and so to redresse the fault Alexander when he was returning from the Countrey of the Taulantians into which he had made an inrode found his way beset with enemies and being to cast his Army into a forme of battaile to fight he first commanded an absolute silence and then proceeded to other directions And for the effect of silence our owne story hath a memorable example of the Army of Edward the fourth in Barnet field As for the silence here prescribed by Aelian it extendeth not onely to exercise and fight but oftentimes to the marching of an Army and to the Campe as appeareth by the last example and by Leos precept in his eleuenth Chapter And yet this precept of silence is not inuiolably to be kept in an Army at all times for there is a time when the Souldiers ought to giue a generall shout and cry thorow the whole Army to the end to terrifie the aduerse battaile of the enemy and that time hath alwayes beene chosen and by all Nations obserued when the fight is presently to be vndergone I neede not bring instances thereof euery man knoweth it that is although but meanely acquainted with History It is termed in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latine clamor in English a shout of the whole Army the which being performed silence is to be restored in as strict manner a before And thus much of silence Now followeth the words of direction in Aelians last Chapter Of the words of direction CHAP. LIIII THus then are we to command 1 To your armes 2 Carriage away from the battaile 3 Be silent and marke your directions 4 Take vp your armes 5 Seperate your selues 6 Aduance your Pikes 7 File your selues 8 Ranke your selues 9 Looke to your leaders 10 Reare-Commander strengthen your file 11 Keepe your first distances 12 Face to the pike Moue a little further Stand so 13 As you were 14 Face to the Target Moue a little further Stand so 15 As you were 16 Face about to the pike 17 As you were 18 Double your depth 19 To your first posture 20 The Lacedemonian Countermarch 21 To your first posture 22 The Macedonian Countermarch 23 To your first posture 24 The Choraean Countermarch 25 To your first posture The precepts of the art Tacticks haue I deliuered vnto you most inuincible Caesar which I make no doubt will bring to the practice safety and victory ouer his enemies NOTES THese words of direction here set downe are rather to shew the manner of Command then to expresse the iust number of directions vsed in exercise yet doth Leo the Emperour transcribe some of them albeit not all out of Aelian and the last in Leo hath a mixture of two motions in one direction being deliuered in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in Latine translated by Sir Iohn Check Laconicum ad hasta 〈…〉 triuolue and may be thus englished wheele thrice the Lacedemonian Countermarch to the right hand wherein there is both wheeling and the Lace emonian Countermarch commanded at once a thing impossible to be performed For as in wheeling the whole battaile remaineth entire and moueth circlewise about the right ot left corner fileleader as about a Center So in a Countermarch Lacedemonian it is broken and beginneth to moue by seuerall ranks and continueth the motion in a direct line from the front to the reare and not in a circle But for the precepts of Aelian I purpose to explaine onely such as are vsed by the Souldiers and Commanders of our time And after taking of armes I hold this to be the first at lest when we begin to moue 6 Aduance your Pikes Pikes in ordering of a battaile must be first aduanced before any motion can be performed in as much as all other postures of the Pike doe hinder or else are vnfit for transmutations and variety of changes and from aduaneing the rest of pike-postures doe spring Ordering of the Pike was deuised to ease the Souldier standing still shouldering to ease him in matching aduancing to giue facility to the other postures and to finish them because they both begin and end in it 7 8. File and ranke your selues It is needlesse to note that no battaile can be without filing and ranking This we must vnderstand that the Captaine is to see whether the Souldiers be filed and ranked but the action it selfe pertaineth to the Souldiers who knowing their files and rankes are euery man to take their place accordingly for so ought it to be in true discipline of Warre 9 Looke to your Leader The file-leader is the life and giuer of forme vnto the file He is the life in that he moueth first and draweth the rest vnto the same motion he giueth the forme vnto it because it being nothing else but a right line his standing being the first point directeth the rest to follow lineally one after another In this precept therefore Looke to your Leader two things are commanded one that the rest of the file should obserue to moue and stand still as he doth the other that they should maintaine a straightnesse and rightnesse in length which is the forme of the file 10 Reare-commander order your file In the Greeke Edition of Aelian is read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is file-leader But in a Manuscript which I haue seene is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bringer vp or reare-commander and so is it read in Leos Tacticks and I take it to be the true reading this command rather appertaining to the reare-Commander then to the file-leader for the file-leader being the foremost of the file and bearing his face out of the front how can he see whether the file that is behinde him be in right order or not The bringer-vp hath his face toward the whole file as it standeth out before him and therefore may easily discerne if any man be in disorder and reforme them that are the cause of the disorder In which respect it is euident that he is fitter for the command then the file-leader which is the cause that I haue translated the word of direction as before Reare-commander order your file 11 Keepe your first distances That is stand in your open order For in that distance is the exercise first legunne It is a seemely thing to see an euen proportion obserued in the motion of
in the 24 Chapter rehearsing shortly the appellations or words of Military discipline he placeth these formes after Induction and Deduction I take it therefore that their proper place is after the 37 Chapter the rather because all the formes of Marches from thenceforth handled are either Squares of the one kinde or other or else spring out of these Squares I noted before that there are three kinds of Squares one that hath a longer front then flanke another that hath a longer flanke then front the third that hath the front and flanke equall Of the third Aelian speaketh in the 42 Chapter of the first and second in this Chapter of these two therefore I will treat in order And first I will handle the Names then the Vse lastly the Manner how to transforme one into another The first is called 1. Plagiophalanx or the broad-fronted Phalange The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is often interpreted for oblique which signification it cannot haue heere the oblique Phalange being in this Chapter tearmed by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet distingnished from the Plagiophalanx They that translate Plagiophalanx the transuerse or ouer-thwart fronted Phalange agree better with Aelians meaning because it meeteth the enemy with a front trans-uerse and drawne out in length and directly opposite against him I haue rendred it the broad fronted Phalange as more fitting the English tongue It may also be called the long-fronted Phalange For breadth I haue remembred it before and length of a Phalange are all one In this sense is the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Arrian being applied to the manner of bearing of a Pike He telleth that Alexander transported his Army ouer the riuer Ister to inuade the territory of the Getes and hath thus The number of those that passed the riuer with Alexander were about 1500 horse and 4000 foot They passed in the night and landed where the Corne was high which was the cause that their arriuall was not descried As soone as the morning appeared Alexander led them through the Corne fields Commanding the foot that bearing downe the Corne with their Pikes held a thwart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they should march into the Champeigne The manner of their bearing of Pikes as I interpret it was this They tooke the Pikes in the midst with both their hands and so bore them out not with the points forward but crosse and paralell the front of the Phalange that the file leaders with one ioynt force might ledge and beare downe the high-growne Corne and make easier passage for those that followed If they had carried them out slope or oblique which is the other signification of the word it had beene no more then the particular force of euery man a part that held his Pike sloping besides that they would haue beene intangled in the Corne whereas the bearing of them crosse parrallell with the front was the ioynt force of so many file-leaders as did thrust forward against the Corne. Therefore as when the Pike is borne in full length crosse the front of the battaile the posture of the Pike is said to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so is a Phalange termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hath a front stretched out in euen length and opposed against the euen front of the aduerse battaile of the enemy 2. The length manifoldly exceeding the depth Aelian sets not downe expresly any proportion of the excesse of the length aboue the depth onely he saith it must manifoldly exceed the depth We must take it then that the excesse of the length must be at the least threefold for thrice fals into the appellation of manifold A Macedonian fourefold Phalange may iustly challenge this name being 1024 men in length onely 16 in depth And likewise a Phalangarch led seuerally and by it selfe as hauing 256 men in length but 16 in depth The rest of the bodies of the fourefold Phalange till you come downe to a Pentecosiarchy albeit ranged by themselues are likewise Plagiophalanges or broad-fronted bastacles A Pentecosiarchy hath onely twice so many in front as in flanke as 32 in front 16 in flanke and therefore commeth not vnder the name of a broad-fronted Phalange So that let the battaile be as long as you list hauing but the ordinary depth it still is accounted a Plagiophalange When it is but twice so long in front as in flanke it cannot deserue that name but it is to be termed rather a Square of ground because the flanke in a square of ground taketh vp as much ground as the front To the Battaile-broad-fronted is next added the Phalange called 3. Orthiophalange or Herse which albeit it haue the length and depth vnequall as hath the Plagiophalange or broad-fronted Phalange yet must the depth manifoldly exceede the length which is contrary in the Plagiophalange This saith Aelian proceedeth in 4. A wing To proceede in a Wing is to march on with a parcell or one body of the Army namely with a certaine number of files as with a Tetrarchy Taxis or Syntagna and to follow with the rest in like manner so that the whole army holdeth no proportion of length or breadth to the depth That which is called by Aelian Orthiophalanx is called by Diodorus Siculus and by Arrian 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a deepe phalange because the forme of it ariseth out of the depth of the embattailing as I haue noted vpon the seuenth Chapter This kinde of march the Greeke writers expresse by the words of leading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in a wing whereas the other kinde with a large front I meane the broad-fronted Phalange is said to be led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in a Phalange and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in front 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in extention of breadth The words I recite to helpe them who although they be skilfull in the Greeke tongue yet are not so well acquainted with the Tactickes and may easily mistake or not vnderstand the signification if they be not forewarned But because I haue before in my notes vpon the seuenth Chapter touched this matter I will here vse an example or two onely to explaine and to giue light to both formes Arrian reporteth that when Alexander was to passe the riuer Granicus on the further side whereof the Persians had embattailed themselues in a broad-fronted phalange to hinder his passage Parmenio one of his eldest and best Commanders came vnto him and gaue him this counsell Sir said hee Consider the Persians are ready to encounter you on the other side my opinion is you cannot gaine the passage without exceeding danger both because your phalange cannot be led in front that is in a broad front by reason of the many and sundry depths that are to be
one directly after another How they stood Polybius shewes describing the same battaile He saith that Scipio ordered the Hastati and their ensignes first of all the rest and in front and gaue interuals to their maniples behinde them the Principes not against the interuals of the Hastati as the Roman manner was but behinde them in a right line because of the multitude of the Enemies Elephants and lastly the Triarij On the wing of the left flanke he ranged C. Lelius with the Italian Horse vnder him on the right Massanissa and all the Numidian Horse which he commanded The interuals of the first Ensignes that is of the Hastati he filled with the bodies of light armed commanding them first to vndertake the fight and in case they were not able to withstand the affront of the the enemy or of the Elephants he willed them to retire some that could preuent the rest with speed through the direct interuals of the maniples to thereare of the army other that were in a manner surprised to the flankes neere the Ensignes This ordering of Maniples one directly after another so termed and described by Polybius Appian calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which notwithstanding if truly examined cannot according to the Grecian practise come within the compasse of that name For the Grecians as I said drew their Companies seuerally each into a file and laying foure or fiue or six or more of them together made a body the depth whereof much exceeded the length or breadth the front being of 4. 5. or 6. men in ranke the depth of 100 whereas the Romans as appeareth by Polybius kept their ordinary manner of embattelling sauing that they placed their principes not against the interuals of the Hastati as their custome was but directly behinde the Maniples of the Hastati to the end the Elephants of the Carthaginians might haue an empty and void lane as it were to passe through their whole Army As for the Roman Maniples they consisted of two parts ioyned together which they called Ordines and euery Ordo contained 60 men commanded by a Captaine so that the Maniple had in it 120 men and two Captaines or Centurions These 120 men being digested into files containing 10 men a peece for that was the length of file and the depth of the Maniple make 12 files which stood one by another ranged in front not stretched one after another in depth But because the Maniples of the Hastati principes and the Triarij stood directly one after another therefore Appian called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either out of the ignorance of the manner of embattelling amongst the Romans or else because the Grecians in their writings reduced the order of the Roman embattelling vnto their owne vsage So they called a Tribune of the Roman Army a Chiliarch albeit a Chiliarch amongst the Grecians and a Tribune amongst the Romans differ very much as I haue noted vpon the ninth Chapter of Aelian the manner of embattailing of the Army of Acilius Glabrio a Roman Consull in the streights of Thermopyle commeth neerer vnto the Greekish forme Appian describeth it thus Antiochus hauing fortified the streights of Thermopyle with a double wall and drawne forth his army ordâ—â—ly for fight to make good the place against Acilius Acilius diuided his troopes into three parts and giuing one part to Cato toâ—laccus â—laccus the one to make his passage on the one side of the Hils the other on the other himselfe led the ordinary way against Antiochus and framing of his owneâ— part 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which manner of embattelling alone saith Appian seruetâ— for streight wayes â—e pushed on and forced his Enemy to retire gained his Campe. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here mentioned are no other then the Orthie-phalange which Aelian hath set downe in this Chapter namely hauing one Maniple or if the streight permitted not a Maniple of 12 files to march entirely in front one Ordo consisting of six files to aduance the rest following in the same â—inde as the fashion is of the right induction remembred by Aelian hereafter in his 36 Chapter Now albeit that forme come neerer to the Graecian forme yet it is not the same the one filling the way with the Maniple or Ordo as it fell our in the same figure that it stands in the field the other changing the order of the field drawing the Company out into one file and ioyning other Companies with it in front as many as the way would receiue So that the Grecian had too in depth of the body the Roman but 10. We are not to pretermit that albeit Acilius vsed this forme to dislodge 〈…〉 from the Hâ—ll yet he trusted not to it alone but diuiding his 〈…〉 into three parts he caused two of them to march vp the hils on both sides himselfe on the midst to the end that one part might â—aine the height ouer 〈…〉 head and so make him forsake his ground Thus farre of the vse of these two 〈…〉 of Phalanges or battailes it remaineth to shew how one of them may be transsormed into another The next proceeding Chapter teacheth that out of doublings of Rankes the length of the battell ariseth as the depth out of doubling of files I haue shewed the manner of both in my notes vpon the 8 and 29 Chapter And this manner is easie in a single Company or in a small Army In great Bodies it hath no great vse let the Example be of a Phalangarchy which is the fourth part of a fourefold Phalange and containeth 256 files Double the files once you shall 128 files and 32 men in depth and but 3 foot distance in ranke The second doubling bringeth forth 64 files and as many men in depth but the distance betwixt ranke and ranke is but a foot and a halfe Beyond this doubling you cannot proceede for beside the confusion of places of officers which are in number aboue 250 in a Phalangarchy the interuals betwixt man and man will not conueniently allow aboue two doublings your open order betwixt man and man wherein they stand at first giueth but six foot The first doubling takes away three foot from euery internall the second leaueth but a soot and halfe And considering that when the battell is closed for fight the neerest distance betwixt ranke and ranke ought to be no lesse then three foot in regard of handling of weapons as I haue shewed before out of Polybius The second doubling albeit it yeeldeth roome from the bodies of Souldiers to stand in yet it takes away the halfe of this distance but the third doubling allowing but 3 quarters of a foot for each man to stand in giueth not so much ground as his body will possesse So is it likewise of Ranks which will not suffer aboue two doublings fit for vse Aelians file is of â—6 men double your rankes once your file will containe no more then eight men and
both Greeke and Latine These were the signes vsed in the battell and in the Campe without the Campe were set Sentinels both horse and foot to fore-warne and giue aduerrisement to the Generall of the Enemies approach To these oftentimes the Generall gaue a signe amongst themselues and they by signes signified what was done abroad For the manner of placing these Sentinels see Aeneas The signes themselues were such as might be discerned by the eye and of that kinde and forme whereof I haue made mention already Of Marching and of the diuers kind of battels fit for a march And first of the right induction of the Caelembolos and of the Triphalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XXXVI 1 BEing now to speake of marching I will first giue to vnderstand that some kinde of march is a 2 right-induction othersome a 3 deduction on the right or left hand and that in a single or double or treble or quadruplesided battell In a single when one Enemy is feared in a double when two in a treble when three in a quadruple when the Enemy purposeth to giue on all sides Therefore the March is vndertaken sometimes in a single sometimes in a double or in a threefold or in a fourefold phalange 4 A right induction is when one body of the same kinde followeth another as if a Xenagy lead the rest follow Xenage-wise or if a Tetrarchy lead the rest follow according to that forme It is so called when the march stretcheth it selfe forth into a wing hauing the depth many times exceeding the length Against it is opposed the caelembolos or hollow-wedge which is framed when the Antistomus diphalange disioyneth the leading wings closing the reare in forme of the letter V as the figure after doth teach in which the front is disseuered and the reare ioyned and knit together for the right induction pointing at the midst of the Enemies battell the Caelembolos quickly opening before serueth both to frustrate the charge of the front of the induction and to claspe in and circumuent the flanks thereof Furthermore a Triphalange is to be set against the Caelembolos one Phalange fighting against one wing of the Caelembolos the second against the other and the middle or third phalange forbearing and expecting a time fit to charge NOTES THe Marching of an Army is a principall head of warre Aelian toucheth it no further then to shew the order and shapes of battels fit for a March and were it possible that all grounds were alike open and without impediments as namely without trees ditches hedge-rowes ragged waies valleys hils brooks and such like the best forme of your marching should be to proceede with your whole phalange in a square battell which forme is teady for all attempts of the enemy and is the beginning and sourse of other formes and with no great difficulty wil take be changed into any shape you desire Leo sheweth the inconueniency of the Herse or induction in marching thorow Champaine and large plaines first in that the Enemy with a broad-fronted battaile may enfold and encompasse the front and so easily rout it then because if the Enemy charge the flanke it will quickly be broken as being without depth further if he fall vpon the reare it is in the like danger of encompassing as was the front lastly neither can the front giue succour and assistance to the reare in case it be ouerpressed by the Enemy nor yet the reare to the front they being so farre distance one from another And he concludeth that the forme of a square or broad-fronted battaile is fit for a march in all occasions being easily to be ordered and without danger But seeing it is not possible as Polibius saith or else very hard to finde out places of 20 furlong or more where in none of the impediments aboue recited shall be the formes of marching must necessarily be accommodated to the ground and wayes through which your forces are to passe what formes they be the following Chapters will shew 2. Some kinde of March is a right Induction The expectation of the enemies approach is oftentimes a cause of varying thâ— kindes of march if he alwayes appeared in front there should need no other proceeding then with the file-leaders in front because he seekes his aduantage and in the March sometimes attacheth the reare sometimes one flanke sometimes another the Grecians to prouide for all attempts so ordered their March that wheresoeuer they feared the enemies giuing on there they opposed the file-leaders as the best men of the Armie and most able to receiue the affront yet for the most part the March was vndertaken in a right induction that is without inuerting the ordinary kind of file-leading in front which also is our manner of marching at this day But yet sometimes in a 3. Deduction on the right or left hand There is but one kind of right induction viz. a march that hath the file-leaders in the front Of Deductions there are 2 kinds one to the right the other to the left hand And because the file-leaders march on the right or left hand flanke not in front therefore the one is called a right hand deduction the other a left hand deduction So that not the body which continueth or beginneth the march but the place of the file-leaders in the march makes the difference betwixt Induction and Deduction What the Vse of Deduction is we shall see in the next Chapter 4. A right Induction is Aelian describeth the right Induction by the marching of seuerall bodies of one kind one after another as if a Xenagy lead all the rest of the forces are to bee separated into Xenagies and singly one after another to follow the first leading Xenagy so of other bodies lesser or greater Notwithstanding in a right Induction wee must take this caution withall that the file-leaders proceed in the front for otherwise if they bee placed in the flanke it is now no induction but a deduction howsoeuer the seuerall bodies of a kind follow one another This is that manner of marching which is called marching in a wing of which I haue spoken sufficiently in my notes vpon the 30 Chapter There are other kind of inductiue marches set forth in the Greeke History which are not altogether of the forme which Aelian describeth for where Aelian would haue Xenagies to follow one another with the file-leaders in front his meaning is that the whole 16 files of the Xenagie should bee laid together all the file-leaders being layed in an euen front Now you haue examples where whole Companies march in one file so that all the file-leaders haue not the front but rest included in the inward parts of the file and yet many of these files ioyned together make an induction Xenophon reporteth that when Cyrus the elder was mustering and exercising his Army in the field there came vnto him a messenger from Cyaxares the King of the Medes being Cyrus
his vnkle signifying that an Ambassador was arriued from the Indies in which regard said hee the King would haue you to come to him with all speed and I bring you from Cyaxares one of his richest garments For he desireth in regard the Indians are to see you that your presence may bee adorned with as faire and sumptuous apparell as may bee Cyrus receiuing this message commanded the first Taxiarchi to stand in front hauing his Company ordered behind him in one file and himselfe holding the right corner file of the battell and willed him to deliuer that Command to the second Taxiarch and so the word to passe to the rest They quickly obeyed and put the Command in execution and so it came to passe in short space that the Front had in it 300 for so many the Taxiarches were the depth of the battell 100. After they stood in this order hee commanded them to follow as he led and straightway he led them running but because hee perceiued that the way was too streight to march with so many in Front hee willed the first Chiliarchy to follow in the same order in which it then was and the second in the Reare thereof and so the rest and he sent two Sergeants to the turnings of the way to giue direction to such as were not fully instructed in the businesse When they were come to Cyaxares gate hee willed the first Taxiarch to order his Company 12 deepe and the Dodecadarches to stand in Front all along the pallace and hee willed to signifie so much to the next Taxiarch and so the rest one to another through the whole Army They did as they were commanded and he went in to Cyaxares Here haue you first a Company drawne into file and so standing then 299 Companies fashioned into files and laid flanke-wise to the first and so marching as long as the ground would permit The ground afterward being capable of no more then 10 in front the Chiliarchy of the right hand was drawne forth to leade the march which consisted of 10 Companies the Body being 10 in front and 100 in depth The rest of all the Chiliarchies followed the Reare one of another in the same order comming to a place where Alte was to be made the first Taxiarch drew out his Company by 12 placing the first file leader in front with the first 12 of the file and sleeuing vp the Dodecadarch of the same file to Front with the file leader and the hindermost 12 of them that followed him to ranke with the former halfe file the like was done by the 3 other files so that each Taxis had 8 in Front and 12 in depth and there being 30000 men in that Army the whole Army comprehended 300 Taxis the halfe files of 12 a peece amount to the number of 2400 so many men in number also making the Front of the Army And for the leading of the first Chiliarchy in the straight way and the rest following in the like forme it was an induction which notwithstanding differeth from Aelians induction Aelians Chiliarchy in the induction requireth the file leaders in front this dispersed them in the whole body Aelians Chiliarchy would haue had but 16 in depth this had 100. For marching in like manner with the Captains before and the single files of a Company cast into one file after them I finde another example in Xenophon The elder Cyrus being to inuade Assyria by night directeth his Army thus Let vs leaue with the carriage beasts and waggons such as are fittest for that seruice and let Cobrias be their Leader because hee is both skilfull in the waies and otherwise sufficient for any affaire of Command And let vs set forward with the best and most able horse and foot carrying with vs victuall for three daies for the lighter and with the lesse cumber wee shall appoint out selues with so much the more pleasure the after passing daies shall we dine suppe and sleepe Now let the march bee ordered in this manner First you Chrysanthas lead the armed foote with all their Captaines in Front as long as the way is euen and broad and let euery Company bee ordered in depth souldier after souldier file-wise for the closser wee put our selues together the sooner and safer shall wee end our march The cause why I would haue the Armed goe before is in regard they are the heauiest of the Army and when the heauiest goe before the light must â—â—eds follow aâ— ease But when the lightest leade especially in the night it is no maruaile if the Army bee seuered and distracted the light easily slipping away and hastening in the Vaunt Next vnto these let Artabazus lead the Targetiers and Archers of the Persians and Andramias the Median the Median footemen next then let Embas follow with the Armenian foot and Artuchas after him with the Hircanians and next Thambradas with the Sacan foote then Damatas with the Cadusianâ— and let all these march with the Captains in front and on the right flanke of their Plesium the Targetiers or Peltasts the Archers on their left for so shall they better second one another After these let the whole baggage march the Commanders whereof must bee carefull to haue all things ready before they sleepe and early in the morning to bee at the appointed place with their furniture and decently to march forward After the baggage let Madatas the Persian lead the Persian Horse with their Captaines in front and let the Captaines order their Companies in a file as the foot Captaines did Next after these Rambaces the Median in the same sort the Horse which hee commandeth Then you Tygraues your horse Then the other Horse Captaines euery one the Horse with which they serue mee And as the Cadusians came last to my seruice let them close vp the reare of the Army Thus Xenophon The passage is somewhat long but I thought good to recite it because it containeth the order of night marches vsuall of old time First the armed foote march euery Nation after other as long as the ground would giue leaue in a square battell framed of Company laid to Company euery Company drawne out into a file the Targetiers on the one flanke the Archers on the other then the carriage last of all the Horse The reason is added why the slowest haue the Vaunt namely lest in the night when all things saith the same Xenophon are to bee vnderstood and done by direction to the eare and not to the eye the Horsemen or light armed who are nimble quick the Horsemen by reason of the Horse that carry them the light armed because they are troubled with no weight of Armes leading they might happily with their speede out-goe and leaue the heauy armed beehinde who beeing burdened with the heauinesse of their Armes can march but slowly But my principall end was to shew that the file-leaders in an inductionâ— are not alwaies
placed in Front I will adde one example out of Xenophon more to the same purpose When the Grecians that followed Cyrus the yonger into Persia returned toward their Country they came as farâ—e as the riuer Phiscus they found there a bridge and not farre off a great City called Opis at which the base brother of Cyrus and Artaxerxes leading from Susa and Ecbatana a mighty Army with him to giue aid to the King met the Grecians and causing his owne Army to make alte hee tooke vnto of the Grecians as they passed by Clearchus led his Army 2 in Front and in his march oftentimes made alte As long as the Vaunt of the Army staied so long the Reare must likewise stay So that the Grecians were of opinion they had a great Army and the Persian was abashed at the sight of such a multitude Whether this march were Aeliaâ—s right Induction a man would doubt because it is not expressed by Xenophon particularly how the bodies of the Phalange did march onely hee saith that Clearchus led 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in binos saith the Latine translation I interpret it 2 in Front For two in depth it could not be because Xenophon speaketh of a stand made oftentimes by the Vaunt which caused the Reare to stay And had the Army beene but 2 in depth it had bean all Vaunt the 10000 Grecians beeing ordered into two ranks and no more each of them being 5000 men besides that the Persian wondered at the multitude which passed by him in flanke which flank if it had consisted of no more then two his wonder would soon haue ended But Clearchus vsed Art to make his number seeme greater and being but 2 in Front they must needs be 5000 in file to which 5000 giuing 6 foot a peece for their open order the ground wil contain 30000 foot in depth which amouÌ„t to six miles of ours The vsage of the Lacedemonians was to march sometimes with 2 in Front if the way were straight So did Dercyllidas in Asia the lesse when entring into a City his whole Army followed him peaceably 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 two in Front So b Archidamus the sonne of Agesilaus aduancing against the Arcadians by a cart way that led to Cromnum ordered his Army 2 in front as then his march fell out When they approached one to another Archidamus his army being in a wing by reason of the streightnesse of the way the Archadians in a broad-fronted phalange with targets close faced together the Lacedemonians could not endure the charge of the Arcadians and forthwith both Archidamus was wounded through the thigh and they slaine that fought before him Hee saith that Archidamus marched two in front wing-wise by reason of the streightnesse of the way In that he saith wing-wise he sheweth the army was drawne out in depth which is proper to an induction and when he maketh the way the cause he giueth a reason why it so marched But to returne to that I first propounded the inductions hitherto specified in the former examples seeme to differ from Aelians right-induction as neither hauing all the file-leaders in front nor yet single bodies of the same kinde one to follow another the companies being each drawne into one file and then two or three or foure or more of these files laid together according to the largenesse of the way and the rest of the army following in the manner afore expressed 5. Against it is opposed the Caelembolos The Caelembolos is a wedge hollow in front and to be opposed against the right induction saith Aelian I haue noted before that it hath beene the manner of all famous Generals to fit the embattailing of their armies to the forme which the enemy vseth at the time of ioyning and therefore it much concerneth the Commander of an army to be skilfull in all formes which are of true vse and to know the aduantage that one carrieth against another The right induction is and alwayes hath beene the ordinary forme to march in To order your troopes in an aduantagious forme against it the Caelembolos was inuented It is called by the Greekes a hollow wedge because it is not filled vp in the middest but includeth a void space bias-wise in front betwixt the points of both wings and ioyneth it selfe together in the reare So that to one that shall view it behinde it seemes a plaine wedge and yet in propriety of speech it cannot be called a Wedge for a Wedge hath three sides and three points and beareth the true forme of a triangle and with the former point it chargeth the enemy as hath beene showne in the horse-mans wedge This hath but one point and two sides neither doth it charge the enemy with the point but receiuing the front of his battaile into the empty space striketh vpon both the flankes thereof with the wings it hath opened and so seeketh to distresse it the Caelembolos hauing this aduantage that it fighteth with the best men viz. the file-leaders ordered in the inside of the wings thereof not against the file-leader of the right induction but against the weaker sort who are ordinarily placed in the flankes thereof The Latine names are more fit and significant to expresse the forme By some it is called a paire of tongues by othersome a paire of sheeres both appellations seruing to set forth the right forme of the Caelembolos for the one and the other open their foremost parts to a pretty distance and the hinder parts which are pinned and fastened together end in a narrow point as doth the Caelembolos And they were so farre from tearming it a wedge that they held it the best forme to receiue and frustrate the charge of the true wedge as may be seene in Vegetius 6. Which is framed when The fashioning of the Caelembolos springeth out the Diphalange Antistomus What that Diphalange is we shall see in the 40 chapter of this booke Thus much I may before-hand signifie that the file-leaders ought to be placed within the hollow flanks of the Caelembolos as it were a lyning to the insides and the Di-phalange Antistomus being once framed which is to haue the file-leaders in the middest from the one end of the battaile to the other there needeth no further labour then to dispatch the front in the middest leauing the file-leaders on both sides and to fasten and ioyne together the reare to the end that the front of the right induction may enter into the hollownesse but yet be mashed as it were in a net and neither able to passe through the reare of the Caelembolos being close shut nor yet to giue offence to those that fight in the front of the Caelembolos hauing no man whom they may charge in the void space nor yet daring to breake the forme of their battaile after ioyning For it is a good obseruation of Vegetius that in fight the manner of your embattailing is not
to be changed nor any number of Souldiers to be transported to other places then they haue For hereof tumult and confusion will streight arise and the enemy will easily take aduantage of such as are not ready or fallout to be disordered I haue said that the Latines and Grecians differ in the name of this battaile howbeit they agree both about the forme which may here appeare by Aelian who resembleth it to the letter V neither can there a better resemblance be made for as the letter V consisteth of two lines which are open in the top close in the bottome so doth this forme of battaile of two sides which in front are void open and disseuered in the reare ioyned and closed fast together If you will therefore frame this battaile you must first make a square the file-leaders being all in front then must you wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest and so your file-leaders shall be in the middest lastly you are to open the front of your battaile leauing halfe the file-leaders in the inside of one flanke and halfe in the inside of the other keeping the reare close knit together and for the opening it ought to be somewhat more then will receiue into the void space the front of the right induction which being once let in the inward two flanks of the wedge where the file-leaders are ought to face to both hands and to charge the outward flanks of the right induction and so circumuent them 7. Furthermore a Triphalange A Triphalange in this place of Aelian is when a square body or phalange is from front to reare diuided into three parts The figure shewes the manner The Triphalange hath as much aduantage against the Caelembolos as the Caelembolos had against the right induction The Caelembolos compelled the right induction to fight with the worst men and auoided the affront of the file-leaders which were the best The Triphalange hauing the file-leaders in front opposeth two seuerall fronts against the two wings of the Caelembolos where there are no file-leaders for they are alwayes disposed for the inside and both auoideth the aduantage the Caelembolos sought and maketh the Caelembolos fight with the worst men in as much as one of the Phalanges chargeth the front of one wing of the Caelembolos the file-leaders whereof are in flanke within the hollownesse the other chargeth the other Now it hath this aduantage besides that it spareth reserues for all occasions by off-holding the third Phalange If the Caelembolos be beaten by the two opposing Phalanges all is lost and no hope left of winning the field no other forces being to second it where notwithstanding the Caelembolos hauing gotten the better may be curbed and the victory arrested by this reserue and by the remnant of the other two Phalanges broken Words of direction in the right induction 1 The right-corner Xenagy march out So is it of all other bodies if they begin the march 2 The rest follow in Xenagies Direction for the Caelembolos 1. Wheele the wings of your battaile into the middest of your body So shall the file-leader be in the middest but we must note that the two midlemost leaders must be centors for the other to wheele about 2. Open your front to the right and left hand keeping your Reare close For the Triphalange 1 The two wings face to the right and left hand the middle remaining as it was 2 Match out to the distance required That is to be able to meet in a right line the two fronts of the wings of the Caelembolos 3 Stand When they come to the place required 4 Face as you were 5 Aduance and charge Of Paragoge or deduction CHAP. XXXVII 1 PArogoge or deduction is when the Phalange proceedeth in 2 a wing not by 3 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 a left-hand deduction For the Phalange marcheth in a 4 double treble or quadruple front according to the place or part it is suspected the enemy will giue on And both the paragogies beginning the fight in flanke doe 5 make the length doubte to the depth This forme of fight was deuised to teach a Souldier to receiue heedfully the charge of the enemy not onely in front but also in flanke NOTES 1 DEduction is when the Phalange Induction is spoken of Deduction followeth which is the second kinde of march For these are no Cap. 37. A foure fronted Phalange against all allemptes of the Enemy The Front of the reare The Front of the right flank The Front of the left flank The Front of the Narch other kinds then Induction and Deduction the one with the file-leaders in front the other with the file-leaders in flanke Neither doth the greatnesse or smalnesse of the body make any difference herein be the body neuer so great as is the Phalange or so small as one Company yet must the file-leaders either lead or else be in flanke of the march The reare in necessity may well be made good by the bringers vp Deduction is the mother of many formes of battailes vsuall in marches from it come the Caelembolos whereof we spake before from it are the Antistomus the Peristomus the Homoiostomus the Heterostomus of which hereafter 2 When the Phalange proceedeth in a wing Suidas hath that Paragoge or deduction is said to be when the phalange marcheth with the file-leaders on the right or left hand if on the left it is said to be a left-hand deduction if on the right a right-hand deduction He maketh no mention of a wing as Aelian doth for it may so fall out that the body may be such as hath the depth and breadth all one as a Xenagy which hath sixteene in breadth and sixteene in depth some bodies also as the Taxies and Tetrarchies haue the depth lesse then the breadth the first holding sixteen in depth no more then eight in breadth the last foure in breadth and sixteene in depth so that they march not in a wing But because marches for the most part are vndertaken in a wing it is the cause why Aelian saith that deductions proceed in a wing the depth whereof manifoldly exceedeth the length and they proceed 3. Not by file but by ranke That is the file-leaders being wheeled to the flanke after they haue setled themselues to march proceed on their iourney as they stand in the flanke onely facing that way the march is intended and returne not to lead in the front of the battaile as they did at first To lead by file is when the file-leaders proceede and haue their files following at their backe To lead by ranke is when that which was the flanke at first becommeth the front and beginneth the march and the rest follow accordingly flanke-wise yet this is to be noted that albeit the front of the battaile be changed in the deduction