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-right-corner-file-leader to stand still as it were the hooke of a doore hinge and the rest of the battaile proceeding forward to turne about the same file-Leader like the doore In the same manner is wheeling to the Target It may be thus defined Epistrophe is when shutting the battaile by gathering close the Followers and Side-men we turne it wholy as the body of a man toward the Pike or Target it being caried about the corner-file-leader as about a Center and changing the place of the front transferre the countenance of the souldier to the right or left hand the followers and sidemen euery one remayning in file and ranke as before How it is to be done I will shew hereafter Anastrophe or returning to the first posture is the restoring of the wheeling to the place where the battaile first stood close before it beganne to wheele Perispasmos or wheeling about is the motion of the battaile in two wheelings so that thereby the front commeth to the place of the reare 2 Ecperispasmos or treble wheeling is the motion of the battaile in three wheelings so as when it turneth to the Pike the front commeth about to the left flanke when to the Target it commeth about to the right flanke Notes THis Chapter hath a diuers kinde of turning from the other mentioned in the last Chapter which for distinction sake is called Epistrophe or wheeling The other turned no more then the souldiers faces euery man yet keeping the same ground be had before This wheeles the whole body and changeth the place of the Phalange either to the right or left hand or to the reare And as there was in the turning of faces a particular motion of euery particular souldier to the right or left hand called Clesis and an other turning about called Metabole so is there in this a generall wheeling of the whole body to the right or left hand called Epistrophe and an other wheeling about to the reare called Perispasmos But let vs heare the description 1 Epistrophe or wheeling is when the Battaile Shortly Epistrophe is no more then the first turning of the battaile to the right or left hand In doing whereof first the files must be closed to the hand you meane to wheele then the rankes Then the corner file-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
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-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
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
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
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
which regard I preferre the Target of Aelian before that of Leo Aelians reaching vp to the height of the necke from the middle of the thigh Leos carying a handfull more in bredth which in the circumference groweth to a good proportion of weight and greatnesse 4 No shorter than 8 Cubits That is 12 foote Short pikes against long haue a great disadvantage With the long pike a man is able to strike and kill his enemy before himselfe can be touched or come in danger of a shorter the pike keeping the enemy out so farre as the length is The experience of the battaile of Sorano sheweth it where Vitellozzo Vitelli discomfited the Almaines onely with the advantage of pikes an arme longer than theirs Against long pikes this policie was vsed by Cleonymus the Lacedemonian King as Polienus tells Cleonymus besieging Aedessa and hauing ouerthrowne the wall of the City the pikemen of the City sailed out whose pikes were each 16 cubits in length Cleonymus closed his Phalange in depth and commanded the file-leaders to lay away their pikes and when the pikemen of the enemy came to charge to seaze vpon their pikes with both hands and hold them fast and the followers to passe thorough by the file-leaders sides and maintaine the fight The file-leaders laid hold on the pikes and the enemy stroue to recouer them out of their hands In the meane time the followers passing thorough the ranke of file leaders to the front slew the enemies pikemen and got the victorie This was Cleonymus deuice against long pikes which notwithstanding derogates nothing from the length of pikes more than from shortnes For the same policie might haue prevailed as well against short pikes as long each assoone as the enemies haue seized vpon them growing to be of no vse But that the longer pike is to be preferred before the shorter I haue shewed before by reason and the reformation of armes made by Iphicrates amongst the Athenians and by Philopomen amongst the Achaians will be warrant enough so to hold In the length notwithstanding ought to be a reasonable consideration that it exceede not the measure of his strength that shall beare the pike The worth that the File-leaders and next followers should be of CHAP. XIII THE File-leaders as the Commanders of files of the Phalange are to be the choice and flower of the Army and to excell the rest as well in stature as in experience and martiall skâ—ll For this Ranke knitteth and bindeth in the Phalange and of all other yeeldeth greatest vse For as a sword taking to the edge as a weight and sway the swelling yron towards the backe exhibiteth thereby more violence in piercing so in a Phalange the Ranke of File-leaders is the edge it selfe and the multitude of after-commers is the swelling and sway and increase of weight Consideration must be had likewise of those that follow in the second Ranke For their Pikes reach ioyntly ouer the front and being next in place they are alwaies ready for vse And the file-File-leader falling or being wounded the next follower stepping to the front in his place holdeth together and preserueth the tenor of that Ranke vnbroken Furthermore we are to order the third and the rest of the Rankes according to reason and as the valour of our souldiers shall require THis Chapter sheweth how the Souldiers are to be ordered in euery File whereof because I haue before spoken sufficiently in my Notes to the fifth Chapter and the words of this Chapter carry no difficultie or obscuritie with them I will forbeare to treat any further Of the strength of the Macedonian Phalange and length of the Souldiers Pikes CHAP. XIIII THE 1 Macedonian Phalange hath of enemies beene thought vnresistible by reason of 2 the manner of embattailing For the Souldier with his Armes standeth in close order or shutting when he is ready for fight 3 occupying two Cubits of ground And the length of his Pike is sixteene Cubits according to the first institution but in truth it ought to be foureteene Cubits whereof the 4 space betwixt the hands in charging taketh vp two Cubits the other twelue lye out from the front of the Battaile Those in the second Ranke that stand next to the Leaders loosing foure Cubits in the Phalange haue their Pikes reaching ouer the first Ranke ten Cubits Those of the third Ranke eight Cubits of the fourth Ranke six cubits of the fift 4 cubits of the sixt 2 Cubits 5 The Pikes of the other behind cannot attaine to the first Ranke And seeing fiue or six pikes are charged ouer the first Ranke they present a fearefull sight to the enemy and double the strength of the souldier standing fortified as it were with fiue or six Pikes and seconded with a maine force at his backe as the figure sheweth Moreouer they that are placed after the sixt Ranke albeit they push not with their pikes yet thrusting on with the weight of their bodies r'enforce the strength and power of the Phalange and leaue no hope for the File-leaders to flie or shift away Some would haue the hinder pikes longer then the formost that they of the third and fourth Rankes might beare out the heads of their pikes equally with the first 6 The Superordinary Lieutenant of euery Syntagma must be a man of vnderstanding ouerseeing the souldiers of his command that they file and ranke and if for feare or other occasion any forsake their ground he is to compell them againe to their places and in Closing to put them when neede requireth as neare vp together as they should stand For it is a great strength and assurance to the Phalange to haue some principall Commander not onely in front but also in the Reare of the Battaile for the causes before mentioned Notes THE strength of the Macedonian Phalange which consisted principally in the protension and charging of pikes and knitting together of Targets is here set downe The whole Chapter seemeth to haue beene taken out of Polybius who handleth the same argument and almost with the same words but that Aelian and he differ about the number of Cubits which the Pikes take vp reaching ouer the front of the Phalange 1 The Macedonian Phalange hath beene thought to be vnresistible The strength of the Macedonian Phalange appeareth no way better than by the conquests it hath made King Philip was the inventer of it and by that invention raised the kingdome of Macedonia from the poorest to the powerfullest and greatest kingdome of Europe and that I may vse the words of Diodorus Siculus finding the Crowne at his comming to it in bondage to the Illyrians made it afterward Lady of many great Nations and Cities and purchased to himselfe to be declared Generall of Greece And first ouerthrowing the Illyrians Pâ—onians Thracians and Scythians afterward let vpon the kingdome oâ— Persia to breake it after he had enfranchised the 〈◊〉 Cities of Asia And albeit death intercepted him yet he left such
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-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-file-Leader turneth about his face and the rest passing by him on the right or left hand place themselues orderly one behinde another But the Lacedemonian is when the Bringer-vp turneth his face about and all the rest turning also their faces and proceeding forward together with their file-Leader order themselues proportionably in the ground which was behinde the Reare of the Phalange Wherefore to the enemy appearing behinde it makes a semblance of falling on Againe the Lacedemonian is when the file-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-Leader haue the place of the Bringer-vp and the Bringer-vp the place of the file-Leader And these are the Countermarches by file In the same manner are Countermarches made by ranke in case a man would countermarch by ranke For euery ranke Countermarching either keepeth the same ground or changeth the right hand place or else the left hand place of the battaile one of which must needes fall out and neuer faileth Notes THe two former motions are performed one in close Order the other in all Orders Epistrophe when the battaile is shut so close that as Aelian saith a man can turne his face neither the one way nor the other Clisis in open Order Order and close Order The two ◠following motions Countermarch and Doubling one is done in open Order the other for the most part in open order too and yet sometimes in Order and close order as we shall see in due place This Chapter handleth Countermarches the next Doublings Countermarch is a motion whereby euery souldier marching after other changeth his front for the reare or one flancke for the other For there are two kindes of Countermarches one by file and the other by ranke And each of these is againe diuided into three the first called the Macedonian the second the Lacedemonian the third the Choraean or Cretan A Countermarch by file is when euery souldier followeth his Leader of the same file By ranke when euery souldier followeth his sideman of the same ranke in the Countermarch 1 The Macedonian Countermarch In this Countermarch the purpose of the Commander is to turne the front of his battaile against the enemy that sheweth himselfe in the Reare and withall to take the ground that lyeth before the front of the Phalange It is called the Macedonian Countermarch saith Aelian because
and serueth for the pikes onely for the Musquettiers cannot be so close in files because they must haue their Armes at liberty that is when euery one is distant from file to file a foote and a halfe and 3 foote from Ranke to Ranke And this last distance is thus commanded Close your selues throughly But it is not to be taught the Souldiers for that when necessitie shall require it they will close themselues but too much of their owne accord without command To begin therefore to doe the exercises the Company is set in the first distance to wit of 6 foote in file and ranke and thus is said These are the generall words of Command which are often to be vsed Stand right in your files Stand right in your rankes Silence To the right hand As you were To the left hand As you were To the right hand about To the left hand as you were To the left hand about To the right hand as you were You must note that when they are commanded to be as they were they must returne thither from whence they parted and if they turned to the right hand they must returne to the left and so in countermarch The headpiece The forepart The headpiece close The backe the right gantlet The left vambrace The left cuishe The brest The backe the gard the left â—â—â—â—let The Armour of the Pikman The Gorget The Brest The Tales The Hedpiece The Back The Pike To the right double your rankes Rankes as you were To the left hand double your rankes Rankes as you were To the right hand double your files Files as you were To the left hand double your files Files as you were With halfe files to the right hand double your Rankes Halfe files as you were With halfe files to the left hand double your Rankes Halfe files as you were Files to the right hand countermarch Files to the left hand countermarch To the right hand or left at discretion as you were Rankes to the right hand countermarch Rankes to the left hand countermarch To the right or left hand as you were Close your Files to 3 foote distance Close your Rankes to 3 foote distance Vnderstand that in Closing from the outsides to the middle the Soldier is â—stand in his distance of 3 foote in file and not closer To the right hand wheele To the left hand wheele Open your Rankes backwards in your double distance to wit at 12 foote and this for a single Company Rankes as you were sc. at the first In opening Rankes or Files you must keepe them closed vntill the second Ranke or File beginning from the outsides haue taken their distances and so shall the rest remaine close vntill euery Ranke or File haue taken their distanceâ— in order Open your files to wit to the first distance of 6 foote If you will command to close files to the right hand or left hand the outmost file standeth still and the rest close to that file For the Pike with a firme stand Advance your Pikes Order your Pikes Slope your Pikes Charge your Pikes Order your Pikes Traile your Pikes Cheeeke your Pikes More for the Pikes first with a firme stand and then marching Charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes To the right hand charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes To the left hand charge your Pikes Slope your Pikes Charge your Pikes to the Reare Slope your Pikes Order your Pikes This must be obserued charging your Pikes with a firme stand to set the right foote behind and charging the Pikes marching to set the left foote before For the Musquet THe Postures in his Excellencies Booke are to be obserued but in exercisinâ— you must onely vse these three termes of direction Make ready Present Giue fire Your Musquettiers must obserue in all their motions to turne to the right hand and that they carry the mouth of their peeces high aswell when they are shouldred as in pruning and also when they hold their pannes garded and come vp to giue fire In advancing towards an Enemy when they doe not skirmish loose and disbanded they must giue fire by Rankes after this manner Two Rankes must alwaies make ready together and aduance ten paces forward before the body at which distance a Sergeant or when the body is great some other officer must stand to whom the Musquettiers are to come vp before they present and giue fire first the firstranke And whilest the first giues fire the second Ranke keepe their Musquets close to their Rests and their pannes garded and assoone as the first are fallen away the second presently present and giue fire and fall after them Now assoone as the first two Rankes doe moue from their places in the front The two Rankes next them must vnshoulder their Musquets and make ready so as they may aduance forward ten paces as before assoone as euer the two first rankes are fallen away and are to doe in all points as the former And all the other Rankes through the whole diuision must doe the same by twoes one after another A manner there is to giue fire retyring from an Enemy which is performed after this sorâ—t As the Troope marcheth the hindermost ranke of all keeping still with the Troope is to make ready and being ready the souldiers in that ranke turne altogether to the right hand and giue fire marching presently away a good round pace to the front and there place themselues in ranke together iust before the front As soone as the first ranke turne to giue fire the ranke next makes ready and doth as the former and so the rest We giue fire by the flanks thus The vppermost file next the Enemy must be commanded to make ready keeping still along with the body till such time as they be ready and then they turne to the right or left hand according to the sight of their enemies either vpon the right or left flanke and giue fire altogether When they haue discharged they stirre not but keepe their ground and charge their Peeces againe in the same place they stand Now as soone as the foresaid file doth turne to giue fire the vttermost next it makes ready alwaies keeping along with the Troope till the Bringer-vp be past a little beyond the Leader of that file that gaue fire last and then the whole file must turne and giue fire and doe in all points as the first did and so the rest one after the other A Sergeant or if the Troope be great some other better qualified Officer must stand at the head of the first file and assoone as the second file hath giuen fire and hath charged he is to lead forward the first file vp to the second file and so to the rest one after another till he hath gathered vp againe the whole wing and then he is to ioyne them againe in equall front with the pikes Last of all the Troope or whole wing of Musquettiers makes ready altogether and
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-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-file-leader to bee more sufficient then the rest of the file and next him the Leader of the half-file or bringer-vp They define a file to bee a Rowe of followers placed according to theire worth successiuely after a file-file-leader Notes 1 THE best man of every file Why the file-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
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-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
said are the files of the Phalange But if the conueniency be obserued it will not seeme impertinent For all the Leaders being in front therefore are they called Leaders because they precede and the rest follow it makes both a gallant shew and that rancke being as it were the edge of our battaile not only serues to hew a sunder and rent a pieces the forces of our enemie But also standeth as an assured bulwarke of defence before the rest of the Armie that followeth And it is well noted by Leo that the multitude of Commanders in orderly diuisions both signifies that there are many worthy and valiant men in the armie And is a meanes to keep the Souldiers in greater obedience and to giue vndoubted effect to all directions Of what qualitie and disposition those Leaders ought to be you may see in the fourth Chapter of Leos Tactickes Onely I will adde that as they are higher in dignity so ought they in vertue and valour exceede those that are vnder their command 1 A Dilochy Consists of two files for so signifies the word Dilochia and the Leader is called a Dilochite 2 A Tetrarchy Of foure files and the Leader is called a Tetrach one that hath the command of foure files And here I must once more admonish that in the words of diuers signification we must not weigh what is the proper signification but how they are vsed in this Art and booke For the word Tetrarch signifieth sometimes a King as Hesychius hath and Deiotarus in Tully is called a Tetrarch and Herode in the Gospell who both are commonly knowne for Kings Thessaly likewise was diuided into 4. Principalities Thessaliotis Pthiotis Pelasgiotis and Astiotis whereof euery one was named a Tetrarchy Onely the difference is that a Tetrarch being a King or a Gouernour signifies him that hath the gouernment of the fourth part of the land for a Tetrarchy is the gouernment of the fourth part But a Tetrarchy in Aelian signifies a body military consisting of foure parts 4. files and the Tetrarch commands not ouer one alone but ouer all the 4. parts 3 A Taxis As the word Tetrarchy is diuersly taken so is Taxis likewise For sometimes it imports Order in a generall signification as I noted before Sometimes the order of a battaile sometimes a company of any kinde of Souldiers foote or horse as Taxis Peltastarum Taxis Equitum Sometimes a single Phalange as in Arrian mention is made of Taxis Ooeni Taxis Perdiccae and Taxis Meleagri c. who were Phalangarches as the story sheweth i Sometimes for all the armed as Taxis Phalangitarum Sometimes a rancke of men standing embattailed as in Thucidides who discribing the battell of the Lacedemonians saith the front which he calleth the first rancke teen proteen Taxin consisted of 448. But in a more speciall signification it is taken for a band of Souldiers And in that signification the number varieth In Xenophon it comprehendeth a hundred men What the number of the Athenian Taxis was I finde not deliuered by any Writer That they had Taxiarchs Polyenus sheweth plainely And if a man with leaue might gesse I would imagine their Taxis consisted of 250 men For I finde in the same place of Polyenus that they had Chiliarchies Pentecosiarchies Taxies and Lochagies I haue before shewed that Lochos in Xenophon is made sometimes of aboue 100. men Out of which may be inferred with probability that Taxis being the next degree aboue the Lochagie hath the double number or more The rather because a Chiliarchy hauing in it a 1000. the Penticosiarchy must haue 500. and by likelihood the Taxis 250. as being the next office vnder the Pentecosiarchy But whatsoeuer the Taxis of the Athenians or of other people was Aelian maketh his Taxis vp with 128 men and 8. files which is a double number to the Tetrarchy With whom Suidas agreeth giuing 2. Tetrarchies to a Taxis and saith it consists of 128 men The Commander of the Taxis is called a Taxiarch as the Commander of the Tetrarchy is a Tetrarch Here I am to note by the way that the Interpreter of Xenophon translateth Taxiarcha the Commander of a Cohort wher 's Taxis in the straighter signification cannot be taken for a Cohort because a Cohort differeth much in number hauing in it at the least 500. and odde men where the Taxis when it is greatest hath no more then 128. And Polybius saith plainely that spira is the Greeke word that fully expresseth the Romane Cohort 4 A Syntagma The word commeth of Syntasso or Syntatto to place together and a Syntagma is a body compounded of many parts artificially put together But it may be taken for anybody in the armie Diodorus reports of Dionysius the elder That after he had diuided his whole Armie which had in it 30000 into three parts he imployed two against the Carthaginian Campe in diuers manner himselfe tooke the Syntagma or third part which consisted of mercenary Souldiers and led against that quarter of the campe which had the Engins Aelian also vseth the word diuerslie For he calles the whole armie by the name of Syntagmata in the plurall number and sometimes Syntagma in the singular And further giues the same name to a file Suidas likewise discribing the length of a Phalange saith it is the first rancke Syntagma of file Leaders which stretcheth forth in a right line from winge to winge Whereby appeareth that which the Logitians affirme which I touched before that there are more things then names of things And that fit names cannot be giuen to all The names that haue beene giuen by antiquity to expresse the seuerall bodies of the Phalange are to be reteined by vs as proper enough to signifie the thing they meant Neither are we to vary from them vnlesse we our selues can inuent better The Syntagma that Aelian here mentioneth is framed of two Taxies that is of 16. files of 256 men The Commander of it is named a Syntagmatarch And where he addeth it is called of some a Xenagy we are to vnderstand that Xenagos was he amongst the Grecians that had the command of a band of strangers as he that leuied strangers was called Xenologos and the band it selfe was called a Xenagy Why the Syntagma should haue the appellation of Xenagy I cannot diuine vnlesse the reason were because it was about the number wherof strangers made their companies that serued amongst the Graecians And I thinke and shall till better information that the body of the light armed called a Xenagy mentioned hereafter had that name likewise for the same reason Now of all the bodies in this Chapter mentioned there is none that commeth so neere the companies vsed at this day as doth the Syntagma for excepting that our numbers differre and are in diuers places more or lesse the offices of each are alike You haue in
to the file the File-leader and the Bringer-vp Aelian foure the foure Enomotarchs For the number of the Officers in the Phalange they agree And yet the names are not all one Aelian beginneth with a Dilochite commanding two files thirtie two men Vrbicius with the Lochagos who likewise commandeth two files of his and fiue men more namely 25 men The next in Aelian is a Tetrarch ouer sixtie-foure men in Vrbicius a Pentecontarch ouer fiftie men Vrbicius hath next a Taxiarch a Syntagmatarch a Pentecosiarch a Chiliarch a Merarch a Phalangarch And so hath Aelian The next in Aelian is a Diphalangarch Commander of 8192 men Vrbicius termeth him a Myriarch that is the Leader of ten thousand men The Tetraphalangarchy is last in both But Vrbicius assigneth no more then 16 thousand to his Phalange Aelian 16 thousand 384. Iulius Pollux thus diuideth his bodids a Myriarchie a Chiliarchie a Taxiarchie a Hecatontarchie and a Lochagie What a proportion Leo makes is to be seene in the fourth Chapter of his Tacticks Because he hath a mixture of the Roman and Greeke Orders I remit the Reader to the booke So then Aelian hath in his Phalange of armed besides the two Diphalangarchs 1020. Officers Dilochites 512. Tetrarchs 256. Taxiarchs 128. Syntagmatarchs 64. Pentecosiarchs 32. Chiliarchs 16. Merarchs 8. Phalangarchs 4. Â 1020. I haue set downe the figures of all the bodies described by Aelian as farre as the Phalangarchy The rest would haue beene troublesome to insert as requiring more paper then would stand with any reasonable proportion neither are they greatly needfull For two Phalangarchies ioyned in an euen front and in a conuenient distance will figure out a Diphalange foure in an euen front with a like distance will make the fourefold Phalange So that thereby the forme of it will appeare The precedence and dignitie of place in the offices of the Phalange CHAP. X. 1 THe best of the Phalange Commanders is placed on the right wing the second on the left wing the third in valour in the right hand next the second Phalange toward the middle section The fourth on the left hand next the first Phalange toward the middle section likewise So the first and fourth Phalange haue Commanders of the first and fourth worth The second and third Phalange haue Commanders of the second and third worth Now wee will shew by demonstration that the first and fourth worth and valor are equall to the second and third So that the Commanders in each wing are of valor alike 2 The Leaders also of the seuerall Merarchies are thus disposed The first hath his place in the head of the first Phalange on the left hand The second on the right hand of the second Phalange The third on the left hand of the third Phalange The fourth on the right hand of the fourth Phalange Also the Leaders of files in euery Tetrarchy are so placed that the Leader of the first file hath preheminence in valor and place the Leader of the fourth file standeth next him Then the Leader of the third file and the Leader of the second file last For then are Dilochies of equall valor when the first Dilochie hath the first and fourth Leaders the second Dilochy the second and the third Leaders in valor and reputation For it appeareth in the Mathematicks that when there are Analogies or answerable proportions of foure magnitudes propounded that which ariseth of the first and fourth will counteruaile that which ariseth of the second and third magnitude And because there are foure Tetrarchies in euery Syntagma wee may giue the Leaders of the Tetrarchies place according to the same proportion as to place the Tetrarch of the first Tetrarchy on the right hand giuing him the first place of worth on his left hand the Tetrarch of the fourth Tetrarchy in the fourth place of worth Then againe next him the Tetrarch of the third Tetrarchy in the third place of worth and on his left hand the Tetrarch of the second Tetrarchy in the second place of worth In like manner are the greater commands also to be proportioned Notes THe former Chapter was of the Officers and of the bodies of the Phalange this is of the place of euery one according to his worth And first wee are to note that all the Commanders were placed in front of those that they commanded to the â—nd they might direct and lead them as occasion should require For Xenophon saith of Cyrus army the Decadarchs or file Leaders had care of the files the Lochagie of he Decadarchs the Taxiarches of the Lochagie the Chiliarchs of the Taxiarchs the Myriarchs of the Chiliarchs So in the Phalange of Aelian the file Leader had the command of his file the Dilochites of the file Leaders the Tetrarchs of the Dilochites the Taxiarchs of the Tetrarchs and so the rest till you come to the Generall who cared for all directed all and vnder whom all the Commanders were The Generall â—ath beene placed sometimes in the right winge sometimes in the middest of the Phalange Vegetius saith that the Generall of the Armie is accustomed to be in the right winge betwixt the horse and the foote Hee addeth this is the place which gouerneth the whole battaile from whence the salying out is most direct and free Therefore he standeth betwixt both that hee might both gouerne horse and foote with counsell and with authority exhort them to fight Cyrus in his battaile against Cresus took his place in the right wing betwixt the right hand point of the battaile and of the horse that were ranged in the wing Alexander the great in his battailes tooke the same place Timoleon in his fight against the Carthaginians placed himselfe in the middest of the battaile Diodorus Siculus saith that it is the manner of the Scythians that the King should stand in the middest of the Phalange The like doth Arrian affirme of the Persians and saith that Darius had that place Leo also giueth the middest of the battaile to the Generall And there placeth the battaile ouer which he would haue him to command 1 The best of the Phalangarchs This ordering of the Phalangarchs the best on the right hand wing the second on the left the third next him in the left wing on his right hand toward the middlesection The fourth in the right wing on the left hand of the first toward the middlesection thus 2 3 4 1 commeth out of a Geometricall proportion which proportion giueth law to the ordering of the rest of the Commanders The rule is this 4. Magnitudes which equally exceede the one the other being compared together that which ariseth of the first and fourth is equall to that which ariseth of the second and third As 2. 8. 14. 20. each exceedeth the other 6. The addition of 2. to 20. begetteth an equall number to 8 and 14. added together So is it in all other numbers that haue the same equalitie of excesse one
or Trumpet or Sergeant of the Centurie resort for direction Adde that the light were often drawne to the winges to the front or other places of seruice which could not be done without Leaders For to put a Systrematarch or an Epixenagie to lead a Century were to leaue the rest of the Centuries vnder them without a Commander Besides the Macedonians were very particular in their commands and left no body without a heads which is the cause of the multitude of Commanders in the Phalange But they are not here mentioned No more are the Commanders of the horse in the diuision of the bodies of the horse and yet I thinke no man will doubt but the horsemâ—n had Commanders 〈◊〉 I finde in the Graecian historie Captaines of the light-armed often named 〈◊〉 is said to be Commander of the Targetires in a fight the Graecians had against the Persians Stratocles commanded the Cretan Archers in the returne of the Graecians out of Persia. Eurybates Captaine of the Cretan Archers in Alexanders army was slaine by the Thebans at the â—ege of Thebes When Antiochâ—s the Captaine of the Archers was dead Ombâ—io was chosen in his place Mention is made also in Arrian of Clearchus the Captaine of the Archers And when Aelian calleth the 4 Systremmatarchs and the 4 Epixenages superordinary Ectactous he might haue said as much of all the other Commanders And he saith expresly of the offecers of the Centurie that they were superordinary Ectactoi 4 A Psylagi The word is a body of light-armed Which word if it were taken as it naturally signifieth is common to and comprehendeth all the bodies of the light-armed whereof Aelian speaketh in this Chapter But here it is restrained to a body of light-armed which compriseth 256 men and 32 files and so it is to be taken A Xenagie That is a command of strangers Aelian before saith that a Syntagma was by some called a Xenagie I haue giuen my opinion there of the originall of the word which I neede not to repeat here This onely I will note that of all the bodies of the light-armed no one hath a common name with the body of the armed but onely the Xenagie And Aelian giueth also that body of the armed an other name calling it a Syntagma The Xenagie hath in it 512 men and 64 files A Systremma It signifieth a conglobation or trouping together Proper names are wanting for these bodies and therefore such taken as might at any hand signifie the thing meant In continuance of time vse hath gained a passage and made them to be accepted as proper enough The Systremma conteineth 1024 men and 128 files There is nothing to be found in Aelian of the Chiliarchie of the light-armed Yet doth Arrian mention 2 Chiliarchies of Archers in the Army of Alexander An Epixenagie A command aboue a Xenagie As afterward in the command of the horse there is an Ephipparchie aboue a Hipparchie The word is improper and hard enough but when it is receiued by vse what should we seeke for more It conteineth 2048 men and 256 files A Stiphos It is deriued from steibo to thicken and in penury of an other name this body of the light-armed is called Stiphos because they are thickned and thronged together There is in it 4096 men and 256 files An Epitagma Is the last body amongst the light-armed The signification of Epitasso is to place behinde From thence commeth Epitaxis placing the light-armed in the Reare which word is after vsed by Aelian Epitagma is deriued from the same fountaine and it is called Epitagma not of placing behinde for sometimes they were placed before sometimes in the flanke but it was the best name they could giue to the whole light-armed And yet it may be that because all the light-armed in auncient time were placed behinde the whole masse was called Epitagma as being placed after the armed in the reâ—re The Epitagma hath in it 1892 men and 1024 files for so many light-armed attend the Phalange Eight superordinarie men Why these eight men should be superordinarie more than the rest of the Commanders I conceiue not yet If Aelians meaning be that these alone shall command the light-armed historie and practise of auncient times convince the contrary Besides where he nameth foure Epixenagies it agreeth with the number that are in the Epitagma of light But where hee addeth foure Sistremmatarchs more to make vp the number of the eight Superordinarie it is hard to knowe which foure hee meaneth considering there are eight Sistremmas in the Epitagma Now because the fiâ—es of the light-armed are in embattailing to be marshalled to the files of the 〈◊〉 I thought good to set downe how the bodies of both agree by comparing them together iâ— files not in number of men For in number of men they cannot well agree because the file of 〈◊〉 armed hath more then the file of the light-armed And the number of the armed in grosse is 16384 of the light-armed but 8192. And I will first begin with the Systasis because it is the least body of the light The bodies of the armed The bodies of the light-armed A Tetrarchie A Systasis 4 files A Taxis A Pentecontarchie 8 files A Syntagma A Hecatontarchie 16 files A Pentecosiarchie A Psilagie 32 files A Chiliarchie A Xenagie 64 files A Merarchie Asystremma 128 files A Phalangarchie An Epixenagie 256 files A Diphalangarchie A Stiphos 512 files A Tetraphalangarchie An Epitagma 1024 files The vse of light-armed foote CHAP. XVII DArters Archers and all other that vse flying weapons are good 1 to begin the fight 2 to prouok the enemie to breake and shatter armour 3 to wound annoy and beate downe a farre of 4 to disaray the enemy 5 to repulse their horse 6 to beat in their light-armed 7 to discouer suspected places and to lay Ambushes Lastly these first vndertaking the Skirmish and continuing it with the rest and seconding them and seruing 8 for speedie and farre-of-attempts worke many and great effects in fight Notes THe arming place filing bodies and command of the light-armed are hitherto handled Now followeth the vse and seruice they performe in the field And first wee are to thinke of the bodie of an armie as of the body of a man that is compact of seuerall parts Of which some parts are of more vse then other some being able to performe their function without 〈◊〉 helpe of the other some except the other help can doe nothing to purpose of themselues The parts of an armie are like The armed are the strength of the field and are the refuge for the rest in extremitie The light ioyned with the armed worke great effects those which Aelian speaketh of in this Chapter and many more without them they cannot so much as maintaine a place in the field And as Xenophon saith Let them be neuer so many in â—umber yet dare they not stand or abide a fewe armed In
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 enemy not onely in front but also in flanke Of the Phalange Amphistomus CHAP. XXXVIII THe Phalange Amphistomus for it is so called because it hath two fronts and that part of the battaile that is set and aduanced against the enemie is called a front Seeing then in this forme the middlemost are ordered backe to backe and those in front and reare make head against the enemy the one being Commanders of the front the other of the reare therefore it is called Amphistomus It is of great vse against an enemy strong in Horse and able to giue a hot and dangerous charge and principally practised against those Barbarians that inhabit about the riuer Ister whom they also call Amphippi because they change Horses in fight The Horse battaile to encounter this forme hath a Tetragonall shape being for the purpose diuided into two broad-squares they are broad-squares that haue the front twice as much as the depth And these Squares are opposed seuerally against the diuisions of the foot-battaile Of the Phalange Antistomus CHAP. XXXIX THe Phalange Antistomus is like the Amphistomus the forme being a little altered so that it accustometh the souldier to resist the seuerall kindes of incursions of Horse All that hath beene spoken concerning the former Phalange both for foote and Horse agreeth with this figure also Herein they differ that Cap. 37. A foure fronted Phalange against all allemptes of the Enemy The Front of the reare The Front of the right flank The Front of the March The Front of the left flank Cap. 38. The Phalange Amphistomus Cap 39 The Phalange Antistomus Front Cap. 40. The Horsmans wedge Front A Diphalange Antistomus the Amphistomus receiueth the charge in front and reare the Antistomus in flanke But aswell in the one as the other they fight with long Pikes as doe the Alans and Sauromatans And the one halfe of the souldiers in the files turne their faces forward the other halfe backward so that they stand back to backe This forme hath two fronts the one before where the file-Leaders the other behind where the back-Commanders stand And being also diuided into a Diphalange it maketh the fore-front with the one and the after-front with the other Phalange Of the Diphalange Antistomus CHAP. XL. A Diphalange Antistomus is that which hath the file-Leaders placed not in Deduction outwardly but inwardly face to face one against-an other and the reare-Commanders without one halfe in a right the other in a left-hand Deduction This forme is vsed when the Horse giue on and charge Wedge-wise For the * Wedge shooting foorth into a point and hauing the Commanders following in flanke and endeauouring to disseuer and breake the front of the foote the Leaders of the foote foreseeing their purpose place themselues in the middest with intent either to repulse them or else to giue them a thorough passage without losse For the Wedge flieth vpon the foote in hope to charge the multitude in the middest and to disorder the whole battaile And the foote Commanders conceiuing well the fury of that kinde of forme leaue a little space betwixt either front and stand like walles on both sides and iointly turning their faces toward the middest giue them a fruitlesse and empty passage This forme of Horse-battaile is called a Wedge by Tacticks which was inuented by Philip King of Macedon who placed his best men before that by them the weaker sort might be held in and enabled to the charge as we see in a speare or in a sword the point whereof by reason of the sharpnesse quickely piercing maketh way for and letteth in the middle blunt iron Of the Diphalange called Peristomus CHAP. XLI THe Phalange of the Diphalange * Peristomus proceedeth by deduction in a wing the oblique deduction on the right hand hauing the file-Leaders without the left hand oblique deduction the reare-Commanders within The figure sheweth the intent of them that fight so ordered For the battaile going to charge hauing beene at first Tetragonall diuideth it selfe into two oblique wings the right and the left of purpose to enclose the aduerse square-battaile And they fearing to bee inclosed transforme themselues into two seuerall marching-Phalanges directing one against the right the other against the left wing Therefore it is called Peristomus as hauing the front bent against the enemy both waies Of the Diphalange called Homoiostomos and of the Plinthium CHAP. XLII A Diphalange * Homoiostomus is so named because a whole file that is 16 men mouing by it selfe another file followeth it And it is therefore called Homoiostomus because they that follow follow in a like figure This kinde is opposed against the Plinthium * Plinthium is a forme of Battaile that hath the sides equall both in figure and number In figure because the distances are euery where equall In number because there are as many men in length as in depth In this foure-sided-Battaile are none in the flankes but armed without Archer or Slinger to helpe When therefore two Phalanges march together one by another and both haue their Leaders either in a right-hand or left-hand Deduction it is called a Diphalange Homoiostomus Of the Diphalange Heterostomus CHAP. XLIII A Diphalange * Heterostomus is that which proceedeth by Deduction hauing the Leaders of the former Phalange in a right-hand-Deduction and of the following Phalange in a left-hand-Deduction so that the battailes march counterchangeably one hauing the Leaders in one flanke and the other in the other and so the rest Againe of the Battaile called a Rhombe and of the foote-halfe moone to encounter it CHAP. XLIV THe battaile framed in forme of a Rhombe was first inuented by Ileon the Thessalian and was called I le after his name and to this forme he exercised and accustomed the Thessalians It is of good vse in that it hath a Leader at euery corner at the point the Captaine of the Troupe the reare-Commander behinde and on either side the flanke-commanders The foote battaile fittest to affront this is the Menoides or Cressant hauing both the wings stretched out and in them the Leaders and the middest imbowed to inuiron and wrap in the Horsemen in their giuing on Whereupon the Horsemen ply the foot a farre off with flying weapons after the manner of the Tarentines seeking thereby to dissolue and disorder their circled frame of marching Tarentum is a City of Italy the Horsemen whereof are called Acrobolists because in charging they first cast little Darts and after come to hands with the enemy Cap. 42. The Battaile called Plinthium The front The Diphalange Homoiostomus Cap. 43. The Diphalange Heterostomus The File-leaders The bringers up Cap. 45. Heteromekes or the Herse of Horse The front Plagiophalanx or the broad fronted battaile of foote Cap. Epicampios Emprosthia The front Of the Horse-battaile Heteromekes and of the Plagiophalange to be opposed against it CHAP. XLV THe Horse battaile Heteromekes is that which hath the depth double to the
hapned a like to both they found a safe retreat within the battailes of foote But when the Armies were come within 500 paces one of an other Scipio giuing a signall of Retreat and opening his battaile receiued all the horse and light-armed into the middest and diuiding them into two parts placed them as seconds behind the wings Now when time was come to begin the fight he commanded the Spaniards who had the middle ward to march on leasurely and sent a messenger from the right winge for hee commanded there to Syllanus and Martius willing them to stretch out the left winge as they saw him stretch out the right and to charge the enemy with the light-armed and horse before the middle wards might be able to come vp and ioyne The winges being thus stretched out they led with all possible speed three Cohorts of foote and three troupes of horse a peece against the enemy besides the light-armed and those that were receiued into the Reare who followed a thwart There was a great empty space in the middest because the Ensignes of the Spaniards came slowly on And now the wings were in fight when the old souldiers Carthaginians and Africans the strength of the Armie were not yet come to vse their darts neither durst they runne into the wings to helpe them that fought for feare of opening the middest of the battaile to the enemy who was comming on against them The winges were pressed with a double medley The Horse light-armed Velites wheeling about their Troupes charge their flanks The Cohorts pushed on in front to the end to breake of the wings from the body of the battaile And the conflict was vnequall both in all other respects and especially because a rable as it were of drudges and vntrained Spaniards were opposed against the Roman and Latin souldiers The day being now farre spent the Armie of Asdruball oppressed with the mornings tumult and compelled to take the field before they had strengthned their bodies with meat began to faint and faile in strength which was the reason that Scipio lingered out the day made the fight somewhat late For it was past the seuenth houre before the winges of foote attached one an other and yet the fight came later to the middle wards So that the scorching heat of the south-sunne and the labour of standing armed and hunger and thirst first afflicted their bodies before they came to hands with the enemy Therefore they stood leaning vpon their Targets and being weary both in body and minde they gaue backe at last keeping notwithstanding their array no otherwise than as if the battaile being yet entire had retreated at the commandement of the Generall But when the victors perceiuing them to shrinke so much the more eagerly pressed on the brunt could hardly be indured any longer And although Asdrubal restrained and stopped them that gaue ground crying that hills and a safe place of retreat was at their backs if they could be but intreated to retire easily yet feare ouercomming shame and the enemy killing them that were next to hand they forthwith turned their backs and vniuersally powred out themselues into flight This stratagem of Scipio resteth principally in shifting his best men the Romans into the winges the Spaniards his worst into the middest and in keeping the Spaniards aloofe from ioyning and in hasting to try the day with the Romans against the weakest of the enemy Asdrubals way to meete with this stratagem had beene to countermarch by ranke halfe his Carthaginians and Africans into one winge and halfe into the other And by that meanes his Spaniards should haue had the middest against the Roman-Spaniards and his old souldiers Carthaginians and Africans beene opposed in the wings against the Romans and Latins and the advantage eluded that Scipio sought As the Countermarches by file were of three kindes so are the Countermarches by ranke namely the Macedonian the Lacedemonian and the Choraean The Macedonian beginneth to moue at the corner of the wing which is nearest to the enemy the enemy appearing to either flanke And therefore incâ—rreth the same imputation that was laid vpon the Macedonian countermarch by file as seeming to runne away because it dismarcheth from the enemy Yet is there vse of it as well as of that by file For by this countermarch you may set the strongest part of your Armie against the enemy and apply the weakest to some Riuer Lake hill or such like so that the enemy can not come to incompasse it It taketh the ground that lyeth on the side of the contrary wing The Lacedemonian taketh the ground that lieth on the side of that wing which is toward the enemy and bringeth the best men to be formost against the enemy And therefore beginneth the moving on the contrary side The vse of it is when your forces are such as are able to incounter the enemy and you desire to bring your best men to fight The Choraean keepeth the same ground the battaile had at first bringeth one wing to possesse the place of the other Or else the Sections to possesse the place of the wings as might haue beene done in the last example cited concerning Scipio and Asdrubal The manner of countermarch by ranke is contrary to the countermarch by file In countermarch by file the motion was in the depth of the battaile and either the front remoued toward the reare or the reare toward the front and tooke one an others place In this the motion is in length of the battaile flanke-wise the wing either marching into the middest or else cleane thorow to the other wing In doing it the souldiers that stand vttermost in the flanke of the wing must moue first to the contrary wing and the rest of euery ranke seuerally follow them in order The figure will shew the manner of the motion Patritius vtterly mistaketh the countermarch by ranke and groundeth himselfe vpon a wrong principle namely that in all Countermarches the File-leaders must march toward the reare and the Bringers-vp towards the front And therefore in changing the winges into Sections he makes the winges to fall of behind in the reare the File-leaders wheeling about and there to ioyne themselues as neare as the middle Section will giue leaue and the Sections falling backe likewise to ioyne themselues to the flanks of them that were the wings Whereas the nature of this Euolution is clearely to leaue the File-leaders in front and Bringers-vp in reare as they were at first And albeit the File-leaders then change their places yet change they their place with none but with File leaders and the change is but a change of hands the right hand for the left or the left hand for the right For whereas the File-leaders of the right wing had before the right hand now in countermarch by ranke being transposed to the left wing they haue the left hand of all the rest of the File-leaders as likewise the Bringers-vp of the other