The Looking Glass of the Holy War, Chapter 33
CHAP. XXXIII. The ordering of the Battell.
NOW it followeth, that I come to a point of no ſmall importance; namely, the ordering of the battell, in the undertaking whereof it may be juſtly ſaid to me, as Pirrhus ſaid to one that would undertake to teach him the Art of imbattling; I ſtand not need (ſaith he) of a Commander whoſe eares did never tingle at the ſound of a Trnmpet: Therfore let me apologie my weakneſſe once more, with the like ſpeech that the people ſhould uſe to Archippus; Take heed to thy Miniſtery: Col. 4.17.ſo may I ſafely ſay to Commanders; Take heed to the ordering of your battles.
The very word importeth the neceſſity of order; it is called Acies (ſaith Iſidor) from the defenſiue Armes of proofe, Quod ferro & acumine glads orum armata ſit.and from the ſharpneſſe of the ſword. When ſwords are ſharped, and the ſight of the eye is cleared, then they are fitted for cutting and ſight: ſo when men are ſet in battle array they are indeed called Acies: A battel conſiſteth of men & order, as of matter and form. Plutarch. in Marcello.and as man conſiſteth of matte and forme; ſo a battle conſiſteth of men and order. The weale and wiſely diſpoſing of a battle, (ſaith Vegetius) helpeth much to the victory. Gaius Flaminius being to fight againſt the French, was called off, both by the Senates letters, and by ſome prodigious tokens; he opened not the letters, but charged the enemy, where he ſlew 8000, and took 17000. This great victory of Flaminius was got, Lib. 2.as Polybiu obſerveth by the due ordering of his Forces. This was the main help to Alexanders victories, as witneſſeth Q. Curtius in his fourth book. When the Romans had equalled the Carthaginians with a Captain; inſomuch that it was hard to tell, whether was the better: where then lay the oddes? Not in number, Non fortunae ut ſolent ii (qui foelices ſine ratione duces vocant) ſed ducum induſtriae & acei inſtruendae periciae tribuitur victoria lib. 17.nor in fayned fortune, nor in ſuch a Generall, as men call fooliſhly fortunate without reaſon: but it was eſpecially (as Polybius well obſerveth) to be attributed to the ordering of the battell: for the Roman Acies (as the Authour inſiſteth in commending of it) far excelled that Phalangical forme which Hanibal uſed, and that for ſundry reaſons. For in it there is an eaſier motion, a quicker turning, and fitter diſtance: This form will fit any place or time, where the Phalanx will fit but place and time appropriated.
As Caeſar could not endure the leaſt errour in battle array; ſo Alexander by no meanes could be moved to break it. In his laſt battell with Darius, at Arbela, many Companies of the Perſians brake in, and droue away the Macedonians goods, Parmeno thinking much of that, deſired Alexander to fall upon them. At no hand, anſwered Alexander, will I diſſolv my battle, with which I muſt encounter the enemies forces, and not goe reſcue beaſts. Front. lib. 2 cap. 3.For if we be overcome we ſhall need none of theſe; but if we overcome, both ours and theirs ſhall be our own. A few forces ſo well ordered, with ſome advantage of place, hath put a huge Army to their ſtand, and made them glad to be gone. A notable inſtance of this we hauehave in Chabrias the Athenian Captain, who having embattled himſelfe in the ſide of a narrow Hil, in exceeding good order; Agiſelaus, that great ſouldier, chargeth him with 18000 foot, and 1500 horſe; where he was but 5000 foot, and 200 horſe; but in contempt, as it were, of him and all his forces, he cauſeth his ſouldiers to attend him, with their pikes ordered, and their Targets ſunck to their knees. Agiſelaus wondring at their excellent order, Fulgos l. 7. cap. 3. Diodor. Sicul. lib. 15.and conſtant reſolution, that they would not ſtirre one foot, like a wiſe man, gaue them over.
Now for the ſeverall forms of battle array, it is neither pertinent, nor poſſible, for me to diſcover them. The Grecian Phalanx, and the Roman Acies, or the mixture of both is the moſt common; the frame of the firſt, you may gather from Vegetius; the deſcription of the ſecond, word for word you hauehave in Polybius.
In this point of imbatteling, The matter in ordering of the battle to be looked to.there is not onelyonly a due form required, but alſo fit and convenient matter in the due place: ſome doe order the weakeſt forces in the front, and the ſtrongeſt in the wings; ſome doe the contrary: no certain rule can be given in this, but as occaſion ſhall be given from the enemies order, ſo muſt they doe. The ordering of Xantippus his forces, was the onelyonly means of reſtoring Carthage from her ruines: He placed his ſtronger forces in the wings, and his weaker in the front. In the fight againſt Marcus Attilius Regulus, he charged the light forces, that after they had ſhot their ſhafts, they ſhould retire themſelues within the wings, drawing the enemies after them, and withall they ſhould get themſelues without their own, and help to compaſſe in the enemy.
As the powers are often placed, as occaſion is giuen by the enemie; ſo ſometimes the enemie will deceive by a ſudden tranſpoſition of his order. Change of forces is of uſe.Publius Cornelius Scipio, whoſe ſurname was Africanus, warring againſt Aſdruball in Spaine, led out his Army ſome dayes before the fight, with the ſtrongeſt in the front, and weakeſt in the wings: but that day that he came to ioyne indeed, he led them in a contrary order, Front lib. 2 c. 3. Num. 10.and ſo circumvened them. I will conclude this point of ordering with theſe generall rules to be obſerved, in every forme of battle (though eſpecially in a four ſquare battell with a long front,) namely, firſt, that there be no gulfe, nor emptineſs (for ſo they terme it) in front or wing, or any particular part of a battel, In acie ordina …d… ne ſit ſinus aut curvatura.becauſe in it the order by the irruption of the enemie, is eaſilie broken.
Another rule in battell ray, is this, that the Sunne, duſt, or wind be with them, and adverſe to their enemies. Where this advantage is got, it maketh much for the victory. This helped Hanibal, that ſuttle Commander, to the day, at Cannas, to the almoſt undoing of the Romanes, Livi. Florus Plut. Front. lib. 2. cap. 6as Historiographers relate. The great advantage of this, doth herein manifeſt it ſelfe, that the greateſt Commanders hauehave contended for it. It ſtood the Romanes inſtead (being taught by their owne euill) againſt the Cymbrians; and the Generall of the Cymbrians made uſe of it againſt Marius. The victory alwayes went with the advantage of this Stratagem.