The tactiks of Ælian or art of embattailing an army after ye Grecian manner Englished & illustrated wth figures throughout: & notes vpon ye chapters of ye ordinary motions of ye phalange by I.B. The exercise military of ye English by ye order of that great generall Maurice of Nassau Prince of Orange &c Gouernor & Generall of ye vnited Prouinces is added
Aelianus., Gelius, Aegidius, engraver., Bingham, John, Captain.

Notes.

  • IN the second Chapter of this booke was handled the diuersitie of armes, vsed in the Phalange. This setteth forth the choice, that is to be made for matter and fashion, andPage  83what sise is best of pike and target. For the other armor of the armed (whereof I spake, in my notes to the second Chapter) is (no question) to be fitted to the body of him, that shall beare them. He giueth then to the armed a target, and a pike, the target the Macedoni∣an target, the matter whereof was first of brasse. I haue shewed, that the Macedonian target was of brasse, and that they were called by reason of the bearing such targets Chal∣caspides Brazen-targets. I am induced to thinke, that, as Philip borowed many other things in warre from the Lacedemonians, so he borowed this kinde of target from them. For they by the ordinance of Lycurgus, were inioyned to haue no other matter in their target, then brasse.a Xenophon giues a reason why they were made of brasse. For Ly∣curgus was of opinion, saith he, that such a Target was most fit for warre, because it is soone brought to shine, and it gathereth not rust easily, two great commodities in armes. For albeit the chiefest considerations be surenesse, and strength, yet is not the beauty to be neglected, which shining doth principally set out.bBesides that it dazeleth the eye of the enemie, and strikes an amazednesse into his minde.c Xenophon much ad∣mireth Agesilaus, that he so armed, and clothed his armie, that they seemed to be nothing, but brasse, and nothing, but scarlet. The brasse he speaketh of, were the bra∣zen targets of his souldiers, which couered the most part of the body, and were chiefely the obiect of the eye, without that, that any other weapon was at that time of Brasse. There∣fore, as I said, I am of opinion that the brazen Target came from the Spartans to the Macedonians. The Brazen-targets Aelian would haue
  • 2 Somewhat hollow] If they should beare streight out without any bowing, be∣sides that they were vneasie, they would lie kicking out from the body, and not couer it much. The arme, or shoulder, that is inserted into the Target, is bowing. And the target somewhat bowing fits it for ease, and slopeth more toward the body to couer it, and is more pliable to be carried. But the hollownesse ought not to be much. He would haue it also
  • 3 Eight hand-fulls in Diameter] The Diameter in a circle is a right line, which is drawne from one side of the circumference to the other passing thorough the Center, or middle point of the circle, diuiding the circle in two equall parts. Here the Diameter of the target is taken for the exact bredth of the target, which ought to be, according to the Macedonian manner, eight handfulls, or two foote, that is 32 fingers. For foure handfulls go to a foote, and foure fingers to a handfull.d Leo giues it three Spithams, that is 36 fingers, if he meane the greate Spithame, which is of twelue fingers. And the lesse comprehending a handfull he cannot meane. For so should the bredth of the target be no more, but three handfulls, a bredth insufficient to couer any mans body. Whether of them is the better will appeare in triall. The Diameter that serues to couer the bodie from the vpper part of the necke to the middle part of the thigh, is enough in these round targets. That, which is more, is rather troublesome, then fit for vse. And I am of Iphicrates iudgement in targets, that performing the couering of the bodie, they should be as light, as may bee, least the shoulder be ouer-laden with vnnecessarie weight. In 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 off 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 Lace∣demonian King, asg Polienus tells. Cleonymus besieging Aedessa, and hauing ouer∣throwne Page  84 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 com∣manded 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 reco∣uer 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 vi∣ctorie. This was Cleonymus deuice against long pikes, which notwithstanding dero∣gates 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 reasona∣ble consideration, that it exceede not the measure of his strength▪ that shall beare the pike.