Art Militarie, which containeth order and dispo∣sition
in imbattelling: for they maintained pub∣lick
professours, whom they called Tactici, to
teach and instruct their youth the practise and
Art of all formes convenient for that purpose.
And these Tactici found by experience that six∣teen
in flank, so ordered as they were in a Pha∣lanx,
were able to bear any shock, how violent so
ever it charged upon them. Which number of
sixteen they made to consist of four doubles: as
first unitie maketh no order, for order consisteth
in number and pluralitie; but unitie doubled ma∣keth
two, the least of all orders, and this is the
double: which doubled again maketh the second
order, of four souldiers in a file; which doubled
the third time maketh eight; and this doubled
maketh 16, which is the fourth doubling from a
unite; and in it they staied, as in an absolute num∣ber
and square, whose root is four, the Quadruple
in regard of both the extremes. For every one of
these places the Tactici had severall names, by
which they were distinctly known. But the par∣ticular
description requireth a larger discourse
then can be comprehended in these short obser∣vations.
He that desireth further knowledge of
them, may read Aelianus, that lived in the time
of Adrian the Emperour; and Arianus in his
historie of Alexander the great, with Mauritius,
and Leo Imperator; where he shall have the divi∣sions
of Tetraphalangia, Diphalangia, Pha∣langia
unto a unite, with all the discipline of the
Grecians. The chiefest thing to be observed is, that
the Grecians having such skill in imbattelling,
preferred a Phalanx before all other formes
whatsoever; either because the figure in it self was
very strong; or otherwise in regard that it fitted
best their weapons, which were long pikes and
targets. But whether Caesar termed the battell of
the Helvetians a Phalanx, in regard of their
thick manner of imbattelling onely, or otherwise
forasmuch as besides the form, they used the natu∣rall
weapon of a Phalanx, which was the pike,
it remaineth doubtfull. Brancatio in his discourses
upon this place, maketh it no controversie but
that every souldier carried a pike and a target.
The target is particularly named in this historie:
but it cannot so easily be gathered by the same
that their offensive weapons were pikes. In the
fight at the baggage it is said, that many of the
legionarie shouldiers were wounded through the
cart-wheeles, with tragulae and materae, which are
commonly interpreted Speares and Javelins: and
I take them to be weapons longer then common
darts; but whether they were so long as the Sa∣rissas
of the Macedonians I cannot tell. How∣soever
this is certain, that the Helvetians have
ever been reputed for the true Phalangitae, next
unto the Macedonians; and that in their thick
and close imbattelling, they failed not at this time
of the form of a Phalanx: for they roofed it so
thick with targets, that Caesar saith they were sore
troubled, because many of their targets were
fastened and tied together with piles darted
through them. Which argueth that their Phalanx
was very thick thronged, whatsoever their wea∣pon
was.