01-06-2014, 02:57 PM
As I see you cite this: Caesar, Civil Wars I.64
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/1C*.html
this is technically no battle though and might be explained little bit earlier
In the same campain we find Caesar, Civil Wars I.41 :
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/1B*.html
"Within two days Caesar reached the camp with nine hundred horsemen whom he had reserved as a bodyguard for himself. The bridge which had been broken down by the storm was almost repaired: he ordered it to be finished at night. Having made himself acquainted with the character of the country, he leaves six cohorts to guard the bridge and the camp together with all his baggage, and on the following day, with his whole force drawn up in three lines, he sets out for Ilerdaa and halts close to the camp of Afranius, and, having waited there for a little while under arms, offers his foe an opportunity of fighting on level ground. The opportunity being thus allowed him, Afranius leads out his forces and posts them half p63way up the slope under shelter of his camp. When Caesar learned that it was only owing to Afranius that a pitched battle was not fought he determined to pitch his camp at an interval of •about four hundred paces from the lowest spurs of the mountain, and in order that his men might not be panic-stricken by a sudden onset of the foe while engaged on their task and so be prevented from working, he forbade the erection of a rampart, which could not fail to be prominent and visible from a distance, but ordered a ditch of •fifteen feet width to be constructed facing the enemy. The first and second line remained under arms as they had been posted at first; behind these the work was being secretly done by the third line. So it was all completed before Afranius could become aware that the camp was being fortified. Towards evening Caesar withdraws the legions within the fosse and bivouacs there under arms the following night."
So another mention of the three lines, although here is clear why he used this battle order (he has 2 lines infront while the third is digging in), maybe because he is following the adversary he might use the same battle order as in the my previous citation.
Now further in the same Book I.83:
"83 The Afranian line was a double one of five legions. The third line of reserves was occupied by the auxiliary cohorts. Caesar's line was threefold, but the first line was held by four cohorts from each of the five legions, next to these came three reserve cohorts, and again three more, each from its respective legion; the bowmen and slingers were enclosed in the centre of the force, while cavalry protected the flanks. The battle array being thus drawn out, each commander seemed to have gained his purpose, Caesar not to engage in battle unless compelled, Afranius to hinder Caesar's works. However, the situation is prolonged and the battle array is maintained till sunset; then each side withdraws to camp. On the next day Caesar prepares to complete the defence works he had started; the enemy make trial of the ford of the River Sicoris to see if they could cross. Observing this, Caesar throws his light-armed Germans and part of his cavalry across the river and places frequent outposts along the banks. "
I can't read this in Latin unfortunatelly but maybe we get some help "Caesar's line was threefold, but the first line was held by four cohorts " the "but" was something that always puzeled me, and I interpreted this earlier the normal one was not 4 but 3 or 5, I bet for 3 but then was it 3-3-4 or 3-4-3 or even better 1 legion 3-3-4 next 3-4-3 lol. Anyhow the "bowmen and slingers were enclosed in the centre of the force, while cavalry protected the flanks" that I found also interesting
Read the Pharsalus battle too where Caesar starts with 3 lines that go to 4 lines (4-3-2-1), we see
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/3D*.html
"At the same time, having noticed the arrangements mentioned above, fearing lest his right wing should be surrounded by the multitude of cavalry, he hastily withdrew individual cohorts from the third line and out of these constructed a fourth line, stationing it opposite the cavalry, explaining what his object was and reminding them that the day's victory depended on the valour of these cohorts. At the same time he commanded the third line and the whole army not to join battle without orders from himself, saying that when he wished this to be done he would give the signal with a flag. "
we know there were 6 cohors in third line
"Caesar, observing it, gave the signal to his fourth line, which he had composed of six cohorts"
and the victory
"94 At the same time Caesar ordered the third line, which had been undisturbed and up to that time had p331retained its position, to advance. So, as they had come up fresh and vigorous in place of the exhausted troops, while others were attacking in the rear, the Pompeians could not hold their ground and turned to flight in mass. Nor was Caesar wrong in thinking that the victory would originate with those cohorts which had been posted opposite the cavalry in the fourth line, as he had himself stated in exhorting his troops; for it was by them that the cavalry was first repulsed, by them that the archers and slingers were slaughtered, by them that the Pompeian force was surrounded on the left and the rout first started"
P.S sorry about my english
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/1C*.html
this is technically no battle though and might be explained little bit earlier
In the same campain we find Caesar, Civil Wars I.41 :
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/1B*.html
"Within two days Caesar reached the camp with nine hundred horsemen whom he had reserved as a bodyguard for himself. The bridge which had been broken down by the storm was almost repaired: he ordered it to be finished at night. Having made himself acquainted with the character of the country, he leaves six cohorts to guard the bridge and the camp together with all his baggage, and on the following day, with his whole force drawn up in three lines, he sets out for Ilerdaa and halts close to the camp of Afranius, and, having waited there for a little while under arms, offers his foe an opportunity of fighting on level ground. The opportunity being thus allowed him, Afranius leads out his forces and posts them half p63way up the slope under shelter of his camp. When Caesar learned that it was only owing to Afranius that a pitched battle was not fought he determined to pitch his camp at an interval of •about four hundred paces from the lowest spurs of the mountain, and in order that his men might not be panic-stricken by a sudden onset of the foe while engaged on their task and so be prevented from working, he forbade the erection of a rampart, which could not fail to be prominent and visible from a distance, but ordered a ditch of •fifteen feet width to be constructed facing the enemy. The first and second line remained under arms as they had been posted at first; behind these the work was being secretly done by the third line. So it was all completed before Afranius could become aware that the camp was being fortified. Towards evening Caesar withdraws the legions within the fosse and bivouacs there under arms the following night."
So another mention of the three lines, although here is clear why he used this battle order (he has 2 lines infront while the third is digging in), maybe because he is following the adversary he might use the same battle order as in the my previous citation.
Now further in the same Book I.83:
"83 The Afranian line was a double one of five legions. The third line of reserves was occupied by the auxiliary cohorts. Caesar's line was threefold, but the first line was held by four cohorts from each of the five legions, next to these came three reserve cohorts, and again three more, each from its respective legion; the bowmen and slingers were enclosed in the centre of the force, while cavalry protected the flanks. The battle array being thus drawn out, each commander seemed to have gained his purpose, Caesar not to engage in battle unless compelled, Afranius to hinder Caesar's works. However, the situation is prolonged and the battle array is maintained till sunset; then each side withdraws to camp. On the next day Caesar prepares to complete the defence works he had started; the enemy make trial of the ford of the River Sicoris to see if they could cross. Observing this, Caesar throws his light-armed Germans and part of his cavalry across the river and places frequent outposts along the banks. "
I can't read this in Latin unfortunatelly but maybe we get some help "Caesar's line was threefold, but the first line was held by four cohorts " the "but" was something that always puzeled me, and I interpreted this earlier the normal one was not 4 but 3 or 5, I bet for 3 but then was it 3-3-4 or 3-4-3 or even better 1 legion 3-3-4 next 3-4-3 lol. Anyhow the "bowmen and slingers were enclosed in the centre of the force, while cavalry protected the flanks" that I found also interesting
Read the Pharsalus battle too where Caesar starts with 3 lines that go to 4 lines (4-3-2-1), we see
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Ro...s/3D*.html
"At the same time, having noticed the arrangements mentioned above, fearing lest his right wing should be surrounded by the multitude of cavalry, he hastily withdrew individual cohorts from the third line and out of these constructed a fourth line, stationing it opposite the cavalry, explaining what his object was and reminding them that the day's victory depended on the valour of these cohorts. At the same time he commanded the third line and the whole army not to join battle without orders from himself, saying that when he wished this to be done he would give the signal with a flag. "
we know there were 6 cohors in third line
"Caesar, observing it, gave the signal to his fourth line, which he had composed of six cohorts"
and the victory
"94 At the same time Caesar ordered the third line, which had been undisturbed and up to that time had p331retained its position, to advance. So, as they had come up fresh and vigorous in place of the exhausted troops, while others were attacking in the rear, the Pompeians could not hold their ground and turned to flight in mass. Nor was Caesar wrong in thinking that the victory would originate with those cohorts which had been posted opposite the cavalry in the fourth line, as he had himself stated in exhorting his troops; for it was by them that the cavalry was first repulsed, by them that the archers and slingers were slaughtered, by them that the Pompeian force was surrounded on the left and the rout first started"
P.S sorry about my english
