Alan Military Tactics

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Thanks Macedon! I'm currently looking for a passage in (Ammianus I think) regarding the Alans "armoring both themselves and their horse."

[Macedon]

I guess one of the Latin guys has to step in here. I am the Greek expert....

Oh, I was just looking through my notes and I found the "Alan Drill" as described by Mauricius in his Strategicon (6.2.). Its very name indicates that it was something possibly copied from the Alans.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Awesome, can you post it?

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Vita Germani: Chapter 78:

Aetius . . . gave permission to Eothar [Goar], the savage king of the
Alans, to subdue Armorica; and Eothar [Goar], with the greed of a bar-
barian, was eager for the wealth of the area. So an old man [St.
Germanus] was pitted against an idolatrous king but, under
Christ's protection, the former proved greater and stronger than
all of his enemies. He set out quickly because preparations for
the campaign had already been made. The Alans were already
on the march and their armored horsemen crowded all the roads.
Nevertheless, our priest took the road moving toward the place
where he hoped to encounter the king who arrived after he did.
The march was already underway when the meeting took
place and thus the priest faced an armored magnate surrounded
by his followers. First the priest made requests through an in-
terpreter. Then, as Eothar [Goar] disregarded these requests, Germanus
scolded him. Finally, Germanus reached out his hand, grabbed
Eothar's [Goar's] horse's bridle, and stopped him, and with him he
stopped the entire army. At this the barbarian king's anger was
turned by God to admiration. Eothar [Goar] was stunned by such firm-
ness, awed by such dignity, and moved by the strength of such
tenacious authority. The war gear and the commotion of arms
were set aside and their place was taken by the courtesies of
peaceful talks. Laying aside his arrogance, the king dismounted
and entered into a discussion which ended not in the satisfaction
of his desires but in satisfying the priest's requests."

[Macedon]

"Περὶ Ἀλανικῆς γυμνασίας σχηματικῆς.

Ἀλανική ἐστιν, ὅταν ἐπὶ μιᾶς μὲν παρατάξεως τάσσωνται ὑπὸ κούρσορας καὶ δηφένσορας, διῃρημένας δὲ τὰς μοίρας ἀπὸ διακοσίων—τετρακοσίων ποδῶν ἀλλήλων διστώσας, καὶ ἐν τῇ κινήσει τῶν κουρσόρων σὺν ἐλασίᾳ ἐξερχομένων εἰς καταδίωξιν, εἶτα ὑποστρεφόντων, ὅτε μὲν εἰς τὰ διαλείμματα ἤτοι εὔκαιρα χωρία αὐτῆς ἐξελίσσεσθαι καὶ ἅμα τοῖς δηφένσορσι χωρεῖν κατὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ὅτε δὲ ὑποστρέφοντας δι’ αὐτῶν τῶν διαστημάτων ἀπέρχεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἄκρα τοῦ μέρους φαίνεσθαι τοὺς ἑκατέρωθεν κούρσορας, ἕκαστον ὡς τέτακται." Strategicon, 6.3.

This is the Greek text, but in order to translate it correctly I have to remember the terminology use of Maurice, which I cannot do right now.

However, in a few words, in the initial formation, cursores (skirmishing missile cavalry) and defensores (cavalry that keeps its formation) together form a line with units 200-400 feet apart. First, it is the cursores who attack the enemy, then they wheel about and enter the intervals, there they again wheel about and with the defensores they jointly advance against the enemy or they ride out on the flanks of the formation or the kursores units.

Nevertheless, this is a rough translation (like the one expected from a philologist). Maurice's text contains certain military terms for the use of which I at the moment cannot vouch for, since -unfortunately- their meaning is not always the same among authors and one has to make a comparative study within the same text to be sure (actually not as hard to do as it sounds...).

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Yes, this tactic is a Steppe tactic. I have read otherwhere (a paper on the wars against Totila I think) that the Byzantines used their archers in a feigned retreat by wheeling their horse-archers back, and when the enemy cavalry pursued the Cataphracts burst through. Thanks Moi!

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Hey, would anyone be able to link me to Tacitus' Historia? There's a passage about the Alans "being burdened with such heavy armor they are unable to maneuver on foot."

EDIT: Found it.

In it he states that: "Nihil ad pedestram pugnam tam ignavum: ubi per turmas advenere vix ulla acies obstiterit."

Roughly: "To fight on foot they are more than useless: where in the turma they can overcome any obstacle they arrive at."

Furthermore he states: " sed tum umido die et soluto gelu neque conti neque gladii, quos praelongos utraque manu regunt, usui, lapsantibus equis et catafractarum pondere."

This passage is confusing me. Something about neither use of the sword or contus, something about using the long reach of the hand to guide, and then something about weighting down their cataphracts.

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Would any of you happen to know where I can find Sidonius' Carminae? I have his letters but not his poems.

[Michael Kerr]

Hi, like I stated previously I don't know much about the late empire armies & battles especially the battle of Chalons, but if I may put on my amateur (in my particular case I must stress amateur) armchair general's hat for a minute. If I was Aetius I would attempt to nullify the Huns most effective troops their swarming horse archers. A.D.H. Bivar wrote a paper called "Cavalry Equipment and tactics on the Euphrates Frontier"(Dumbarton Oaks Papers Vol. 26 1972 pp 271-291) Two things come to mind regarding the Huns & how this battle may have evolved. Was this battle a case of the 2 armies bumping into each other at Chalons or did Aetius or Attila choose the battlefield?

.1 Did the Huns win battles previously because of superior weapons or better riding skills? Bivar wrote

The question now arises whether the devastating victories of the Huns may
be ascribed simply to their superior horsemanship, the result of a childhood
spent in the saddle, or, rather, to their bows, which represented a major
technical advance. The archery manuals make it clear that the two factors
cannot really be separated. To use any bow effectively on horseback is no
small feat and needs a lifetime of training. The stronger the bow, the more
consummate must be the horseman. The compound bow of Mongolia, which
differs in certain details from later Persian and Turkish bows, may indeed
have been the most powerful weapon devised for such use. Its development
may already have reached perfection by the fourth century A.D. Yet, the use
of such weapons was always limited by the supply and training of suitable
horsemen. Their moments of prominence in Near Eastern history were always
those of population movement from Central Asia: the centuries of the Huns,
the Seljuqs, and the Mongols. Against the assets of the nomad-horsemanship,
hardiness, and a practiced aim-urban societies would naturally pit the
industrial resources which made possible the output of mail, and even more
elaborate armor.

2 What was the Huns weakness? Bivar wrote about horse archers

Another basic point appears repeatedly in all the manuals of warfare. The
horse-archer, for all his agility , was at a disadvantage engaging an enemy,
especially a lancer, who was approaching from his right. There was thus an
effort continually to outflank the enemy on the right wing, and to initiate
attacks on the right flank. Extra detachments were to be posted on the left
wing in a defensive role, to neutralize this type of movement

.
Maybe Aetius knowing the Huns well, made the dispositions of his army with that in mind?
From the little I know about Attila I assume that he wouldn't have been too happy with the Alans, as he had Alans in his army as well I read, so maybe there might have been a feigned retreat by the Alans in the centre of Aetius's army to lure Hunnic horse archers, who were probably pounding the Alans with arrows, into an unfavourable position away from their favoured right? Don't know but there is not much info about the actual battle.
Amateur general's hat is now off & we can return to subject of the Alan tactics.

Regards
Michael Kerr

[Flavivs Aetivs]

That is something I argued, that a normal Alan retreat would have left the Huns in a favorable position to annihilate the Visigoths. The Romans and Goths must have hit the Hunnic flanks hard as the Alans pulled back and turned on their enemy.

[Michael Kerr]

Magister Militum Flavius Aetius wrote:

Here is a passage from Ammianus on Hun tactics:

"enter battle drawn up in wedge-shaped masses, while their medley of voices makes a savage noise. And as they are lightly equipped for swift motion, and unexpected action, they purposely divide suddenly into scattered bands and attack, rushing about in disorder here and there, dealing terrific slaughter; and because of their extraordinary rapidity of movement . . . they fight from a distance with missiles . . . they gallop over the intervening spaces and fight hand to hand with swords."

A good description of “swarming tactics" from an ancient source. Below is a link to a paper from Rand Corporation describing swarming tactics & a description of some battles involving horse archers.

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pub....chap3.pdf

George Patton in his usual blunt manner put the same tactic simply to his troops.

“You guys grab the enemy by the nose & hang on while the rest of you go round behind him & kick him in the ass."

Also in regards to the drills & manoeuvres mentioned in Maurice. Oman mentions in his book that the Scythian drill/manoeuvre involves “feigned retreat." He was talking about Byzantine armies when he wrote.

They also loved to perform ambushes, including the “Scythian Ambush,” a direct copy of the mangudai technique of feigned with- drawal. See Oman, 1953, p. 53, and Maurice’s StrmGeorge T. Dennis, Philadelphia: University of Pennsyl- vania Press, 1984.

Regards
Michael Kerr

[Flavivs Aetivs]

Macedon, Michael, could I get specific references to the quotes you cited? I need the lines/translation/etc for my article.

[Michael Kerr]

Hi these are the sources I have mentioned in previous posts
Sir Charles Oman A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages Volume One 378-1278AD
Book IV The Byzantines AD 579-1204 pp 204-205
He mentions feigned repeat twice
Firstly he refers to Strategikon Book XI Characteristics and Tactics of Various peoples Chapter 3 Dealing with the Light-Haired Peoples, such as the Franks, Lombards and Others like them
Oman mentions that Franks or Lombards either on horseback or on foot are brave but impetuous & undisciplined in charging as if they were the only people in the world who are not cowards. Oman mentions that the Byzantine army used feigned retreats regularly because they were often successful against Lombards & then Franks because “Franks & Lombards were proud & impetuous” & nothing succeeds better against them than a feigned flight, which draws them into an ambush; for they follow hastily, and invariably fall into the snare.
Second example is Battle of Manzikert where Byzantines (against their own usual care to avoid ambushes) got caught in a feigned retreat by Turks in Chapter IV Decline of Byzantine Army 1071-1204 pp 218-223.
The quotes about Hun archers & their horse riding ability & hunnic bows as well as the weakness of horse archers were from A.D.H. Bivar "Cavalry Equipment and tactics on the Euphrates Frontier"(Dumbarton Oaks Papers Vol. 26 1972 pp 271-291
Just a few points on Strategikon, besides the Alan Drill which Macedon described, Maurice also mentioned the Scythian Drill (Scythian being a loose term for Steppe peoples to Byzantine writers.) These drills are mentioned in BookVI Various Tactics and Drills Chapters 1& 2. Just on Battle of Chalons do you know what time of year battle was fought as. Maurice mentions in Book VII Strategy. The Points which the general must consider that against Scythians or Huns launch your assault in February/March when their horses are in wretched condition after suffering through winter & a shortage of fodder.
When it comes to feigned retreat in Book XI Characteristics and Tactics Chapter 1 Dealing with the Persians he recommends charging them is effective against Persians because they are prompted to rapid flight & do not know how to wheel about suddenly against their attackers as do the Scythian nations.
Finally, although generally disparaging of the Scythians he does show them some grudging respect in Book VII Points to be observed on the day of battle, where he cautions a commander that if the first day of battle ends in defeat he is not advised to force another battle in the next few days where he states Nobody makes a habit of immediately retrieving a defeat, except the Scythians.
He also mentions in Part D hunting. Hunting wild animals without serious injury or accident he recommends cavalry take part in hunts as hunting is of great value to the soldiers both foot & horse because not only does it make them more alert & provide exercise for their horses, but it also gives them good experience in military tactics, he then goes on that certain hunting formations resembles the battle formation which the Scythians like to use.
Regards
Michael Kerr

[Macedon]

These are the TLG references (as given by the TLG) which I mainly use.

Pseudo-MAURICIUS
Strategicon (sub nomine Mauricii Imperatoris vel Urbicii)
H. Mihaescu, Mauricius. Arta militara [Scriptores Byzantini 6. Bucharest: Academia Republicae Romanicae, 1970]

Flavius ARRIANUS
Tactica
A.G. Roos and G. Wirth, Flavii Arriani quae exstant omnia, vol. 2. Leipzig: Teubner, 1968 (1st edn. corr.)

Flavius ARRIANUS
Acies contra Alanos {0074.006 Click to search or save}
A.G. Roos and G. Wirth, Flavii Arriani quae exstant omnia, vol. 2. Leipzig: Teubner, 1968 (1st edn. corr.)

[Flavivs Aetivs]

@Michael Kerr

The Battle is considered to have taken place on June 20th because of the Traditional date of the siege of Orleans breaking on June 14th (or at least Attila arriving at Orleans on June 14th, as Jordanes records the Goths and Romans throwing up a "great earthen wall" around the city, which would mean Attila would have to go through two walls.) 120 Miles is around 5-6 days at Rapid military march, which would take you to Chalons-en-Champagne.

So Attila's forces would have already recovered from the Winter, and we know Attila had no train of supply like the Romans did (however bumbling it could be). However, it is interesting to note that when Attila returned home in Fall, he found the ERE had begun fighting the Huns vigorously, suggesting that the Romans knew to fight the Huns in the winter.