The Art of War - Khamkoo

armed, that they begin the fight, and having begun it, retire among the
ranks; and when the Armies afterwards have joined fronts together, and
each front is occupied in fighting, they have allowed them to issue forth
from the flanks of the companies, and disorganized and routed them. If
anyone finds himself inferior in cavalry, he can, in addition to the methods
mentioned, place a company of pikemen behind his cavalry, and in
the fighting, arrange for them to give way for the pikemen, and he will
always remain superior. Many have accustomed some of the lightly
armed infantry to get used to combat amidst the cavalry, and this has
been a very great help to the cavalry. Of all those who have organized
Armies for battle, the most praiseworthy have been Hannibal and Scipio
when they were fighting in Africa: and as Hannibal had his Army composed
of Carthaginians and auxiliaries of various kinds, he placed eighty
Elephants in the first van, then placed the auxiliaries, after these he
placed his Carthaginians, and in the rear, he placed the Italians, whom
he trusted little. He arranged matters thusly, because the auxiliaries, having
the enemy in front and their rear closed by his men, they could not
flee: so that being compelled to fight, they should overcome or tire out
the Romans, thinking afterwards with his forces of virtu, fresh, he could
easily overcome the already tired Romans. In the encounter with this arrangement,
Scipio placed the Astati, the Principi, and the Triari, in the
accustomed fashion for one to be able to receive the other, and one to
help the other. He made the vans of the army full of intervals; and so
that they should not be seen through, but rather appear united, he filled
them with Veliti, whom he commanded that, as soon as the Elephants arrived,
they should give way, and enter through the regular spaces
among the legions, and leave the way open to the Elephants: and thus
come to render their attack vain, so that coming hand to hand with them,
he was superior.
ZANOBI
You have made me remember in telling me of this engagement, that
Scipio, during the fight, did not have the Astati retire into the ranks of
the Principi, but divided them and had them retire into the wings of the
army, so as to make room for the Principi, if he wanted to push them forward.
I would desire, therefore, that you tell me what reason motivated
him not to observe the accustomed arrangement.
FABRIZIO
I will tell you. Hannibal had placed all the virtu of his army in the
second line; whence Scipio, in order to oppose a similar virtu to it, assembled
the Principi and the Triari; so that the intervals of the Principi
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