Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

96 RETREAT FROM ILLYRIA.to them in a manner, and with an eloquence, which iUustratesone of the happiest facultiesof the soldier,and one most rarelypossessed.In his retreat fromlUyria, whither he hadundertaken a campaignwith the Macedonians,Brasidas showed remarkableskill. Perdiccashad desertedhim, decamping suddenlyby night with hisMarch of Brasidas, B. c. 424.entire force, in abjectterror at the compromisedsituation in which he and Brasidas found themselves,leavins: Brasidas with but a handful of men to encounter avast host of barbarians who were following up his retreat.The position was one to try men's souls ; but such was theinfluence of Brasidas over his men that not the remotestdemoralization was shown, nor loss of discipline. His speechto them, pointing out their superiority over the barbarians,despite their small numbers, both in courage, discipline andevery manly quality, and the certainty of beating them if theybut stood together, is a model for every soldier. Here firstwe find a general telling his men that the civilized warriorneed have no fear from untold numbers of barbarians, trite asthe saying is to-day. On the march the hoplites were formedin a hollow square or oblong, the light-armed troops and baggagein the centre. This appears to have been a new devicewith Brasidas. A number of active and brave young soldierswere selected and stationed in an outer rank, or where