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

THE ARMY IN LINE. 159ing as the conditions varied, the phalanx occupied the centre,the several taxes or brigades by rote from right to left, undertheir respective chiefs. It was a precedent that these brigadesshould change their order in line by a certain rule fromday to day, or at other short periods. On the right of thephalanx were the hypaspists, the agema holding the right oftheir line. Again, on the right of these were the eight squadronsof Macedonian cavalry, changing order in similar fashionfrom day to day. Then came the light troops, lancers, Paeonians,Agrianians and archers, of the right wing, to act asflankers and skii-mishers and to cover the right flank as wellas to open the attack. On the left of the phalanx, if not onduty to protect the camp, were apt to come the Thracian javelin-throwers,in the place corresponding to that of the hypaspistsof the right, farther on the Grecian contingent of horse,then the Thessalian horse, then light troops such as Agatho'sOdryssian cavalry. The demarcation between the right andleft wings was the junction of the third and fourth brigadesof pezetferi.This order was by no means a cut-and-dried rule. Alexanderwas peculiarly happy in tactical formations, and shiftedhis troops according to the work to be done. In line of battlethe phalanx was sometimes divided into right wing, leftwing and centre. Each wing was in two sections, with intervalsthrough which the skirmishers who opened the combatcould retire. But there appear to have been other intervalsin active service. The post of honor of the phalanx wasthe right. Here the general took his stand, not merely todirect, but to lead the battle as the most valiant of the combatants.Philip, and after him Alexander, thus greatly improved theorganization and discipline of the phalanx, which was basedon the Greek model. For the purpose of opposing what it