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

872 ALEXANDER'S FLYING WINGS.or rather a column in rear of each flank, so placed that itcould face about or wheel to the right or left, and fight to therear or on the flanks if needful to resist attack from thesedirections. It was a flying column behind each flank. Henaturally feared that he might be surrounded by the immensenumber of the enemy, for to attempt this was the one usualmanoeuvre. This disposition has been called a grand hollowsquare, but it was more than that. The arrangement wassuch as to insure greater mobility than a square is capable ofpossessing. For the flying columns were so organized anddisposed that they could face in any direction, and were preparedto meet attack from front, flank or rear. Indeed, theleft flying column met an attack from within, and beat itoff."In fine," says Curtius, "he had so disposed his army that itfronted every way " — he should have said couldfront everyway — " and was ready to engage on all sides, if attemptedto be encompassed ; thus the front was not better securedthan the flanks, nor the flanks better provided than the rear."In this second line, in his right wing, Alexander had disposedthe cavalry at intervals, so that it could wheel into lineat such an angle to the front line as to be able to take inflank any body which might advance on Alexander's rightand this force had orders, if need be, to close in like a sort ofrear or reserve line so as to form a huge square ; or if calledfor to reinforce the first line or phalanx for a front attackby filing in behind it. In the right flying wing were halfthe Agrianians under Attains, and the Macedonian archersunder Briso ; next the veteran Macedonians under Oleander.In front of these were the light cavalry, and the Paeoniansunder Aretes and Aristo. In front of these again were thenewly arrived Greek mercenary cavalry under Menidas, placedwhere they might win their spurs. And covering the agemaand Companion cavaby were half the Agrianians and archers