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

, whatMANCEUVRING. 675had carefully reconnoitred. The plain south of Mantinaea isinclosed by hills on east and west. Philopoemen drew up inrear of a ravine which crossed the plain from hill to hill, andwhich, wet in winter, dry in summer, and flush with the surface,was not visible from a distance. This ravine he proposedto use as a sort of field-work. It was much like the railroadcuttingat Manassas. Ilis light infantry was on the left, andleaned on the hills, in its front the cavalry, mounted peltasts,allies and mercenaries. His phalanx was in the centre, placedcheckerwise by mores, a new formation originated by Philopoemen.The cataphracti were on the right, and intended tobe held as a reserve. Philopoemen made a stirring addressto his men. " This day will decide," said he, " whether you"will be freemen or slaves !Soon appeared Machanidas' three columns, the centre oneapparently obliquing towards Philopoemen's right. The latterguessed that Machanidas was proposing to attack in obliqueorder, left reinforced, kept a close outlook, but alterednothing in his formation ; but Machanidas obliqued to theright, and took up, at a distance, a parallel order of battle.Philopoemen then looked for a front attack by the Spartanphalanx ; but instead of this the intervals of the phalanxopened, and the ballistas and catapults passed through, andranged themselves before the line. Here is an instance ofhad grown to be usual — the opening of a battle by thefire of artillery. Philopoemen met this threat by throwingout a skirmish line of light horse and foot in front of hisphalanx in order to pick off with their arrows and sling-stonesthe men who served the engines. By active work the machineswere silenced.Machanidas, seeing that the light horse was all on Philopoemen'sleft, while the heavy horse was held in reserve uponthe right, ordered his light troops from the rear of his cav-