Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

procuring, as to the greater or less distance of the enemy. His conduct in this respect was especially curious and judicious, when he marched against the Nervians. During his celebrated campaign in Spain he compelled a veteran army to surrender as prisoners of war, without striking a blow, by a happy choice of posts and consummate address in improving the advantages afforded by the nature of the country. Another object of solicitude was, to contrive his marches in such a manner as to station his camp near some navigable river, and to secure, as has been before mentioned, a country in his rear, whence he could be supplied easily, and at a reasonable rate, with every thing necessary for the subsistence of his army. Intrenched encampments formed an essential part of military discipline among the Romans; and Cæsar gave his sanction to the practice, by constantly following it in his wars with the Gauls. The globus, or circular order, was a disposition of which he speaks in his Commentaries, as highly advantageous in cases of danger and extremity: and the Duke of Wellington seems to have made arrangements analogous if not identical, on the field of Waterloo, while waiting for the arrival of the Prussians.

Pompey, in the decisive battle of Pharsalia, by the advice of Triarius, commanded his soldiers to receive Cæsar's assault, and to sustain the shock of his army, without removing from their position. His motive for this was the opinion, that Cæsar's men would be disordered in their advance; and that his own, by not moving, would retain their ranks undisturbed. On this system Cæsar remarks, that according to his own judgment, the advice was contrary to every principle of reason: for he

argues that there is a certain ardour and alacrity of spirit natural to every man when he goes into battle, which no commander should repress or restrain, but rather should increase and push it forward. The event fully justified the general criticism, and proved it to be well-grounded in practice, as well as warranted by speculation on human character. In this battle against Pompey, Cæsar not only took advantage of his antagonist's erroneous theory, but surprised him by material innovations on the Roman manner of embattling.

When Cæsar fought against Ariovistus and the Germans, he placed the best men in the wings of his army. This may, on the first blush, appear impolitic; as the centre is likely to give way: but in that case, the wings will wheel upon the enemy, encompass, and destroy the choicest men if placed in their main battle.

The ancient mode of fortification is well described by Cæsar, especially the walls of the city of Bourges, in the seventh book of his wars with the Gauls. He used the musculus at the siege of Marseilles. The planks of the roof were covered with bricks and mortar, over which hides were laid to prevent the mortar from dissolving by the water poured down upon it by the besieged. To secure it from stones and fire, it was again covered over with thick quilted mattresses properly prepared.

The moving towers were a peculiar feature of ancient warfare. When once they were brought up, a place seldom held out long. Those who had no ground of confidence but in the height of their ramparts, must sink at once into despair on seeing the enemy in possession of an elevation to command them. The people of Namur made a jest of

Cæsar's tower, while it was at a distance: but when it was seen moving rapidly towards them, they demanded to capitulate. Cæsar tells us that they believed it to be a prodigy; and were utterly astonished that men of ordinary size should think of carrying so vast and heavy a machine to their walls.

Cæsar was a master of circumvallation. That formed before Alesia consisted of fascines instead of turf, with its parapet and fraises made of large stakes, whose branches were cut in points, and burnt at the ends, like stags' horns. The battlements he mentions were like the modern embrasures for cannon. Cæsar's lines being very high, it was indispensibly necessary to have a platform with a slope, in the form of steps, to prevent the earth from falling away.

The following specimen of the author will best explain the ground enclosed between the two fosses, which is by far the most curious part of the blockade:-"Erat uno tempore et materiari et frumentari, et tantas munitiones fieri necesse, diminutis nostris copiis, quæ longius ab castris progrediebantur: et nonnunquam opera nostra Galli tentare, atque eruptionem ex oppido pluribus portis facere summa vi conabantur. Quare ad hæc rursus opera addendum Cæsar putavit, quo minore numero militum munitiones defendi possent. Itaque truncis arborum, aut admodum firmis ramis abscissis, atque horum dolabratis atque præacutis cacuminibus, perpetuæ fossæ quinos pedes altæ ducebantur. Huc illi stipites demissi, et ab infimo revincti ne revelli possent, ab ramis eminebant. Quini erant ordines conjuncti inter se atque implicati, quo qui intraverant, se ipsi acutissimis vallis induebant..

Ante hos, obliquis ordinibus in quincuncem dispositis, scrobes trium in altitudinem pedum fodie bantur, paullatim angustiore ad summum fastigio. Huc teretes stipites feminis crassitudine, ab summo præacuti et præusti, demittebantur; ita ut non amplius IV. digitis ex terra eminerent. Simul confirmandi et stabiliendi caussa singuli ab infimo solo pedes terra exculcabantur: reliqua pars scrobis ad occultandas insidias viminibus ac virgultis integebatur. Hujus generis octoni ordines ducti, ternos inter se pedes distabant. Ante hæc taleæ pedem longæ, ferreis hamis infixis, totæ in terram infodiebantur; mediocribusque intermissis spatiis, omnibus locis disserebantur, quos Stimulos nominabant." The other line, to prevent succours from without, was exactly the same as this.

[ocr errors]

The most curious and remarkable sieges on ancient record are those of Platæa by the Lacedæmonians and Thebans; of Syracuse by the Athenians; of Lilybæum, Syracuse, Carthage, and Numantia by the Romans; but above all, that of Alesia by Julius Cæsar, and of Jerusalem by Titus Vespasian. These two last are so circumstantially described in all their details, the former by Cæsar, who planned and conducted it; the latter by Josephus, who was an eye-witness of all that passed, that an attentive reader will find every thing worth knowing on the subject, and be qualified to form a clear and comprehensive judgment of the perfection attained by the ancients, and especially by the Romans, in this leading branch of the military

art.

But the discovery of gunpowder has occasioned so entire a revolution in the art of war, that the interest felt in the perusal of these Commentaries

would be much lessened, unless in the estimation of military antiquaries, were it not that the narrative relates simply and unaffectedly, what the author himself performed at the head of his army.

Hirtius, in Præf. lib. viii. de Bello Gall. speaks thus respecting the execution of these works :— "Constat enim inter omnes, nihil tam operose ab aliis esse perfectum, quod non horum elegantia commentariorum superetur: qui sunt editi, ne scientia tantarum rerum scriptoribus deesset; adeoque probantur omnium judicio, ut prærepta, non præbita facultas scriptoribus videatur.”

The following is the character Cicero gives of them, in Bruto, cap. 75.:-" Atque etiam commentarios quosdam scripsit rerum suarum; valde quidem, inquit, probandos. Nudi enim sunt, recti, et venusti, omni ornatu orationis, tamquam veste, detracto. Sed dum voluit alios habere parata, unde sumerent, qui vellent scribere historiam: ineptis gratum fortasse fecit, qui volent illa calamistris inurere: sanos quidem homines a scribendo deterruit. Nihil enim est in historia pura et illustri brevitate dulcius."

But these opinions of Hirtius and Cicero respecting Cæsar's Commentaries, were not without dissentients of high rank in the critical world. Asinius Pollio thought them careless, and often untrue: and he considered this as accounted for in some cases, by credulity on Cæsar's part, when unfounded or exaggerated statements were made to him; in other cases, by his personal share in the transactions recorded, which led him to give, perhaps unconsciously, a false colouring to his own exploits, either from self-love or lapse of memory. The imputation thus conveyed by Pollio,

« IndietroContinua »