WEDGE FORMATION TEXTS
Saxo
Flateyarbok
Vegetius
Saxo Grammaticus' Danish Chronicle, Book 7.10.6
P.297 from Aschehoug's edition. My translation from Danish.
'He told him that when his army should fight on land he should divide it into three divisions(fylkinger) which should each be arranged with twenty ranks. But the middle division should project beyond the other two with twenty men arranged in five ranks, and that one, like the other two should present the shape of a cone or wedge.; and on both sides of it the wings should slope out (or 'go out at an angle'). He should order the ranks in each division in this way; that, when the warriors are formed-up, in the first rank there should be two men and therafter only one more in each of the following (ranks), so that in the second rank ther were three, in the third four and so on in this way; this principle should be continued in all the ranks through to the wing-men of the centre division's last rank who end up hard against and in a straight line with the rear ranks of the side divisions. From there each division should continue with a further ten ranks. Behind these diviions he should arrange the young men with throwing weapons and further behind them the old, who with their proven courage shall reinforce their comrades' strength should they slacken. After this should one familiar with the battlefield add a wing (fløje- or 'division?) of slingers who should stand behind their comrades and attack the enemy from a distance with thier slings/catapaults. Further behind these he should position men , in any order and without regard to condition or status . The rearguard (rear formation) he should position therafter in three wedges like the vanguard with the same arrangement of ranks. The rearmost part of the 'wild sow' ( an interpolation - it actually says ''column') can in this way, tight up against the preceeding part, thereby protect it in just the same way if the formation should turn around.'
Latin text
Dan 7.10.6 (p. 207,24 )
[2] Cuius eventum Haraldo oraculis explorare cupienti senex praecipuae magnitudinis, sed orbus oculo, obvius exstitit, qui, hispido etiam amiculo circumactus, Othynum se dici bellorumque usu callere testatus utilissimum ei centuriandi in acie exercitus documentum porrexit. [3] Iussit igitur, ut terrestribus bellum copiis editurus universam aciem in tres turmas divideret, quarum unamquamque vicenarii ratione densaret, mediam vero viginti virorum numero reliquis porrectiorem extenderet, quam etiam in coni sive pyramidis acumen digerens, alarum recessus utrimquesecus discretis ambagibus obliquaret. [4] Cuiuslibet vero turmae seriem hac ratione contexeret, ut a duobus frons inchoans consequentibus locis unitatis dumtaxat incrementa reciperet, et quidem in secunda linea tres, in tertia quattuor eodemque modo posterius ordinandos, habita congressione, statueret, sicque consequentes gradus idem proportionis tenor instrueret, donec coniunctionis extremitas alas aequaret; cornu vero quodlibet denis ab eo ordinibus formaretur. [5] Post has item turmas instructam iaculis iuventutem admittat; a cuius tergo grandaevorum cohortem adhibeat, quae labantes sociorum vires veterana quadam virtute firmaret; deinde funditorum alas gnarus locorum supputator adnecteret, qui post sodalium agmina consistentes eminus hostem tormentis incesserent. [6] Post quos cuiuslibet aetatis aut ordinis homines absque condicionis aestimatione passim ascisceret. [7] Ceterum postremam aciem ternis ad instar primae cornibus interstinctam similique graduum proportione digestam explicet. [8] Cuius tergum superiori coniunctum agmini ipsum aversae frontis obstaculo tueretur. [9] At si navale forte proelium incidisset, partem classis secerneret, quae, eo propositos inchoante conflictus, multivola rates hosticas reflexione circumdaret.
Latin text
Dan 7.10.6 (p. 207,24 )
[2] Cuius eventum Haraldo oraculis explorare cupienti senex praecipuae magnitudinis, sed orbus oculo, obvius exstitit, qui, hispido etiam amiculo circumactus, Othynum se dici bellorumque usu callere testatus utilissimum ei centuriandi in acie exercitus documentum porrexit. [3] Iussit igitur, ut terrestribus bellum copiis editurus universam aciem in tres turmas divideret, quarum unamquamque vicenarii ratione densaret, mediam vero viginti virorum numero reliquis porrectiorem extenderet, quam etiam in coni sive pyramidis acumen digerens, alarum recessus utrimquesecus discretis ambagibus obliquaret. [4] Cuiuslibet vero turmae seriem hac ratione contexeret, ut a duobus frons inchoans consequentibus locis unitatis dumtaxat incrementa reciperet, et quidem in secunda linea tres, in tertia quattuor eodemque modo posterius ordinandos, habita congressione, statueret, sicque consequentes gradus idem proportionis tenor instrueret, donec coniunctionis extremitas alas aequaret; cornu vero quodlibet denis ab eo ordinibus formaretur. [5] Post has item turmas instructam iaculis iuventutem admittat; a cuius tergo grandaevorum cohortem adhibeat, quae labantes sociorum vires veterana quadam virtute firmaret; deinde funditorum alas gnarus locorum supputator adnecteret, qui post sodalium agmina consistentes eminus hostem tormentis incesserent. [6] Post quos cuiuslibet aetatis aut ordinis homines absque condicionis aestimatione passim ascisceret. [7] Ceterum postremam aciem ternis ad instar primae cornibus interstinctam similique graduum proportione digestam explicet. [8] Cuius tergum superiori coniunctum agmini ipsum aversae frontis obstaculo tueretur. [9] At si navale forte proelium incidisset, partem classis secerneret, quae, eo propositos inchoante conflictus, multivola rates hosticas reflexione circumdaret.
FLATEYARBOK
FÆREYINGA SAGA
1896, English, transl. F. York Powell, from the original 'Færeyinga saga'.
The Saga of Thrond of Gate Chapter 19
There ruled over Sweden at that time King Eric the Victorious, the son of Beorn, the son of Eric, the son of Eywind. He was a mighty king. One winter twelve Northern merchants had fared eastward over the Keel into Sweden, and when they came into Sweverick, they held a fair among the folk of the land, and at the fair men fell out and a Northerner slew a Swede. When the king was ware of it, he sent his Guests thither and let slay those twelve men. Now when the spring was come, Earl Hacon asked Sigmund where he was thinking of holding his course that summer. Sigmund said that it should lay with the Earl to fix that. Earl Hacon spake thus: "I wish this, that thou shouldst fare somewhat nearer to the Swede king's realm, and bear this in thy mind of the Swedes, that they slew twelve of my men in the winter not long ago, and there hath been no vengeance yet got for this. "Sigmund said it should be done if he could bring it about. Earl Hacon then gave Sigmund a picked band of his own house-carles and of the fyrd, and all were now ready enough to follow Sigmund. Then he held on his course to the Wick, and found Earl Eric, and he gave Sigmund a fine band of men, and now Sigmund had full three hundred men and five ships well found. They sailed thence southward to Denmark, and so eastward off Sweden, till they laid their ships off Sweden east of the land. Then said Sigmund to his men: "We must make a landing here, and let us go up like men of war. "Then they landed and went up three hundred men together and came to a land where men dwelt; and there they slew men and took gear, and burnt homesteads. And the country folk fled far away into the waste and the wood as far as they could go. Not far thence from where they followed those that fled there ruled a reeve of King Eric whose name was Beorn. He gathered the armed men to him when he heard of their harrying, and they came together a great host and got between Sigmund's men and their ships. And one day they were ware of this land-host, and they told Sigmund of it, and asked him what counsel they should take. "There are many counsels still, and good ones withal,"said he; "often times they have not gotten the victory who were the most men, if only the others have gone briskly to meet them.
Now we will take this plan, we will draw up our array and make a battle-wedge. I and my kinsman Thore will be the foremost men, then shall come three and then five, and so on, but the shielded men shall be outside on the shoulders of the host on either side. And this is the counsel I would have us take, to run right upon their array and try if we can get right through them in this way; and I think the Swedes will not stand fast in the field. "And they did so.
They ran at the Swedish array and went right through them, and there began a great fight, and many of the Swedes fell. And Sigmund went well forward and hewed away on either hand; and he got up to Beorn's banner-bearer and dealt him his deathblow. Then he egged on his men to break the shield wall that was shut round Beorn, and they did so. Sigmund got up to Beorn and they came to blows. But Sigmund soon got the better of him, and gave him his death-wound. Then the Wickings set up the whoop of victory and the country-folk's host fled. Sigmund told his men not to follow those that fled, for that they had not might enough for this in an unknown land, and they hearkened to him. They got much wealth there and fared with it to their ships; then they sailed away from Sweden and held eastward to Holmgard, and harried there round the islands and nesses.
There are two brothers spoken of that were of the Swede king's realm, the name of the one was Wandil, and of the other Aðil. They were landwardens of the Swede king's, and had never less than eight ships and two dragon-ships with them. Now the Swede king heard these tidings, that there had been a raid made in his land, and he sent word to these brethren and bade them take the life of Sigmund and his fellows. They told him they would do so. And about harvest-tide Sigmund and his men were sailing east, and came under an island that lies off Sweden. Then spake Sigmund to his men: "We have not got among friends here, for they are Swedes that dwell here; let us therefore beware of them. So now I will go upon the island here, and look about me. "And he did so, and saw where ten ships lay on the other side of the island; two dragon-ships there were, and eight other ships.
Then Sigmund told his men to make them ready, and get all their goods out of the ships and get stones on board instead. And they made them ready so in the night-time.
ISLANDIC TEXT
FÆREYINGA SAGA - Islandic 19. kafli
Þenna tíma réð fyrir Svíþjóðu Eiríkur konungur hinn sigursæli, Bjarnarson, Eiríkssonar, Eyvindarsonar. Hann var ríkur konungur.
Einn vetur höfðu kaupmenn tólf saman norrænir farið austan um Kjöl til Svíþjóðar, og er þeir komu í Svíaríki áttu þeir kaupstefnu við landsmenn, og skildi þá á í kaupstefnunni, og drap norrænn maður einn svenskan mann. Og er Eiríkur konungur spyr þetta, sendir hann til gesti sína og lætur drepa þessa tólf menn.
Og nú um vorið spyr Hákon jarl hvert Sigmundur ætlaði að halda um sumarið.
Sigmundur sagði að það skyldi á hans forsjó.
Hákon jarl mælti: "Það vilda eg að þú færir nökkvað nærri ríki Svíakonungs og minntist þess á Svíum er þeir drápu tólf menn mína um veturinn fyrir litlu, og hefir engi hefnd fyrir komið."
Sigmundur kveðst svo gera mundu, ef svo vildi til takast.
Hákon jarl fær þá einvalalið Sigmundi af hirð sinni, sumt leiðangurslið. Voru nú allir fúsir til Sigmundar. Halda nú austur til Víkur og finna Eirík jarl, og fær hann Sigmundi enn frítt lið, og hefir Sigmundur nú vel þrjú hundruð manna og fimm skip vel skipuð. Sigla þaðan suður til Danmerkur og svo austur fyrir Svíaveldi. Þar leggja þeir skipum sínum að Svíþjóð, austan að landinu.
Sigmundur segir þá sínum mönnum: "Hér munu vér veita uppgöngu og skulum fara hermannlega."
Þeir ganga nú á land upp og koma í byggðina með þrjú hundruð manna og drepa menn, en taka fé, brenna bæi. Stökkur nú landsfólkið undan á merkur og skóga sem undan komust.
Þaðan eigi langt í brott er þeir ráku flóttann réð fyrir sýslumaður Eiríks konungs, er Björn hét; safnar liði að sér, er hann fréttir hernaðinn og verður fjölmennur og kemst á milli þeirra og skipanna.
Og einn dag sjá þeir landherinn.
Þá tala menn Sigmundar um hvað ráðs skal taka.
"Mörg eru enn góð til," sagði Sigmundur, "og oftar sigrast þeim eigi vel er fleiri eru saman, ef menn eru skeleggir til móts.
Nú skulu vér það ráð taka að fylkja liði voru og gera á svínfylking. Skulu við Þórir frændur vera fremstir, en þá þrír og fimm, en skjaldaðir menn skulu vera út í arma tveim megum, og ætla eg það ráð vort að vér skulum hlaupa að fylkingu þeirra og vita að vér komimst svo í gegnum, en Svíar munu ekki fastir á velli."
Þetta gera þeir;
hlaupa nú að fylkingu Svía og komast í gegnum. Verður nú orrusta mikil, og fellur margt manna af Svíum. Gengur Sigmundur nú vel fram og höggur nú á tvær hendur og kemur að merkismanni Bjarnar og höggur hann banahögg. Þá eggjar hann menn sína að þeir skyldu brjóta skjaldborgina er skotin var um Björn, og svo gera þeir. Sigmundur kemst að Birni og eigast við vopnaskipti, og vinnur Sigmundur hann skjótt og verður banamaður hans. Æpa víkingar nú siguróp, og flýja þá landsmenn.
Sigmundur segir að þeir skulu eigi reka flóttann; sagði að þeir hefði ekki afla til þess í ókunnu landi. Svo gera þeir; taka þar mikið fé og fóru við það til skipa sinna. Sigla nú burt af Svíþjóðu og austur til Hólmgarðs og herja þaðra um eyjar og annes.
Bræður tveir eru nefndir í ríki Svíakonungs; hét annar Vandill, en annar Aðill. Þeir voru landvarnarmenn Svíakonungs og höfðu aldri minnur en átta skip og dreka tvo.
Svíakonungur spyr þessi tíðendi, er hernaður var gjörr í landi hans, og sendir orð þeim bræðrum og biður þá taka Sigmund af lífi og hans félaga. Þeir játuðu þessu.
En um haustið sigla þeir Sigmundur austan og koma undir eina ey er liggur fyrir Svíþjóð. Þá segir Sigmundur til sinna manna: "Nú erum vér ekki með vinum komnir þar er þeir eru Svíar. Skulu vér vera varir um oss, og mun eg ganga upp á eyna og sjást um."
Og svo gjörir hann og sér að öðrum megin eyjarinnar liggja tíu skip, drekaskip tvö og önnur átta.
Sigmundur sagði nú sínum mönnum, og að þeir skulu veita viðbúnað og bera fjárhlut sinn af skipum, en grjót í staðinn, og búast nú við um nóttina.
Flavius Vegetius Renatus' De Rei Militari
XVIIII. Tamen ars belli non minus in hoc aperto conflictu quam in occultis fraudibus adiuuat eruditos. Cauendum uel maxime, ne ab ala cornuque sinistro, quod saepius euenit, aut certe dextro, quod licet raro contingit, circumueniantur tui a multitudine hostium aut a uagantibus globis, quos dicunt drungos. Quod si acciderit, unum remedium est, ut alam cornumque replices et rotundes, quatenus conuersi tui sociorum terga defendant; sed in angulo ipsius extremitatis fortissimi conlocentur, quia ibi impetus amplior fieri consueuit. Item aduersum cuneum hostium certis resistitur modis. Cuneus dicitur multitudo peditum, quae iuncta cum acie primo angustior deinde latior procedit at aduersariorum ordines rumpit, quia a pluribus in unum locum tela mittuntur. Quam rem milites nominant caput porcinum. Contra quod ordinatio ponitur, quam forficem uocant. Nam ex lectissimis militibus in V litteram ordo conponitur et illum cuneum excipit atque ex utraque parte concludit, quo facto aciem non potest rumpere. Item serra dicitur quae ab strenuis directa ante frontem obponitur hostibus, ut turbata acies reparetur. Globus autem dicitur qui a sua acie separatus uago superuentu incursat inimicos, contra quem alter populosior uel fortior inmittitur globus. Obseruandum quoque, ne sub tempore, quo iam committitur pugna, uelis ordines commutare aut de locis suis aliquos numeros ad alia transferre. Statim enim nascitur tumultus atque confusio, et in imparatos conturbatosque facilius hostis incumbit.
The Saga of Thrond of Gate Chapter 19
There ruled over Sweden at that time King Eric the Victorious, the son of Beorn, the son of Eric, the son of Eywind. He was a mighty king. One winter twelve Northern merchants had fared eastward over the Keel into Sweden, and when they came into Sweverick, they held a fair among the folk of the land, and at the fair men fell out and a Northerner slew a Swede. When the king was ware of it, he sent his Guests thither and let slay those twelve men. Now when the spring was come, Earl Hacon asked Sigmund where he was thinking of holding his course that summer. Sigmund said that it should lay with the Earl to fix that. Earl Hacon spake thus: "I wish this, that thou shouldst fare somewhat nearer to the Swede king's realm, and bear this in thy mind of the Swedes, that they slew twelve of my men in the winter not long ago, and there hath been no vengeance yet got for this. "Sigmund said it should be done if he could bring it about. Earl Hacon then gave Sigmund a picked band of his own house-carles and of the fyrd, and all were now ready enough to follow Sigmund. Then he held on his course to the Wick, and found Earl Eric, and he gave Sigmund a fine band of men, and now Sigmund had full three hundred men and five ships well found. They sailed thence southward to Denmark, and so eastward off Sweden, till they laid their ships off Sweden east of the land. Then said Sigmund to his men: "We must make a landing here, and let us go up like men of war. "Then they landed and went up three hundred men together and came to a land where men dwelt; and there they slew men and took gear, and burnt homesteads. And the country folk fled far away into the waste and the wood as far as they could go. Not far thence from where they followed those that fled there ruled a reeve of King Eric whose name was Beorn. He gathered the armed men to him when he heard of their harrying, and they came together a great host and got between Sigmund's men and their ships. And one day they were ware of this land-host, and they told Sigmund of it, and asked him what counsel they should take. "There are many counsels still, and good ones withal,"said he; "often times they have not gotten the victory who were the most men, if only the others have gone briskly to meet them.
Now we will take this plan, we will draw up our array and make a battle-wedge. I and my kinsman Thore will be the foremost men, then shall come three and then five, and so on, but the shielded men shall be outside on the shoulders of the host on either side. And this is the counsel I would have us take, to run right upon their array and try if we can get right through them in this way; and I think the Swedes will not stand fast in the field. "And they did so.
They ran at the Swedish array and went right through them, and there began a great fight, and many of the Swedes fell. And Sigmund went well forward and hewed away on either hand; and he got up to Beorn's banner-bearer and dealt him his deathblow. Then he egged on his men to break the shield wall that was shut round Beorn, and they did so. Sigmund got up to Beorn and they came to blows. But Sigmund soon got the better of him, and gave him his death-wound. Then the Wickings set up the whoop of victory and the country-folk's host fled. Sigmund told his men not to follow those that fled, for that they had not might enough for this in an unknown land, and they hearkened to him. They got much wealth there and fared with it to their ships; then they sailed away from Sweden and held eastward to Holmgard, and harried there round the islands and nesses.
There are two brothers spoken of that were of the Swede king's realm, the name of the one was Wandil, and of the other Aðil. They were landwardens of the Swede king's, and had never less than eight ships and two dragon-ships with them. Now the Swede king heard these tidings, that there had been a raid made in his land, and he sent word to these brethren and bade them take the life of Sigmund and his fellows. They told him they would do so. And about harvest-tide Sigmund and his men were sailing east, and came under an island that lies off Sweden. Then spake Sigmund to his men: "We have not got among friends here, for they are Swedes that dwell here; let us therefore beware of them. So now I will go upon the island here, and look about me. "And he did so, and saw where ten ships lay on the other side of the island; two dragon-ships there were, and eight other ships.
Then Sigmund told his men to make them ready, and get all their goods out of the ships and get stones on board instead. And they made them ready so in the night-time.
ISLANDIC TEXT
FÆREYINGA SAGA - Islandic 19. kafli
Þenna tíma réð fyrir Svíþjóðu Eiríkur konungur hinn sigursæli, Bjarnarson, Eiríkssonar, Eyvindarsonar. Hann var ríkur konungur.
Einn vetur höfðu kaupmenn tólf saman norrænir farið austan um Kjöl til Svíþjóðar, og er þeir komu í Svíaríki áttu þeir kaupstefnu við landsmenn, og skildi þá á í kaupstefnunni, og drap norrænn maður einn svenskan mann. Og er Eiríkur konungur spyr þetta, sendir hann til gesti sína og lætur drepa þessa tólf menn.
Og nú um vorið spyr Hákon jarl hvert Sigmundur ætlaði að halda um sumarið.
Sigmundur sagði að það skyldi á hans forsjó.
Hákon jarl mælti: "Það vilda eg að þú færir nökkvað nærri ríki Svíakonungs og minntist þess á Svíum er þeir drápu tólf menn mína um veturinn fyrir litlu, og hefir engi hefnd fyrir komið."
Sigmundur kveðst svo gera mundu, ef svo vildi til takast.
Hákon jarl fær þá einvalalið Sigmundi af hirð sinni, sumt leiðangurslið. Voru nú allir fúsir til Sigmundar. Halda nú austur til Víkur og finna Eirík jarl, og fær hann Sigmundi enn frítt lið, og hefir Sigmundur nú vel þrjú hundruð manna og fimm skip vel skipuð. Sigla þaðan suður til Danmerkur og svo austur fyrir Svíaveldi. Þar leggja þeir skipum sínum að Svíþjóð, austan að landinu.
Sigmundur segir þá sínum mönnum: "Hér munu vér veita uppgöngu og skulum fara hermannlega."
Þeir ganga nú á land upp og koma í byggðina með þrjú hundruð manna og drepa menn, en taka fé, brenna bæi. Stökkur nú landsfólkið undan á merkur og skóga sem undan komust.
Þaðan eigi langt í brott er þeir ráku flóttann réð fyrir sýslumaður Eiríks konungs, er Björn hét; safnar liði að sér, er hann fréttir hernaðinn og verður fjölmennur og kemst á milli þeirra og skipanna.
Og einn dag sjá þeir landherinn.
Þá tala menn Sigmundar um hvað ráðs skal taka.
"Mörg eru enn góð til," sagði Sigmundur, "og oftar sigrast þeim eigi vel er fleiri eru saman, ef menn eru skeleggir til móts.
Nú skulu vér það ráð taka að fylkja liði voru og gera á svínfylking. Skulu við Þórir frændur vera fremstir, en þá þrír og fimm, en skjaldaðir menn skulu vera út í arma tveim megum, og ætla eg það ráð vort að vér skulum hlaupa að fylkingu þeirra og vita að vér komimst svo í gegnum, en Svíar munu ekki fastir á velli."
Þetta gera þeir;
hlaupa nú að fylkingu Svía og komast í gegnum. Verður nú orrusta mikil, og fellur margt manna af Svíum. Gengur Sigmundur nú vel fram og höggur nú á tvær hendur og kemur að merkismanni Bjarnar og höggur hann banahögg. Þá eggjar hann menn sína að þeir skyldu brjóta skjaldborgina er skotin var um Björn, og svo gera þeir. Sigmundur kemst að Birni og eigast við vopnaskipti, og vinnur Sigmundur hann skjótt og verður banamaður hans. Æpa víkingar nú siguróp, og flýja þá landsmenn.
Sigmundur segir að þeir skulu eigi reka flóttann; sagði að þeir hefði ekki afla til þess í ókunnu landi. Svo gera þeir; taka þar mikið fé og fóru við það til skipa sinna. Sigla nú burt af Svíþjóðu og austur til Hólmgarðs og herja þaðra um eyjar og annes.
Bræður tveir eru nefndir í ríki Svíakonungs; hét annar Vandill, en annar Aðill. Þeir voru landvarnarmenn Svíakonungs og höfðu aldri minnur en átta skip og dreka tvo.
Svíakonungur spyr þessi tíðendi, er hernaður var gjörr í landi hans, og sendir orð þeim bræðrum og biður þá taka Sigmund af lífi og hans félaga. Þeir játuðu þessu.
En um haustið sigla þeir Sigmundur austan og koma undir eina ey er liggur fyrir Svíþjóð. Þá segir Sigmundur til sinna manna: "Nú erum vér ekki með vinum komnir þar er þeir eru Svíar. Skulu vér vera varir um oss, og mun eg ganga upp á eyna og sjást um."
Og svo gjörir hann og sér að öðrum megin eyjarinnar liggja tíu skip, drekaskip tvö og önnur átta.
Sigmundur sagði nú sínum mönnum, og að þeir skulu veita viðbúnað og bera fjárhlut sinn af skipum, en grjót í staðinn, og búast nú við um nóttina.
Flavius Vegetius Renatus' De Rei Militari
XVIIII. Tamen ars belli non minus in hoc aperto conflictu quam in occultis fraudibus adiuuat eruditos. Cauendum uel maxime, ne ab ala cornuque sinistro, quod saepius euenit, aut certe dextro, quod licet raro contingit, circumueniantur tui a multitudine hostium aut a uagantibus globis, quos dicunt drungos. Quod si acciderit, unum remedium est, ut alam cornumque replices et rotundes, quatenus conuersi tui sociorum terga defendant; sed in angulo ipsius extremitatis fortissimi conlocentur, quia ibi impetus amplior fieri consueuit. Item aduersum cuneum hostium certis resistitur modis. Cuneus dicitur multitudo peditum, quae iuncta cum acie primo angustior deinde latior procedit at aduersariorum ordines rumpit, quia a pluribus in unum locum tela mittuntur. Quam rem milites nominant caput porcinum. Contra quod ordinatio ponitur, quam forficem uocant. Nam ex lectissimis militibus in V litteram ordo conponitur et illum cuneum excipit atque ex utraque parte concludit, quo facto aciem non potest rumpere. Item serra dicitur quae ab strenuis directa ante frontem obponitur hostibus, ut turbata acies reparetur. Globus autem dicitur qui a sua acie separatus uago superuentu incursat inimicos, contra quem alter populosior uel fortior inmittitur globus. Obseruandum quoque, ne sub tempore, quo iam committitur pugna, uelis ordines commutare aut de locis suis aliquos numeros ad alia transferre. Statim enim nascitur tumultus atque confusio, et in imparatos conturbatosque facilius hostis incumbit.