1, 76.—HAMILCAR
(Vol. i. p. 85.) Dr. Warre writes on the manœuvre of Hamilcar as follows: “Hamilcar’s army is in column of route; elephants leading, then cavalry, then light-armed infantry, and heavy-armed infantry in the rear. He observes the enemy bearing down hastily; gives orders to his whole force to turn about, and then forms line (ἐξέτασις) by successive wheels of his heavy-armed troops. He would thus have changed his heavy-armed from column of route into line by wheeling them while retiring to the right (or left) about. The light-armed apparently passed through the intervals; the cavalry halted when they came to the line now formed up, and at once turned to their front and faced the enemy, and the remainder marched forward to meet them. Polybius does not tell us with what front Hamilcar was marching; but I think it is clear that he was in column of route and not in battle array (ἐκ παρατάξεως). Thus the deployment of his columns, while retiring, by right (or left) about wheel into line by successive συντάγματα, or battalions, would be a very pretty manœuvre, and only such as an able tactician would resort to.”