he army. The first division, the
_hastati_, which was in front, they drew up in close order to enable
it to withstand and repulse the enemy. The second division, the
_principes_, since it was not to be engaged from the beginning, but was
meant to succour the first in case that were driven in, was not formed
in close order but kept in open file, so that it might receive the other
into its ranks whenever it was broken and forced to retire. The third
division, that, namely, of the _triarii_, had its ranks still more
open than those of the second, so that, if occasion required, it might
receive the first two divisions of the _hastati_ and _principes_. These
divisions, therefore, being drawn up in this order, the engagement
began, and if the _hastati_ were overpowered and driven back, they
retired within the loose ranks of the _principes_, when both these
divisions, being thus united into one, renewed the conflict. If these,
again, were routed and forced back, they retreated within the open ranks
of the _triarii_, and all three divisions, forming into one, once more
renewed the fight, in which, if they were overpowered, since they had no
further means of recruiting their strength, they lost the battle.
And because whenever this last division, of the _triarii_, had to be
employed, the army was in jeopardy, there arose the proverb, "_Res
redacta est ad triarios_," equivalent to our expression of _playing a
last stake_.

The captains of our day, as they have abandoned all the other customs
of antiquity, and pay no heed to any part of the ancient discipline, so
also have discarded this method of disposing their men, though it was
one of no small utility. For to insure the defeat of a commander who so
arranges his forces as to be able thrice during an engagement to renew
his strength, Fortune must thrice declare against him, and he must be
matched with an adversary able three times over to defeat him; whereas
he whose sole chance of success lies in his surviving the first onset,
as is the case with all the armies of Christendom at the present day,
may easily be vanquished, since any slight mishap, and the least failure
in the steadiness of his men, may deprive him of victory.

And what takes from our armies the capacity to renew their strength is,
that provision is now no longer made for one division being received
into the ranks of another, which happens because at present an army is
arranged for battle in one or other of two i