"That's good!" the older man nodded. "Knowing what your enemy is likely to do is fine. Dealing with what he did is not."
"Anyway," Gaius said, "I believe Caesar's big advantage is the river on his left flank. Most other commentators think this was Pompey's advantage, but it severely hinders Pompey's ability to rapidly deploy cavalry, and his cavalry is at a disadvantage with the men having to fight on their right. I aim to face Caesar with the river largely at his back."
"Why?"
"I can deploy cavalry either side," Gaius replied, "but more importantly I can form a line longer than Caesar is happy with, and retain a third of my infantry behind the line. I can approach, and decide at which points I shall try to punch a hole, and send my reserves at those points. I use my numerical superiority to cover for lack of experience, and choose where to attack, depending on Caesar's deployment."
"Then outline your deployment."
"As I said, a long line, retaining a third of my infantry, which is about two legions, in reserve. I take the first two cohorts from these and with the archers I form an oblique line behind the left flank, together with a thousand cavalry. This is to defend against the known cavalry Caesar has, on the assumption he will try to outflank me there."
"And what makes you think Caesar's cavalry will attack here?"
"Caesar originally chose to protect his left flank with a river," Gaius replied, as if this were obvious, "so it's a clue. Of course I don't know, but I think it is reasonable to defend against the obvious. I also ensure there are reserves available to deal an attack on the right."
"If Caesar thinks you'll defend only at the obvious point, the surprise attack will prevail."
"Yes, but I intend to attack," Gaius protested. "Exactly where depends on Caesar's deployment, but I am not intending to defend. If he follows me, his line will be too thin, so I can use my reserves at a concentrated point. If he doesn't, I can attack both his flanks."
"Fair enough, but remember this. If your marching has got a quality opponent into an inferior position, he has to make a guess at your deployment and do something unexpected. In an inferior position, with inferior numbers, he either does something unexpected, or he loses."
"Won't work," Gaius shrugged. "My observation point on the hill will see this and signal to me. ."
"See how useful it was leaving observers on a hill? You're improving! Now, back to your deployment."
"There's not much more," a sheepish Gaius admitted. "The remaining parts of each legion I order to stand behind each flank, to be sent where it is needed."
"So battle is about to start. What do you do?"
"When I see how Caesar deploys, I select the point of attack."
"Suppose he leads a concentrated attack on the centre?"
"I hold through the centre, if necessary deploying some reserves. I then try to encircle on both flanks, using the horns of the bull formation. I watch what happens, and send at least half my infantry reserves to the side that looks more like penetrating."
"Why not send all your reserves? They're going to have a holiday?"
"No, but I need spare men in case Caesar is really trying something else. It's also useful to have men capable of turning back any part of the line that's thinking of quitting."
"Your cavalry's your strong point," the older man mused, "but you haven't used it."
"I wait until the battle is well underway, then deploy two thirds of it around the right flank. The aim is to use the numerical superiority of my infantry to at least engage all of Caesar's infantry, and try to make Caesar deploy his reserves before I use my cavalry. If my infantry's going well, or at least holding it's own, this could provide the critical thrust to break up the enemy."
"I see," the older man said, after a moment's thought.
"Well?" Gaius asked.
"Who knows what will happen in battle?" the older man said. "In the end, experience, morale, fate, all sorts of things influence the outcome. I rather suspect you're influenced by what happened, but that deployment gives you a fair chance. You know what actually happened?"
"Pompey marched directly to Caesar, and launched a cavalry attack from his left flank. They fought their way and exposed the right flank of a legion, then ran into Caesar's hidden six cohorts. They halted at the wave of javelins, and when Caesar personally led the charge, the cavalry fled, trampling down the archers and slingers Pompey had sent in support. The centres held for both sides, but Caesar's six cohorts and cavalry got in behind Pompey's lines, his men panicked, and eventually the battle turned into a rout."
"If you can remember nothing else from this exercise," the old man nodded, "remember that timing and surprise are critical. You wouldn't believe surprise is important in a set battle on an open plain, but Caesar's six cohorts and cavalry were critical. Not because of their power, but because Pompey's cavalry wasn't expecting them. By themselves, they couldn't swing the battle, but the surprise led to Pompey's cavalry fleeing. Pompey could have done better by supporting his cavalry with his best heavy infantry. Now when Caesar counter-attacks, these can stand and fight, and the cavalry can regroup and rejoin the battle. But by letting this small force out when all of Pompey's other forces were engaged, they could strike Pompey's rear. A smaller force, striking as a concentrated unit at precisely the right time can achieve miracles sometimes."
Chapter 18
"Now, young Gaius, your second battle. You are Antony. Relationships with Octavian have hit an all-time low because you're in bed with Cleopatra. ."
"Lucky me!" Gaius laughed.
"That's a matter of opinion," the General laughed back. "Octavia wasn't all that bad, and if you had stayed with her, you wouldn't be in this pickle. However, you are, and you hear that Octavian is building ships at a furious rate. Octavian commands the western legions, you command the eastern ones. Octavian's ships will be many of the small fast Liburnian ships, which mainly fight by ramming their opponents, thus sinking them. You will have fewer ships, but will have the massive quinqueremes that have plated hulls, hence can't be sunk by ramming, but they are slower and can never ram a Liburnian ship other than by accident.
"It is the winter solstice, and you can now plan your strategy over the coming year, but you must take your land force to the southern side of the Gulf of Ambracia, and Octavian must place his legions on the northern side. We assume you will build towers with catapults on the Actium peninsula and hence have at least partial control over who gets in and out of the gulf. Unless you do something different, you must fight by the second of September. On that day, Octavian and Agrippa will be at sea, having blockaded you.
"Now, take three days to consider your options."
* * *
"So," the old General smiled, "what use have you made of your time? Tell me what you would do, and why?"
"I assume that for this exercise, trying to make peace is not an option?" Gaius asked.
"In short, no."
"Then I think what happens depends on how well I have used the year. Antony effectively sat on his backside, and ran out of supply. My first task is to get supply, so throughout the year I would have sent reasonable strength forces into Greece to forage," Gaius said, "and I would also ensure that my spies had a good idea as to what the land forces are doing to the north of me. Part of the problem that developed at Actium was that too many of Antony's ships could not put to sea because the men were too weak, from lack of supplies. What happens next depends on how well this goes."
"If their forces go after your foragers?"
"Then we march around the gulf, and we fight a land battle while we still have the supplies we arrived with. I have Caesar's legions, and they were the best. In a roughly equal land contest, Octavian is most likely to lose, especially if he is at sea and his men have no idea what is happening, and I am not interested in sending roughly equal."