Philopoemen   

in wheeling round in their troops, that in any change of posture the
whole body seemed to move with all the facility and promptitude, and,
as it were, with the single will of one man. In the great battle which
they fought with the Aetolians and Eleans by the river Larissus, he
set them an example himself. Damophantus, general of the Elean horse,
singled out Philopoemen, and rode with full speed at him. Philopoemen
awaited his charge, and, before receiving the stroke, with a violent
blow of his spear threw him dead to the ground: upon whose fall the
enemy fled immediately. And now Philopoemen was in everybody's mouth,
as a man who in actual fighting with his own hand yielded not to the
youngest, nor in good conduct to the oldest, and there came not into
the field any better soldier or commander.
Aratus, indeed, was the first who raised the Achaeans, inconsiderable
till then, into reputation and power, by uniting their divided cities
into one commonwealth, and establishing amongst them a humane and
truly Grecian form of government; and hence it happened, as in running
waters, where, when a few little particles of matter once stop, others
stick to them, and one part strengthening another, the whole becomes
firm and solid; so in a general weakness, when every city relying
only on itself, all Greece was giving way to an easy dissolution,
the Achaeans, first forming themselves into a body, and then drawing
in their neighbours round about, some by protection, delivering them
from their tyrants, others by peaceful consent and by naturalization,
designed at last to bring all Peloponnesus into one community. Yet
while Aratus lived, they depended much on the Macedonians, courting
first Ptolemy, then Antigonus and Philip, who all took part continually
in whatever concerned the affairs of Greece. But when Philopoemen
came to a command, the Achaeans, feeling themselves a match for the
most powerful of their enemies, declined foreign support. The truth
is, Aratus, as we have written in his life, was not of so warlike
a temper, but did most by policy and gentleness, and friendships with
foreign princes; but Philopoemen being a man both of execution and
command, a great soldier, and fortunate in his first attempts, wonderfully
heightened both the power and courage of the Achaeans, accustomed
to victory under his conduct.
But first he altered what he found amiss in their arms and form of
battle. Hitherto they had used light, thin bucklers, too narrow to
cover the body, and javelins much shorter than pikes. By which means
they were skilful in skirmishing at a distance, but in a close fight
had much the disadvantage. Then in drawing their forces up for battle,
they were never accustomed to form in regular divisions; and their
line being unprotected either by the thick array of projecting spears
or by their shields, as in the Macedonian phalanx, where the soldiers
close and their shields touch, they were easily opened and broken.
Philopoemen reformed all this, persuading them to change the narrow
target and short javelin into a large shield and long pike; to arm
their heads, bodies, thighs, and legs; and instead of loose skirmishing,
fight firmly and foot to foot. After he had brought them all to wear
full armour, and by that means into the confidence of thinking themselves
now invincible, he turned what before had been idle profusion and
luxury into an honourable expense. For being long used to vie with
each other in their dress, and furniture of their houses, and service
of their tables, and to glory in outdoing one another, the disease
by custom was grown incurable, and there was no possibility of removing
it altogether. But he diverted the passion, and brought them, instead
of these superfluities, to love useful and more manly display, and
reducing their other expenses, to take delight in appearing magnificent
in their equipage of war. Nothing then was to be seen in the shops
but plate breaking up, or melting down, gilding of breastplate, and
studding bucklers and bits with silver; nothing in the places of exercise,
but horses managing, and young men exercising their arms; nothing
in the hands of the women, but helmets and crests of feathers to be
dyed, and military cloaks and riding-frocks to be embroidered; the
very sight of all which, quickening and raising their spirits, made