[312] He was not, however, an ‘unmilitary historian’ in the sense that, for instance, Ephoros was. Ephoros made elaborate accounts of military operations an important feature of his work, although he was quite lacking in military knowledge (Polybius, xii. 25); Tacitus never pretends to concern himself with more than the moral and social aspects of war. The same attitude may be observed both in Dio and Herodian (ii. 15, 6). This attitude was perfectly justifiable, since there existed, as we learn from this passage in Herodian and from Lucian (_De Hist. Conscrib._), a technical literature which would probably satisfy our needs. That we do not possess it is the fault, not of Tacitus and Dio, but of the Middle Ages. [313] This was still the case at Argentorate in 357; cf. Ammianus, xvi. 12. [314] Tac. _Ann._ ii. 16. [315] Tac. _Ann._ ii. 52 ‘Legio medio, leves cohortes duaeque alae in cornibus locantur’. [316] Tac. _Ann._ xiii. 38 ‘Socias cohortes et auxilia regum pro cornibus, medio sextam legionem constituit’. The defensive formation described in xiii. 40 is slightly different, since the legions in the centre formed a square. [317] Tac. _Ann._ xiv. 34 ‘Igitur legionarius frequens ordinibus, levis circum armatura, conglobatus pro cornibus eques adstitit’. [318] Tac. _Hist._ iii. 21 ‘Cohortes auxiliorum in cornibus, latera ac terga equite circumdata’. [319] The legionaries were to occupy the centre, the auxiliary infantry high ground on the wings, the cavalry to wait in the rear. [320] Dio, lxxiv. 7. [321] Tac. _Agr._ 35 ‘Legiones pro vallo stetere, ingens victoriae decus citra Romanum sanguinem bellandi, et auxilium, si pellerentur’. It was not necessary for Tacitus to invent this not very creditable excuse. The tactics are those adopted with equal success against a Highland army by the Duke of Cumberland at the battle of Culloden in 1746. The same idea of checking the impetus of a Celtic charge by successive obstacles has often been suggested as the reason for the seven ditches which protect the exposed side of the fort at Whitley Castle, and the _lilia_ at Rough Castle on the Antonine Wall. [322] They are particularly noticeable in the battle shown on Cichorius, _Die Traiansäule_, Pl. 45, and to judge from the column, the auxilia did more than their usual share of fighting in this war. [323] In spite of the boasting of Antonius Primus, the achievements of the Pannonian cavalry in 69 were limited to a reckless advance followed by a disorderly retreat. Cf. Tac. _Hist._ iii. 2 with iii. 16. In the second century, however, we find heavy cavalry, _contarii_, who must have been intended for shock tactics. [324] For Haltern see Schuchhardt, _Führer durch die Ausgrabungen von Haltern_. It is, however, perhaps incorrect to limit the garrison to auxiliaries: for Hofheim cf. Ritterling, _Das frührömische Lager bei Hofheim_, 1912. It was occupied from about 40 to 60. [325] See Pelham, _Essays in Roman History_, p. 191.