Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 02.djvu/688

BATTHYANYI. Pesth he was arrested, in January,1849, and on October 6 was executed. Consult Horváth, Graf Ludwig Batthyányi (Hamburg, 1850).

BATTI'ADÆ (Gk. BarTiddai. Bnttiadai, de- scendants of Battus). Kings of Cyrene for eight generations. (1) Battus I., founder and first King of the Greek colony of Cyrene in Libya. He came from the Island of Thera, and was di- rected to the site of Cyrene by the Delphic oracle. The generally accepted date — not his- torically certain — of the settlement is about B.C. 630. Battus I. ruled 40 years, according to Herodotus. (2) Arcesilaus I., son of Battus I., and second King of Cyrene. According to Herodotus, he ruled 16 years. (3) Battus II. (called The Blessed, or The Wealthy, i eidalfuiv), son of Arcesilaus I., and third King of Cyrene. In his reign immigrants were invited from Pelo- ponnesus, Crete. and elsewhere, under the prom- ise of a new division of lands. These lands were taken from the Libyans, who turned for aid to the Egyptian King, Apries. A battle was fought in B.C. 570 at Irasa, in which the Cyrenians were victorious. Cyrene now increased greatly in power and importance. (4) Arcesilaus II. (called 'the Oppressive,' 6 x<^«'As), son of Battus II., whom he succeeded on the throne. He began to rule, according to Herodotus, about B.C. 560. Dissensions arose between him and his brothers, in consequence of which the latter withdrew from Cyrene and founded Barca. Ho met with a severe defeat at the hands of the Libyans, and was finally murdered by his brother Haliarchus, or Learchus. His murder was afterwards avenged by his wife, Eryxo. (5) Battus III. (called 'the Lame,' 6 x'^^^'), son and successor of the preceding. In his reign the Cyrenians, de- spairing of the condition of the State, invit- ed, by advice of the Delphic oracle, Demonax of Mantinea to their city to govern their affairs. At this time the powers and privileges of the King were greatly curtailed. (6) Ar- cesilaus III., son and successor of Battus III. Attempting to overthrow the power of Demo- nax, he was unsuccessful and fled to Samos. He there, with the help of Polycrates, collected a large army, and, returning to Cyrene, wreaked terrible vengeance on his enemies. After Cam- byses had subjugated Egypt, he submitted to the Persian King. Afterwards he withdrew to Barca, and was there slain by the King. Alazir. His death was avenged by his mother. (7) Battus IV., son of the preceding, and seventh King of Cyrene. (8) Arcesilaus IV., son and successor of Battus IV., was the last King of Cyrene. He won a chariot race at the Pythian Games in B.C. 462. and is celebrated therefor in Pindar's fourth and fifth Pythian odes. He is also said to have won a victory at the Olympic Games in B.C. 460. Shortly after this a revolution broke out at Cyrene, and he fled to Euhesperides and was there slain.

BATTLE (Fr. bataille, from Lat. batuere, to beat, strike). An engagement or combat between opposing military bodies. All strategic operations in war must culminate in the battle, for that alone can give them significance. Whether a commander will attack or fight a defensive battle depends on the previous strategical and tactical operations, on the general plans of the commander-in-chief, and on the condition and the particular situation in which his army finds itself at the time it meets the adversary. The tactical offensive is usually preferred as promising more decisive results; but the tactical defensive is often forced on an army. When the hostile armies meet, the commander of the column in question is properly with the advance-guard (q.v.). The leading battalion forms line of company, columns of sections, and advances with a light skirmish line in front: the engineers and bridge train halt, and the battery of the advance-guard takes up a preparatory position. The army commander only learns of the situation after a considerable interval, and by that time other events have probably transpired; moreover, he knows nothing of the enemy's strength, plans, or degree of preparedness or deployment. So that in opening battle it is not the information regarding the enemy that decides, but rather the force of circumstances. An energetic commander always strives to gain the initiative, and for this end the putting in action of the artillery is of great effect. As soon as the artillery enters the field, events move rapidly toward the crisis, and the battle will probably always reach this point before the army commander's orders begin to have effect. In small commands the commander can use his reserves to bring about decisive action, but in the larger battles the forces must be properly grouped in the strategic advance to effect this, and the commander-in-chief can only assist the subordinate commanders by sending in new troops at decisive points. The infantry first occupies all points outside of the enemy's fire that are calculated to give support to the infantry advance, and the ground to be passed over is carefully reconnoitred.

Superiority over the enemy can be attained only by being able to fire with greater precision, effect, and rapidity, and this can be accomplished only by surrounding him on one or both flanks. Usually the flank attack can be arranged only after contact with the enemy. It may be direct- ed against the outer flanks of the enemy or against the flanks of portions of his line. Re- serves are obtained by taking troops away from points where decisive action is not desired. In case of fortified field positions, the effort is first made to secure some commanding position, and, by effective artillery fire, force the enemy out of them; but if this fails, the same principles of attack apply as before, except that greater care is taken to perfect all preparatory measures, and often the measures resolve themselves into those employed against permanent land forts. An effective pursuit can be attained only when there is sufficient daylight left after the victory, when it can be directed against a flank, and when comparatively fresh troops are available. But these conditions are rarely found. Never- theless, pursuit is essential. The cavalry and horse-artillery are particularly useful for this purpose, turning the enemy's flanks, firing with the artillery on his masses in defiles, and keep- ing up with him even in the night. Pursuit is limited only by the condition of the pursuers, and the distance they may travel from their base of supplies.

A defensive battle may he purely defensive, or (the usual case) it may be only temporarily defensive, its object being to gain time. The