Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 04.djvu/431

* CAVALRY. 367 CAVALBY. text. "At Cannne," says Polybius, "when the Spanish and Gallic cavalry, advancing from the left wing of the Carthaginians, encountered the Komans, the eonllict that ensued was, indeed, most warm and vehement, such as resembled rather the combat of barbarians than a battle fought by disciplined and experienced troops. For, instead of falling back and again returning to the charge, as the custom was in such en- gagements, they had scarcely joined, when, leap- ing from their horses, each man seized his enemy." Roman writers assert that their cav- alry were often successful with this method of fighting, although the modem light cavalryijan would make short work of such imprudence. In their encounters with the Carthaginian cav- alry the Romans sustained crushing defeats. Hannibal aj)preciated the value of cavalry. His favorite methods of employing the arm were ( 1 ) to turn the enemy's wings and attack him in ilank and rear, and (2) to place a mounted corps in ambush and suddenly fall upon his rear. The best Roman generals, lacking cavalry, were forced to avoid the plains and take up positions upon the hills, as safer for their operations. Eventually the Romans, whose proportion of cavalry to infantry had been one-tenth, increased it to one-fourth, with which increase and im- proved training, at the battle of Zama, they were enabled to drive back the Carthaginian cavalry and thereupon attacked Hannibal's in- fantry in flank and rear, defeating it with a loss of 20.000 men. The Roman cavalry rode without saddles, but their horses were equipped with leather housins:s. They were armed like the C^wi? AUMS A>U AK.MOR OF KOMA>* CAV.VLItY. 1 and 2, helmets; 3, cavalry eivord ; 4, cuirass of general Dfflcer; 5, coat of mail of soldier. Greeks, although the sword had a very broad, sharp blade, and was worn on the right side, suspended by a belt from the shoulder; under Vespasian the sword was removed to the left side, and its place was taken by a dagger. A helmet, a cuirass (of leather or metal), and a small round buckler completed the soldier's equipment. The Romans fought with face uncovered ; some of the opposing allies wore a leathern helmet closed in front, and said to be the prototype of the knight's helmet, with visor down, of medix- val times. The cavalrj-, when first organized in the regal period, was composed of the better class of citizens, and the celcrcs, or king's body- guard, consisted exclusively of young noblemen. Toward the end of the Republic the knights be- gan to withdraw from the army, and it was thereafter r<*ruilcd largely from foreigners. The Roman legion originally consisted of .3000 infan- try and 300 cavalry. This mounted body was, by Servius TuUius, increased to 2400. "The cavalry was divided into ten troops (turmw) : the first, as the companion of the first cohort, consisted of 132 men, while each of the other nine cimiprised 66. The entire establishment formed a regiment of "26 horses, naturally connected with its re- spective legion, but occasionally separated to act in the line and to compose a part of the wings of an army." (Gibbon.) These companies, or turma, were formed in various ways — at one time in eight files and four ranks; afterwards in tliree sections of three files or three ranks, each section commanded by its dccurio (lieu- tenant), and followed by its uragus (file-closer) ; and at a later period into ten fdes and three ranks, commanded by the first decurio, the two others being posted, one on either flank. Hannibal's auxiliaries included both Numidian and Gallic horsemen. The first were small men, on small, active horses, which were managed solely with a leather thong. In their manner of fighting the Numidians resembled the Cossacks. ''In his formation for battle. Hannibal threw into the centre of his line all the bridled and heavy cavalry, and placed the Numidians on the wing, that they might be ready to surround the Romans." (Polybius.) The Gallic cavalry were perhaps the most efficient of the auxiliaries. Like the Greeks and Romans, they had no sad- dles, which date only from the time of Con- stautine, nor stirrups, which were invented by the Franks. For that reason, cases of hernia were quite common among these troops. MEDIAEVAL CAVALBY. In the so-called 'age of chivalry' war becajne to a great extent a matter of individual ccnnbat. Military science languished during a period de- voted to knights in armor — tournaments at which fair ladies encouraged champions to 'break a lance.' Indeed, that weapon became the real badge of nobility; and in France at one time serfs were forbidden to use it. The lance was reser-ed, under the laws instituted by William I lie Conqueror, for the use of 'freemen.' Eventu- ally, in consideration of its practical value, the lords permitted their vassals to use, in time of war, a lance, the head of which was never bur- nished, and at the close of the war was hung on the wall and allowed to rust, "lest the vassals should grow too proud." To this day, in France, the old gun blackened with smoke or the rusty sword may be seen over the fireplace of the peas- ant, as in niediieval times rested the smoked lance of his forefathers. Other arms of this period were the long, heavy sword, two-edged, often straight on one side and waved on the other; an axe added to the pike became the fore- runner of the halberd — the 'morgenstcrn' (morn- ing star) of the Germans, used by the Swiss at the battle of Morgarten {a.v. 1315), and the 'goaden dag' (good day), which the Flemings used with terrible efl'ect at the battle of Courtrai (l.'?02). Other rude weapons, inventions of the