INTRODUCTION. 1 1 ^ 



ped, and heavy-maned, with small eyes, thick lips, 

 covered with bristles : the best were Caiiterii, or 

 geldings. The Menapian, of Guelderland and Lower 

 Rhine, of the same colour, were, however, tall and 

 cleaner about the hmbs, but still hairy-heeled; it 

 was, no doubt, upon this kind of steeds the Bata- 

 vian cohorts obtained their great reputation, for 

 they were thought to be the best south of the 

 river, though the breed extended into Germany. 

 From Pannonia, the Quadic and Sarmatian nations 

 residing on the Danube, the government bought 

 horses, usually geldings, of tlie wild dun-coloured 

 and dappled race before mentioned. "^' From Mysia, 

 the present Servia, the later empei-ors drew a valu- 

 able horse, and evidently not satisfied with those 

 reared within the -pale of the empire, imported tlie 

 ])est they could obtain from the north and east of 

 Europe ; such was Hadrian's celebrated hunter, Bo- 

 rysthenes, most likely of the white or grey stock. 

 From the same region came the Gelonian, which 

 furnished its owners with milk, and served their 

 predatory expeditions by its fleetness. The Alan, 

 from the northern cantons of Germany, were inele- 

 gant and low, but equally hardy and rapid ; but the 

 Rugian was more esteemed for war. In the fifth 

 century, the Huns, according to Yegetius, had large 



* There was among the Sarmatian a light bay breed, hand- 

 some, with big heads and arched necks ; and those that were 

 dappled in a particular manner on the shoulder and croup 

 were sometimes bought, and at others refused, from an unex- 

 plained belief that these marks were of evil omen. 



