Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 241 



Livy 1 has left us a vivid picture of the wild Libyan horse- 

 men and their famous steeds: "The Numidians mounted their 

 horses and began to ride up towards the enemies' outposts, 

 but without attacking anyone. At first sight nothing could 

 be more contemptible ; horses and men alike were small and 

 slight (paulluli et graciles) ; the rider without girdle, and un- 

 armed save that he carried darts. The very galloping of the 

 horse without a bridle was ungainly, as they gallop with out- 

 stretched heads and stiff neck. They purposely increased the 



FIG. 70. The Barbary Horse. 



contempt thus inspired by tumbling off their horses and 

 making an exhibition of themselves in sport." The description 

 of the slightly built horse bred in Libya many centuries before 

 the Arab conquest of North Africa puts it beyond doubt that 

 they were the same breed as that found ever since in Barbary 

 and Morocco, and which have been bred by the Arabs of South 

 Arabia only since the early centuries of the Christian era. 

 I here reproduce (Fig. 70) the Afer (Barbary horse 2 ) and 



1 XXXV. 11. 



2 I learn from Mr Walter Harris, M.A., Gonville and Caius College, Cam- 

 bridge, the well-known traveller and author of Tafilet, that the modern Berber 

 words for a horse are 'avis' and 'agmer.' 



R. H. 16 



