254 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. 



horse and the others pourtrayed on the pottery from Daphnae 

 I have pointed out that, as in modern and medieval times 

 people have bred horses for practical purposes rather than 

 for speed alone, so the ancients were actuated by similar 

 motives. No doubt the same reason influenced the Cartha- 

 ginians, both in Africa and Sicily, and we shall see that the 

 Sicilian and other Greeks of the fifth century B.C. and the 

 Romans of the Republic and Empire were affected by the 

 same considerations, though for purely racing purposes the 

 Romans gave preeminence to the pure African horse. 



We have seen that the high set of the tail is one of the 

 characteristics of the Kohl breed (Fig. 58). The tail of the 

 well-bred horse on the Carthaginian coin of Panormus (Fig. 74) 

 indicates that this was already a feature of Libyan horses in the 

 fifth century B.C. 



At how early a date the Libyan horse made its way into 

 Spain it is impossible to say, although from certain Greek 

 legends, to one of which we have already referred, the Iberians 

 may have known of the famous fleet steeds of the Libyan shore 

 for many centuries before the date of the Carthaginian settle- 

 ments in the peninsula in the third century B.C. There is, 

 however, the clearest evidence from the Roman historians that 

 the Libyan horses had been brought over to Spain in large 

 numbers by 219 B.C. 



When Hannibal in that year prepared to march into Italy 

 with 90,000 foot and 12,000 cavalry, a very considerable pro- 

 portion of the latter consisted of Numidians, who rode their 

 own native horses, without bridles, whilst the remainder was 

 composed of Spanish horsemen who rode with bridles. 



The Romans first became acquainted with the Numidian 

 horses and horsemen, whom afterwards, to their cost, they were 

 to know too well, at the moment when Hannibal after seizing 

 the passage of the Rhone was slowly ferrying his thirty-seven 

 elephants across that river. On learning that Scipio had 

 disembarked his army at the Massaliot mouth of the Rhone, 

 Hannibal despatched a body of five hundred Numidian horse 

 to reconnoitre. Scipio had also sent his cavalry forward with 

 a like object. As soon as the Numidians met the enemy they 



