10 EARLY IILSTOKV OF TilK HOUSE. 



The Thessalians always maintained their character as the first and the 

 choicest of the Grecian cavalry. In point of fact, it was the only part of 

 the country in which horses could with decided advantage be bred. It 

 abounded in rich pastures, whereas the rest of Greece was comparatively 

 dry and barren. Blundeville, who was an excellent classic as well as 

 horseman, says : — ' The horses of Greece have good legges, great bodyes, 

 comely heads, and are of a high stature, and very well made forwarde, butt 

 not backwarde, because they are pijn-huttoclicd. Nothwithstanding, they 

 are verye s^vift, and of a bolde courage. But of all the races in Greece, 

 both the horses and mares of Thessaly for their bewtie, bignesse, bountic 

 and courage, of all authors are most celebrated. For which cause Xerxes, 

 on his coming into Greece, made a running of horses in chariots to be pro- 

 claymed only in Thessalia, because he woulde have his owne horses to 

 runne -wythe the best horses in Greece. Julius Caesar, also, beying Dicta- 

 tor of Rome, know^ymg the courage of these horses, was the first that 

 ordepied them as a spectacle before the people to fyghte wythe wylde 

 bulls, and to kyllthem.' 



From various of the Greek authors we can very satisfactorily trace the 

 rapid improvement which about this time took place in the character and 

 management of the horse. It has been stated that the soil and produce of 

 Greece were not favourable for the bi-eeding of horses, and that it could 

 be a matter of profit only in Thessaly. They soon, however, became 

 necessary in almost every part of the country, both for offence and defence : 

 therefore, in most of the cities, and particularly in Athens and in Sparta, 

 in order to induce the inhabitants to keep the requisite number, a 

 new order of citizens was instituted, deemed the second in rank in 

 the commonwealth, and distinguished by certain honours and privileges. 

 The equites, or knights in the Roman republic, were formed on the same 

 model. 



It is in some of the first Grecian sculptures that we first see the bit in 

 the horse's mouth, but it is not always that we do see it ; on the contrary 

 there is frequently neither bridle, saddle, nor stirrup. It however was 

 frequently necessaiy to make use of cords or thongs, in order to confine 

 the horse to the place at which it suited the rider for a while to leave him. 

 These cords were fastened round the animal's neck, and may be seen in 

 several of the ancient figures. According to some writers, the occasional 

 struggles of the animal to escape from these trammels, and the strength 

 which he exerted in order to accomplish his purpose, first suggested the 

 idea of harnessing liim to certain machines for the purpose of dra^\^ng 

 them ; and it is very evident that soon after this it must have oecuri*ed to 

 the horseman, that if this rope were put over the head, and over the 

 muzzle or perhaps into the mouth of the animal, he would be more easily 

 fastened and led from place to place, and more securely guided and managed 

 whether the man be off" or on his back. Hence arose the bridle. It pro- 

 bably was at first nothing more than a halter or cord by which the horse 

 was usually confined. An improvement on this was a detached cord or 

 rope, with prolongations coming up on both sides of the mouth, and 

 giving the rider much greater power over the animal ; and after that, for 

 the sake of cleanhness, and to prevent the wear and tear of the rope, and 

 also giving yet more command over the animal, an iron bit was fitted to 

 the mouth, and rested on the tongue, and the bridle was attached to each 

 end of it. It ivas the common snafie bridle of the i-)rescnt chij/, the iron 

 being jointed and flexible, or often composed of a chain. There were, 

 however, no cross pieces to these bits at the mouth, but simple knobs or 

 bulbs, to the inside of which the bits were attached. 



Bits and bridles of this kind occur freqaently in the Athenian scuIpturnH 



