8 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



to feats of skill performed on horseback, recalls to 

 mind a story, probably more or less true, that has 

 to do with the luxurious people of Sybaris, in 

 Southern Italy. 



In the early centuries before Christ, so it is 

 related, this people trained all its horses to dance 

 to the sound of music, to the music of flutes in 

 particular. The inhabitants of Croton having 

 heard of this, and being sworn enemies of the 

 Sybarites, determined to take advantage of the 

 information and attempt to conquer their foe 

 with the aid of strategy. 



For this reason they provided all the musicians 

 in their own army with flutes in place of trumpets 

 and the other instruments they had been in the 

 habit of using, and then without delay declared 

 war upon the Sybarites. 



The latter, to do them justice, responded at 

 once, in spite of the condition of lethargy to 

 which the life of luxury they had been leading was 

 supposed to have reduced them. No sooner did 

 they approach the Crotonian lines, however, than 

 "a great part of the army," as we are told, "set 

 up a merry tune," which had the effect of stamped- 

 ing the Sybarites' horses, for "they instantly 

 threw off their riders and began to skip and 

 dance." 



As a natural consequence the Sybarite army 

 was taken at a disadvantage and quickly routed 

 with great slaughter, "very many horses being 



