ROMAN CAVALRY. 39 



on which the Romans depended for their conquests was 

 mainly composed of infantry — they were not an equestrian 

 nation. But, by degrees, they began to perceive the 

 advantages of cavalry, and during the period when Rome 

 was mistress of the world, and even before, many of the 

 Roman battles were specially planned with a view to the 

 operations of that arm. We can trace on and on, through 

 the history of the Empire, a growing regard for, and 

 dependence on it. Then it played a most important, and 

 in most cases a decisive, part in their battles, as the num- 

 ber of horses and horsemen began to be increased. 'A 

 storm of horse' was the language of Antonius, for the 

 brilliant charge of cavalry against an enemy.' 



But their country, and particularly their capital, was 

 in general more humid than Greece, and their horses 

 more lax in fibre, consequently softer-hoofed. Their 

 legions, scattered in many regions of the world, were 

 brought into contact wdth nations of horsemen, living 

 and fighting on the backs of small, agile, hard-footed 

 steeds, inured to incessant fatigue. 



Though mounted on stronger animals, the Roman 

 cavalry could make but little impression against that of 

 Persia and Arabia. The faculty of moving quickly, and 

 coming down in a flying cloud of skirmishers, as well as 

 rapid retreating and rallying, always assured the superiority 

 of the Numidian and Parthian horse when contending 

 against the heavy infantry and cavalry masses of the 

 Romans. 



Dureau de la Malle offers the following reasonable re- 

 marks with regard to this subject : ' The durability of the 



' Tacitus, lib. iii. cap. 53» 



