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' I 



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CHAPTER III. 

 Roman Cavalry. 



section i. early history. 



The infantry was the most important portion of the 

 Roman armies. It was with their infantry that the 

 Romans conquered the world, and to it that the greatest 

 care was devoted in order that it might be always 

 maintained in the highest ptate of efficiency. They 

 were well equipped both wich defensive armour and 

 oflFensive weapons, and were drilled and exercised con- 

 tinually, so that their discipline was always as perfect 

 as attention could make it. The Roman infantry at the 

 earliest period was drawn up in the phalanx formation, 

 in which they probably copied the Greeks,^ but they 

 very soon adopted the system of maniples by which the 

 legion was divided into a number of small fractions, 

 which gave it much greater mobility. Under Caesar 

 several maniples were united, and the cohort became the 

 tactical unit. Under the empire this was also the custo- 

 mary formation, the cohorts consisting of about 555 

 men each.^ 



The Romans, like the Spartans, were not naturally a 

 cavalry nation, although their highest order in the state 

 served in that force. It is, however, a fact worthy of 

 mention that no officer of the legion during the time of 

 the Republic was permitted to serve mounted. In times 

 of great emergency when a Dictator was appointed, he 

 ' Bardm, 3075. ^ Gibbon, i. U. 



