56 



A HISTORV OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



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commaii " of the tiirma. Besides these officers were three 

 others chosen by them, who acted as serrefiles,* so that a 

 turraa consisted altogether of thirty men and six officers, 

 {dl under the command of the senior, or in his abse ice 

 of the second decurion. It was formed for action in 

 throe ranks, with ten men in front, and sometimes four 

 in depth by eight in front. The commander of the 

 turma led in front of the centre, the second and third 

 decurions were on the right and left flanks respectively, 

 in line with the front rank. The three serrefiles were in 

 rear, one in the centre, the others on either flank. There 

 was a flag or ensign to each turma. 



There were ten turmse to each legion, or one to each 

 cohort, so that the legionary cavalry formed about one- 

 eleventh of the legion.^ They were usually drawn up 

 on the two wings, although they were sometimes placed 

 in front, and sometimes in the rear of the infantry.'"^ The 

 legion of the allies consisted of the same number of 

 infantry as the Roman, but the cavalry were twice as 

 numerous, there being 640 to the legion of allies, and 

 320 to the Roman. The turma formed up with intervals 

 equal to their own front, and each file occupied about 

 five feet of space, in order to give the soldier room to 

 use his missile weapons. These small tactical units gave 

 great facility for manoeuvring, and tended to prevent 

 confusion, which in large bodies of poorly trained troops 

 would easily arise. 



When sixteen turmse of auxiliary troops were united 

 they formed a wing or a/a, and this was commanded by a 

 prefect. The cavalry upon the wings were generally 

 aided by light infantry, who were mingled with them 

 and skirmished during the battle ; the remainder of the 

 cavalry placed i".i rear of >\he infantry followed up the 

 victory. The allied cavalry, as we have seen, were much 

 more numerous than the Roman. They seem to have 

 performed the duties of light cavalry and to have been 

 used principally for reconnoitring and foraging. They 

 were often raised in the country where the war was 

 carried on, and formed of those wno were partisans of 

 * Liskenne, ii. 30. Tbid. 



