G2 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[pEnioD I. 



the light armed troops who had retired to the rear and 

 crushed them under the feet of their horses. Having 

 destroyed these auxiliaries, the Numidians then wheeled 

 round and fell upon the rear of the Koraan centre, which 

 was still engaged with the Carthaginian heavy cavalry, 

 and soon put them to flight, and a complete victory was 

 thus gained by Hannibal. 



The above account, which is taken from Polybius, 

 clearly shows that the attack of the Carthaginian heavy 

 horsemen was very spirited, and seems to have taken the 

 Roman light armed troops by surprise. This action 

 established the superiority of Hannibal in the open 

 country, and the moral effect was lasting. Scipio re- 

 treated immediately, and passed the plains with all haste 

 to a bridge over the Po, where he crossed his army, " not 

 believing himself in safety," says Polybius, "in a flat 

 country, in the neighbourhood of an enemy which was 

 much superior to him in cavalry." 



The conduct of the Roman general in the opening of 

 this campaign was very faulty. He must have known, 

 or should have known, that Hannibal was very superior 

 to him in cavalry, both in regard to numbers and to 

 quality. He should also have known that his own 

 infantry was superior to that of the Carthaginians, that 

 it was better disciplined and more full of confidence. 

 The Romans had always hitherto placed their main 

 reliance upon their infantry, and had always looked to 

 it to secure victory to their standard. It is difficult 

 therefore to conceive for what reason Publius Scipio 

 fought the first battle of the war with the weakest 

 portion of his own army, against the strongest and best 

 portion of his enemy's. The moral effect of the first 

 victory in a war is incalculable. It is rarely that an 

 army beaten in its first conflict can recover that con- 

 fidence and that moral force which contribute so much 

 to success. 



The next great battle fought by Hannibal was that of 

 the Trebbia, and there again the most able generalship 

 was shown by the Carthaginian leader, while the Romans 

 committed faults without number. Hannibal had taken 



