i 



;|ii: 



64 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[PEHIOD I. 



his numerous and well led cavalry. When the Romans 

 had followed the Numidians across the river, Hannibal 

 sent on to the succour of his cavalry his light armed 

 infantry, and the slingers from the Balearic Islands, 

 numbering about 8,000 men, following closely himself 

 at the head of the main army. He formed up his 

 infantry, consisting of Gauls, Spaniards, and Africans, to 

 the number of 20,000, in a single line in the phalanx 

 order. The cavalrj'-, including his Gallic allies, amount- 

 ing to 10,000, were equally divided upon the wings, as 

 also were his elephants. 



Polybius, whose account we follow, says that " Sem- 

 pronius recalled his cavalry, who fatigued themselves 

 uselessly against the Numidians, who were skilful horse- 

 men, accustomed to fly in disorder at the first shock, and 

 to return as boldly to the charge the next moment." 

 Sempronius formed his infantry in three lines, the 

 cavalry 4,000 strong upon the wings. 



The Roman velites were soon driven by the Cartha- 

 ginian light armed troops, through the intervals of their 

 lines, as they had thrown away nearly all their darts 

 and javelins, in their skirmish with the Numidians in 

 the early morning. The main lines then came into 

 action, when the Carthaginian horsemen, more numerous 

 and energetic, fell upon the Roman cavalry with such 

 impetuosity that in an instant they were routed and 

 driven in confusion off the field. Bodies of lig!it armed 

 infantry and Numidians, who appear to have followed up 

 and supported this charge of the heavy cavalry, fell 

 upon the exposed flanks of the Roman legions, prevented 

 them from defending themselves from the attack in 

 front, and soon threw them into disorder. 



At this moment Mago moving out from his ambush 

 fell furiously upon the rear of the centre of the Roman 

 line, the cavalry, turning from the pursuit, also joined in 

 the attack, so that the flanks of the Roman army, their 

 cavalry and their velites, v/ere utterly routed with heavy 

 loss, and thrown back upon the river. 



The Roman heavy armed infantry of the centre, 

 however, proved themselves worthy of the great reputa- 



