CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



67 



aims aud weapons he liad captured from the Romans. 

 The Gallic and the Spanish infantry, who were armed 

 with bucklers and swords, were advanced by battalions 

 in a species of double echelon from the centre. Polybius 

 describes it as the convex of a crescent ; the design 

 being to commence the action with those troops, and to 

 sustain it with the Africans, who, while holding a place 

 in the main line, also partly served the purpose of a 

 reserve. 



While this was being done, Hannibal brought his 

 cavalry into action. He ordered the 8,000 of his heavy 

 cavalry on his left to charge the 2,400 Roman knights 

 who were opposed to them. As may be supposed, the 

 latter were instantly put to rout and driven headlong 

 from the field. The Numidians were ordered meanwhile 

 to simply keep in play the main body of the Roman 

 allied horse, who were in their immediate front, to make 

 demonstrations, but to avoid a decisive conflict as long 

 as possible. The victorious Carthaginian horse having 

 driven the Roman cavalry of the right from the field, 

 wheeled around, and passing by the rear of the Roman 

 army, charged the Roman allied horse in their rear, 

 while the Numidians attacked them in front. The allied 

 horsemen were cut to pieces. 



In the meanwhile the Roman infantrv had attacked 

 the salient point of Hannibal's main line, had pressed it 

 back to its original position and beyond it till the whole 

 centre was bent back into a re-entering angle, into which 

 the Roman infantry, elated with the success, were crowd- 

 ing onward. At this point the two bodies of African 

 infantry wheeled inwards and attacked the Romans in 

 flank as they pushed on. . The cavalry of Hannibal, 

 having destroyed the opposing horse, were free +o aid 

 their comrades of the infantry, and fell with great vigour 

 upon the rear of the Roman legions. From that time 

 it became a mere butchery, the loss of life being greater 

 ia proportion to the numbers engaged than in almost any 

 battle of antiquity. 



Hannibal's management of his cavalry in this action, 

 as well as at the Trebbia, reminds us of the tactics of 



F 2 



