HAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



60 



made. They were accustomed also to wheel about, and 

 to wheel three quarters right or left about, by turmae. 

 Sometimes also one or two files from the centre or 

 flanks would be moved forward some distance, and the 

 remainder pushed on at the galop were exercised in 

 ranging themselves exactly in the intervals. This 

 manoeuvre seems to have been designed more to impart 

 steadiness to the troops than for any other purpose. 



Scipio also drilled them in changing front upon one 

 wing or the other by the flank march of the turmse, or 

 by oblique echelon ; he considering that breaking into 

 column and marching the whole column in the new 

 direction and then fronting, was simply the same move- 

 ment as a column of route, and was faulty, inasmuch an 

 the difierent troops arrived so much more slowly into 

 their respective positions. 



He exercised his soldiers to advance as if upon the 

 enemy, and to retreat in such a way that even at speed 

 the order should not be broken, and that the intervals 

 between the squadtons should always be maintained, for 

 he considered nothing more useless and more dangerous 

 than for cavalry to be led to the charge with their ranks 

 disordered. 



He iLspected and drilled his cavalry personally, he 

 made th(3m move out of the town into fields, where he 

 himself taught them all the movements he required them 

 to learn, and put them through all their exercises. In 

 order the better to superintend their drill, he did not 

 adopt the usual custom of the time and take up his 

 position at the head of the troops, where all could see 

 him and he could see none, but he maintained his 

 authority over the soldiers, by riding about everywhere 

 among them, from squadron to squadron during their 

 manceuvres, watching everything carefully, giving the 

 most clear and detailed e:tplanations to those who seemed 

 to hesitate, and correcting faults where they were com- 

 mitted. Such was the care that Scipio took to have 

 every individual soldier clearly understand his duty. 

 Demetrius Phalereus speaking of this method says : 

 "In an army the strength of the whole is composed. of 



