CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



71 



Livy, book iv. chap. 33, in the account of the battle 

 between the Romans under the Dictator Mamercus 

 iEmilius and the Fidense, tells an extraordinary story of 

 the Roman Master of Horse, Aulus Cornelius, intio- 

 ducing a new mode of fighting among the cavalry, by 

 commanding his men to take the bridles oflf their horses, 

 and leading them to the charge with unbridled steeds. 

 Livy states that the plan was crowned with success. If 

 this story has any truth in it, it is evident that Aulus 

 Cornelius determined there should be no hesitation, but 

 that the charge should be pushed home. It is a curious 

 circumstance in this connection that General Hood, of 

 the army of the late Confederate States of America, has 

 always maintained that if the reins of the cavalry could 

 be cut at the moment of the charge, the horses would 

 break down the opposition of any infantry, r.nd that the 

 charge would always be successful.^ 



There is a difference of opinion about the shoeing of 

 horses among the Romans. It is certain that they did 

 not use the iron shoe fastened with nails in the modern 

 fashion.2 It is not known when shoes of that kind were 

 first invented, or in what country they first came into 

 use, but certainly not during the Roman period. In 

 Greece, in the time of Xenophon, we have his positive 

 testimony to prove that no horse-shoes of any kind 

 were in use among the Greek cavalry, for his instructions 

 as to the best means of hardening the hoof are very 

 explicit.^ 



It is certain, however, that the Romans had conceived 

 the idea of an artificial protection to the horse's hoof, 

 for it is a well-established fact that mules and beasts 

 of burden were sometimes provided with a metal or 

 wooden shoe (called soled), which was held in its place 

 by thongs of leather crossed over the hoof.^ This, 

 however, seems to have been the exception rather than 

 the rule. Suetonius says that Nero employed 2,000 

 mules in drawing his equipages and train when he went 



^ Personal conversation. Modern Cavalry, 166. ^ Liskcnne, 



ii. 35. 3 Xenophon, Hipparchicus. * Liskenne, ii. 35. Bardln, 

 1080. 



