74 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



this cohort, which was called the cohors milliaria, and 

 which also protected the images of the emperor. 



The cavalry were placed generally upon the wings, 

 the heavy armed being placed next to the infantry ; 

 next to them on the outer flank the light armed cavalry 

 took up a position, to enable them either to protect the 

 flanks of their own army or, if possible, to envelop and 

 attack the flanks and rear of the enemy. A reserve of 

 cavalry was generally kept in the rear after the forma- 

 tion of the legion into cohorts, which was also an organi- 

 sation that enabled cavalry to give immediate support 

 to the infantry when closely pressed. 



SECTION IV. — CAMPAIGNS OF SCIPIO AFRICANUS — BATTLES 

 OF ILIJSG AND ZAMA AND THE MITHRIDATIO WAR. 



The battle of Iling in Spain, between Scipio Africanus 

 and Asdrubal, the son of Gisco, is generally considered to 

 be the highest development of tactical skill in the history 

 of the Roman army, and as such it merits close study, 

 more particularly as the cavalry service performed a most 

 important part in the action. 



Asdrubal and Mago had in their army 70,000 infantry, 

 4,000 cavalry, and 32 elephants. Scipio was much 

 weaker in numbers, his army consisting of 45,000 

 infantry and 3,000 horse. Asdrubal, having assembled 

 his army in the spring of the^ year 205 B.C., marched to 

 a town called Iling, or Elinga, and encamped in its 

 vicinity at the foot of a mountain, where he fortified his 

 camp, and where he had in his front a plain very suitable 

 for battle.^ 



Scipio's situation at this period was very critical, and 

 gave him great uneasiness. His Roman legions alone 

 were too weak for him to risk a general action against 

 such a superJA'i force, while he had not sufficient confi- 

 dence in his Spanish allies to venture to employ them 

 boldly in any decisive engagement. He decided, there- 

 fore, to appear to have every confidence in them to make 

 the enemy believe that he trusted them fully, but at the 



^ Polybius, xi. ch. 5. 



