78 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[PEEIOD I. 



thaginian cavalry in front and flank, the velitea who 

 fought in the intervals attacking the elephants with such 

 success that they were driven back upcu their own linea 

 where they created a deal of injury. Scipio here reaped 

 the reward of his great care in organizing and training 

 his cavalry, for they at once put the Numidian horse- 

 men to rout and drove them from the field. The 

 Roman legi " as in their heavy formation and steady 

 discipline were more than a match for the Spanish 

 auxiliaries, who, never equal to compete with them, were 

 still less in a position to withstand them this day, being 

 enfeebled as they were from want of foud. They also 

 were soon routed on both flanks with heavy loss. 



During all this time while the battle was being decided 

 AsdrubaJ's choicest troops stood in their ranks, idle 

 spectators of a disaster that they could not prevent. 

 Asdrubal feared to move his African infantry to the 

 assistance of his wings, as the phalanx of Spanish allies in 

 the centre of Scipio's army was moving slowly up, and 

 ready in good order to take advantage of the first false 

 move, while it was still too far ofl^ for him to hazard an 

 advance of his centre. 



The African infantry maintained their high reputation, 

 however, and when their wings were utterly disordered 

 and in flight, they retired in good order, covering the 

 retreat with their ranks well closed up, and so saved the 

 debris of their army. 



This action is worthy of close study, as it is without 

 doubt that of all others in which the Romans displayed 

 the greatest tactical ability, ^t proves that the Roman 

 army must have acquired an tAtraordinary steadiness in 

 manoeuvring, and that Scipio must have been exceed- 

 ingly confident in the power of his army to manoeuvre, 

 or he would never have dared to attempt so com- 

 plicated a movement in the face of an active enemy 

 well supplied with an eflScient fc ce of cavalry. 



The care that Scipio took in personally drilling and 

 exercising his cavalry evidently made them a highly 

 trained force, and he has known exactly how far he 

 could trust to them. The same confidence in the ability 



