CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



85 



This bold charge of a small body of horse led by 

 LucuUus himself and supported by two cohorts of picked 

 infantry, was crowned with complete success. The heavy 

 armed horsemen, clumsy and slow in their movements, 

 struck violently on the flank, broke at once in con- 

 fusion, and were doubled up and driven in upon the 

 infantry, so that in a few minutes the wh^^^ army was 

 in flight. Tigranes, utterly astounded and struck with 

 panic, was one of the first to ride off" with a few attend- 

 ants. It seems hardly credible, yet Plutarch states 

 that the Komans lost but five killed and one hundred 

 wounded, while of the foot of the enemy 100,000 were 

 slain in addition to a great proportion of the cavalry.^ 



This action serves to show clearly that discipline and 

 facility of manoeuvring are absolutely necessary to give 

 cavalry its great value. There is little doubt that the 

 immense swarms of horsemen under Tigranes, akhough 

 probably well mounted, well armed, and skilful riders, 

 were yet only sufficiently drilled to advance in the at- 

 tack, and to retire, but had never been accustomed to 

 manoeuvre, and were quite unable when threatened on 

 their flank, to make a sudden change of front, so as to 

 face their enemy, and if necesssary, meet him with a 

 charge. 



Unable to manoeuvre, and struck on the flank where 

 they could not resist, the novelty of the danger, and 

 their ignorance of the means to remedy it, naturally?- left 

 to them no resource but flight. 



In the battle of Artaxata {67 B.C.) in the Mithridatic 

 war, when Lucullus again fought against King Tigranes, 

 he used his cavalry with considerable ability. Tigranes 

 had posted in front of his army a large body of his best 

 heavy cavalry, supported by some light squadrons of 

 Mardian archers, and Iberian spearmen, in whose courage 

 and skill he placed more confidence than in any of his 

 other horsemen.'^ Lucullus sent his cavalry across the 

 river Arsanias first to attack these advanced troops, and 

 80 to cover the passage of the river by his infantry. The 

 ^ Plutarch, Life of Lucullus. ^ Ibid. 



