90 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 





They formed in one line of battle, and do not appear to 

 have used reserves. They sometimes massed their army 

 in square, closing the bucklers together, so as to make 

 an impenetrable formation.^ 



The tactics of the cavalry were based upon the proper 

 principle. Their main idea was to succeed by the 

 rapidity and force of the charge, which was usually 

 made in a compact mass by the heavy cavalry in order 

 to burst through the enemy's lines, and so make an 

 opening by which the light cavalry getting through 

 might fall upon their opponents in flank and rear.^ 



Some of the tribes of the Gauls had a cavalry that 

 was organised in little troops or bands of three each, 

 composed of a cavalier, or principal combatant, and two 

 assistants or esquires. Pausanias says that the cavalry 

 of Brennus was organised in this way, the intention 

 being that if the horse of the chief soldier was killed, 

 he could have it replaced by one of those ridden by 

 his attendants, or if he himself was killed, that his 

 place might be filled by one of his followers. We see 

 m this the origin of the " lance " or " lance fournie " of 

 the middle ages.^ These small parties were called " Tri- 

 macresie." 



Hannibal had a large force of Gaulish auxiliaries in 

 his army, and they formed a portion of the cavalry 

 which we have seen did him such good service in the 

 campaigns in Italy.* 



Caesar also, on taking the command in Gaul, imme- 

 diately made great efforts to organise a powerful force of 

 cavalry, which he was enabled to raise to the number of 

 4,000.* They were composed entirely of Gaulish allies, 

 in whom at first he did not place implicit confidence, for 

 we see that in the interview he held with Ariovistus, 

 where it was arranged that he should only be accom- 

 panied by 500 horse, he mounted that number of 

 his best infantry from the 10th legion on the horses of 

 his allies, and took them with him.® 



Afterwards, in the action in which he defeated 



» Duparcq, 203. » Humbert, 41. ^ Bardin, 5124. * Ambert, 

 178. » Caesar, i. 15. « Liskenne, ii. 204. Csesar, i. 42. 



