92 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



Iti 



'li 



i^V?, 



ill 



its inhabitants destroyed. Vercingetorix then demanded 

 15,000 cavalry, and continued to destroy the provisions, 

 to burn houses, and to cut off convoys.^ Caesar, seeing 

 the danger he was in, decided to fall back nearer to the 

 Roman provinces, which were his base of operations. 

 Vercingetorix, impatient in disposition, and believing that 

 Caesar's army was in flight, risked a general engagement, 

 in which he was beaten with immense loss.^ He there- 

 upon threw himself into Alesia, which was then con- 

 sidered almost impregnable, and awaited an attack. 

 Caesar decided to blockade him in that place, and by 

 strong lines of countervallation reduce him by famine.^ 



Vercingetorix still used his cavaby skilfully. Before 

 Caesar could completely close in his lines, the Gaulish 

 cavalry, 15,000 strong, cut through without difficulty, 

 and were directed to raise a large army with which to 

 come to the relief of the besieged.* Caesar had by this 

 time recruited among the Germans 10,000 cavalry, and 

 his infantry reached 70,000 or 80,000 more. Before 

 the aid came to the Gauls, Caesar's lines of circum- 

 vallation were so strong that Alesia could not be 

 relieved, and soon surrendered at discretion. Had 

 Vercingetorix been permitted to carry out his own plans, 

 and been opposed by anyone of less ability than the 

 great Caesar himself, the fate of the Gallic revolt would 

 probably have been very different. 



The Germans were a warlike people. Their principal 

 force consisted of the infantry, although they also used 

 cavalry.^ They were poorly supplied with defensive 

 armour, and wore dresses made of skins badly shaped, 

 and which were not large enough to cover the whole 

 body, so that although living in a cold climate they 

 were half naked.^ The cavalry and infantry were simi- 

 larly equipped. They used bucklers made of wicker- 

 work, and ornamented with brilliant colours. They 

 were sometimes round, but generally elongated ; the 

 horseman using one somewhat smaller than that of the 

 foot-soldier. Although they had often fought against the 



■ CiEsar, vii. 6R. 2 jbid. 66. 



* Boutaric, 46. « Caesar, iv. 1 . 



«Ibid. 68. 



* Ibid. 71. 



