100 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period I. 



action, was in strong contrast to the heavy, and it com- 

 prised the main portion of the mounted force." They 

 were magnificent riders, trained from the earliest youth, 

 so that man and horse moved almost with the volition of 

 one being. The horses were fleet and active, were 

 managed by a headstall and single rein, and ridden with 

 hardly any equipment. The rider was clad in a simple 

 tunic and trousers, and his principal weapon was a bow 

 of unusual length, and a quiver full of barbed arrows. 

 These arrows could be driven with great force and with 

 equal ease, either while stationary or while advancing or 

 retreating, and on this account their tactics consisted in 

 simply swarming about an enemy's column, never coming 

 to close quarters, but continually plying it with barbed 

 shafts ; retreating, shooting when attacked ; advancing, 

 shooting when the enemy retired, and hovering around 

 them if halted at bay, wearying and destroying them 

 with a system of tactics they were unable to meet with 

 success .'^ As this required immense quantities of arrows, 

 they had large reserves carried with the baggage upon 

 camels, so that in action they could be furnished with 

 fresh supplies when they were short. The light horse- 

 men seem to have carried a sword, and the customary 

 knife at the belt.' 



The number of cavalry under the command of Surena 

 is not given by any of the ancient historiana. Plutarch 

 says, a " vast number." Velleius Paterculus says, " an 

 immense force." Rawlinson refers to these authors in his 

 History of Parthia, and mentions that the Parthians met 

 Antony shortly after with 60,000 horse, which would 

 lead to the natural inference that Crassus must have 

 been opposed by probably 40,000 or 50,000 cavalry.* 



After crossing the Euphrates, Crassus, who had recon- 

 noitring parties of horse far in advance, soon received 

 reports that, although not a man was to be seen, yet 

 there were vestiges of large bodies of cavalry which 

 seemed to be retreating before them. On the third or 

 fourth day after crossing the river, while marching over 



2 riutarch, Crassus. ^ Rawlinson, 



' Rawlinson, Parthia, 101 

 400. 1 Ibid. 162, note. 



