CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



103 



h ing up without cessation the terrible shower of 

 death-dealing shafts ; when they fell back into their 

 original line, the swarm of horsemen followed closely, 

 and the pitiless rain of barbed arrows still pelted upon 

 them. The only ray of hope before them was that in 

 time the missiles would be all launched, and rest would 

 then come. This hope soon failed them, for they saw 

 those in the front who had exhausted their quivers, 

 making way for others while they retired, and renewed 

 their supply from the reserves carried upon camels in 

 the rear. 



Crassus, in his despair, at last gave his son permission 

 to take a portion of the troops, and by a bold charge, 

 endeavour to obtain some relief. Young Publius took 

 with him the 1,000 Gallic cavalry that Caesar had se^t, 

 and with 300 other cavalry, 500 archers, and eight 

 cohorts of infantry, he charged boldly against the enemy, 

 who immediately fled, partly because it was not their 

 policy to fight at close quarters, and partly to draw the 

 detachment away from the main body. The young 

 Roman immediately followed in pursuit with all haste, 

 thinking a victory was being gained, and in this manner 

 was drawn a considerable distance from his father, and 

 entirely out of sight of the main army. Then the 

 Parthians turned at bay. They formed a line of their 

 heavy cavalry in front to check a further advance, and 

 surrounded the party with irregular horse. The Pomans 

 closed together and defended themselves as well as they 

 could, but their position was worse than ever. The 

 shower of arrows commenced again ; the soldiers fell 

 fast in their ranks, the arrows sticking in them as they 

 rolled in agony in the sand. When Publius Crassus 

 called upon them to attack the heavy armed cavalry, 

 they showed him their >iands nailed to their shields, their 

 feet fastened to the ground, so that they could neither 

 fight nor fly. He then led his cavalry to the charge, 

 but his men with their light short iavelins and scanty 

 armour, could make no impression upon the heavily armed 

 Parthians, whose spears were so much more formidable. 

 The Gauls fought bravely, seized the barbarians' pikes. 



