CHAP. HI.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



107 



After this period the Komana made four great ex- 

 peditions against Parthia, of which that commanded by 

 Avidius Cassius was the only one that was entirely 

 successful. The Romans were able, as under Trajan 

 and Severus, to march, steadily into the country, and 

 even in some instances to capture the capital, but they 

 could not hold it, and to retire after an occupation almost 

 certainly brought on disaster.^ Then the swarms of light 

 horse clung to their retreating columns, cut off the 

 stragglers, prevented them from getting provisions, and 

 incessantly galled them with their arrows. 



The Parthians did not use war-chariots nor elephants, 

 their supplies and reserve stores of ammunition and 

 provisions were always carried upon camels, which were 

 used in large numbers for this purpose. 



There was one point in their ^lilitary system that was 

 a serious weakness to them. They were always in the 

 habit of drawing oft' at nightfall if engaged in a pursuit, 

 and bivouacking at a considerable distance from the 

 enemy, and were accustomed to abstain from all military 

 operations during the night. They were obliged to do 

 this in order to hobble or tether their horses and give 

 them time to pasture, which of course could only be 

 safely effected at a considerable distance from their 

 opponents, as a long time would necessarily be required, 

 to secure their horses, equip them, and to form up armed 

 ready for action.^ This habit gave a retreating army an 

 opportunity of marching in any direction at night and 

 of gaining many advantages in that way. The Parthians 

 never fortified their camps, so that the necessity for 

 separating themselves from their enemy at night was all 

 the greater. 



In the foregoing pages some particulars have been 

 given of the cavalry of all the important nations of 

 antiquity, more especially of all those of which history 

 has left us any clear account. The wild tribes who lived 

 beyond the influence of Greek and Eoman civilisation, 

 have not left any records by which their manners and 

 customs have been handed down to us, but we may 



' Ra-wHnson. ^ Ibid. Parthia. 



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