CHAP. III.] 



ROMAN CAVALRY. 



Ill 



manners of the people, in time sapped the strength of 

 the state, and were soon seen to have their eflect upon the 

 army. The patriotism, the national sentiment that in 

 early times distinguished Rome beyond all nations, 

 gradually died out. The loyal courage of the citizens 

 when every man was a soldier, when none could aspire 

 to high ollice who had not served his term in the ranks, 

 was soon lost when Rome, the centre of a vast empire, 

 became far removed from the dangers and hai-dships 

 of war. 



From the appearance of Hannibal before the walls of 

 Rome in 211 B.C., until Alaric encamped before it with 

 his army of Goths in 408 a.d., a period of six hundred 

 and nineteen years elapsed, in which the seat of empire 

 was never once insulted by the presence of a hostile 

 army.^ 



The Roman infantry, which when it conquered the 

 world was but an armed people, soon became filled also 

 with barbarian mercenaries, and with the most worthless 

 classes in the community, who were attracted by high 

 pay to serve in the ranks, while the better class of the 

 citizens and those of wealth and distinction, idled away 

 their lives in the enjoyment of the efieminate and 

 extravagant luxury of an overgrown capital. 



Such was the aversion among the degenerate Romans 

 to the profession of arms that the youth of Italy in 

 many instances cut off the fingers of the right hand to 

 escape military service. ^ This practice was so common 

 as to render necessary special laws forbidding it, and 

 fixing the punishment in case of transgression. 



The mercenary troops, who under the Empire alone 

 composed the armies, soon wrested from their weak and 

 luxurious masters concession after concession. They 

 soon felt their power and appointed emperors of their 

 own choice, and the emperors well knew that they only 

 held the throne by the consent of their soldiers. The 

 effect of this upon the discipline of the army was very 

 injurious, and was speedily and severely felt. 



Septimius Severus being declared emperor by the 



' Gibbon, iii. 2U. 



2 Ibid. iii. 130. 



