CHAP. VI,] 



THE CRUSADES. 



179 



dissolution of these tribes, form a continually shifting 

 picture, that renders it exceedingly difficult to give more 

 than a loose and indefinite idea of the different changes 

 in the population, government, and manners of the early 

 inhabitants. 



We have already referred to the cavalry of Scythia in 

 remote times, and we are able to obtain from Ammianus 

 Marcellinus some information as to the Sarmatian horse- 

 men in the fourth century of the Christian era.* The 

 strength of their armies was mainly composed of cavalry, 

 and they h^d the habit of leading one or two spare horses 

 on the march in order to have a fresh mount at hand so 

 as to ensure great speed and greater endurance. This 

 gave them facilities for a rapid advance or retreat, which 

 often surprised their enemies. 



They invented and made use of a cuirass of scale 

 armour. The scales were made of slices of horses' hoofs 

 Rewed on linen, and were capable of resisting the sword 

 or javelin. The Sarmatians carried a long lance, a 

 powerful bow with a quiver of arrows, and a short dagger. 

 The scarcity of iron compelled them to point their 

 weapons with fish-bones, and to make them more deadly 

 the points were poisoned. 



The Norman sea kings, who carried their conquests over 

 many parts of Europe, and who were seen victorious 

 in France, in Naples, Sicily, and Apulia, had spread from 

 the shores of the Baltic into Russia ; and Kurik^ a Norman 

 or Varangian prince, founded the Slavonian or Russian 

 monarchy in the year 862. 



In 906 Oleg, the Regent of the monarchy during the 

 minority of Igor the son of Rurik, declared war against 

 the Greek Empire. A number of the native tribes ranged 

 themselves under his banner, along with the Varegues 

 or Normans, and the army set out, the infantry by the 

 river Dnieper in 2,000 small boats, the cavalry marching 

 along its banks. 



In this we see the influence of the Norman character, 

 for the sea was their native element. Their expeditions 

 from their own countrj/ being all made by water gave 



' Ammianus MarcellinuB, xvii. 12. 



N 2 



