07-28-2008, 09:10 AM
And as tarbicus said, cavalry had the tendency to gallop away...sometimes even without combat when they felt overwhelmed by enemy numbers.
Even in Napoleonic times, cavalry was very fickle branch of arms. Sometimes there were inadverted charges, due to tendency of horses to follow other bunch of horses. Sometimes cavalry panicked when enemy approached from flanks, sometimes when they encountered unexpected resistance (not that infantry was not prone to that too, but cavalry usually was more prone). Pharsalus is one good example where cavalry led by Titus Labienus degraded to chaos when meeting unexpected infantry line.
Even in Napoleonic times, cavalry was very fickle branch of arms. Sometimes there were inadverted charges, due to tendency of horses to follow other bunch of horses. Sometimes cavalry panicked when enemy approached from flanks, sometimes when they encountered unexpected resistance (not that infantry was not prone to that too, but cavalry usually was more prone). Pharsalus is one good example where cavalry led by Titus Labienus degraded to chaos when meeting unexpected infantry line.
(Mika S.)
"Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris? Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior." - Catullus -
"Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit."
"Audendo magnus tegitur timor." -Lucanus-
"Odi et amo. Quare id faciam, fortasse requiris? Nescio, sed fieri sentio et excrucior." - Catullus -
"Nemo enim fere saltat sobrius, nisi forte insanit."
"Audendo magnus tegitur timor." -Lucanus-
