Discourses on the First Decade of Titus Livius by Niccolò Machiavelli
page 245 of 443 (55%)
page 245 of 443 (55%)
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from it has been the terror into which the horses of the enemy, unused
to such sounds, are thrown by the roar of the guns. And now, to bring these remarks to a conclusion, I say briefly that, employed by an army wherein there is some strain of the ancient valour, artillery is useful; but employed otherwise, against a brave adversary, is utterly useless. CHAPTER XVIII.--_That the authority of the Romans and the example of ancient Warfare should make us hold Foot Soldiers of more account than Horse._ By many arguments and instances it can be clearly established that in their military enterprises the Romans set far more store on their infantry than on their cavalry, and trusted to the former to carry out all the chief objects which their armies were meant to effect. Among many other examples of this, we may notice the great battle which they fought with the Latins near the lake Regillus, where to steady their wavering ranks they made their horsemen dismount, and renewing the combat on foot obtained a victory. Here we see plainly that the Romans had more confidence in themselves when they fought on foot than when they fought on horseback. The same expedient was resorted to by them in many of their other battles, and always in their sorest need they found it their surest stay. Nor are we to condemn the practice in deference to the opinion of Hannibal, who, at the battle of Cannæ, on seeing the consuls make the horsemen dismount, said scoffingly, "_Better still had they delivered |
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