26.4
Meanwhile the whole stress of the war bore
on Capua. The blockade was proving more effective than direct assault; the
common people and the slaves could not endure the famine, nor could they
send messengers to Hannibal owing to the strict watch which was kept. At
last a Numidian was found who promised to get through with the
despatches, and he succeeded. He escaped through the Roman lines by night,
and this encouraged the Capuans to attempt sorties in all directions while
they still had some strength left. Numerous cavalry encounters took place in
which they generally had the advantage, but their infantry got the worst of it.
The gratification which the Romans derived from their infantry successes
was considerably damped by their finding themselves beaten in any arm by an
enemy whom they had invested and almost conquered. At length they
devised a clever plan by which they could make up for their inferiority in the
mounted arm. Young men of exceptional speed and agility were selected
from all the legions and supplied with bucklers somewhat shorter than those
used by the cavalry. Each was furnished with seven javelins, four feet long
and tipped with iron heads similar to those on the darts of the velites. The
troopers each took one of these upon his horse and trained them to ride
behind and leap down briskly at a given signal. As soon as their daily training
had given them sufficient confidence, the cavalry advanced against the
Capuans, who were drawn up on the level ground between the Roman camp
and the city walls. As soon as they came within range the signal was given
and the velites sprang down to the ground. The line of infantry thus formed
made a sudden attack on the Capuan horse; shower after shower of javelins
was flung at the men and horses all along the line. A great many were
wounded, and the novel and unexpected form of attack created widespread
consternation. Seeing the enemy shaken the Roman cavalry charged home,
and in the rout that followed they drove them with much loss right up to
their gates. From that time the Romans had the superiority in their cavalry
also. The velites were subsequently incorporated in the legions. This plan of
combining infantry and cavalry in one force is said to have originated with
one of the centurions -Q. Navius, and he received special honour from his
commander in consequence.
