The origin and influence of the thoroughbred horse . uld appear that his cavalry was evensuperior jn efficiency to his infantry. The heavy cavalry, whichhad from of old formed the chief arm of Macedon, and whichhad been supplemented by the Sarissophori, were known as theCompanions. According to Arrian^ at the battle of Arbelathere were eight distinct squadrons of the Companions, most ofwhich, if not all, were named after different districts or was a distinguished royal squadron called the Agema, orleading body, at the head of which Alexander generally charged,Alexander divided thes
The origin and influence of the thoroughbred horse . uld appear that his cavalry was evensuperior jn efficiency to his infantry. The heavy cavalry, whichhad from of old formed the chief arm of Macedon, and whichhad been supplemented by the Sarissophori, were known as theCompanions. According to Arrian^ at the battle of Arbelathere were eight distinct squadrons of the Companions, most ofwhich, if not all, were named after different districts or was a distinguished royal squadron called the Agema, orleading body, at the head of which Alexander generally charged,Alexander divided these squadrons into half-squadrons in330 Not only was the cavalry furnished by Macedonia proper, 1 Cf. Waldstein, Art of Pheidias, p. 415. - Pliny, H. N. viii. 42. 64. » Anab. i. 2. 89. Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 305 but also by the region known as Upper Macedonia, a fact incomplete harmony with the evidence of Herodotus, that in thefifth century all the peoples south of the Danube haddiscarded the war-chariot, which was only retained owing to. Fig. Head of one of the Horses of the Quadriga from the Mausoleumat Halicarnassus. the small size of their horses by the people north of thatriver. The conquests of Philip and his great son must have donemuch to improve the native Macedonian horses. The formerbecame master of Thessaly and the Thessalian horses, whilst R. H. 20 306 THE HORSES OF PREHISTORIC [CH. the latter secured possession not only of the best breeds of Asia,but was able to add to his stud the best blood of Libya, forinstance when he marched into Egypt the Cyrenians sent hima present of three hundred horses, doubtless the best thattheir land could furnish. The effect of this may be traced inthe fact that Thrace and Macedonia continued to be famousfor their horses under the Roman domination, and, as we havealready seen (p. 282), the Thracian horses were noted for theirdark colour, with white feet and a white mark on the forehead^,whilst in Byzantine times the empero
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