Light troops and skirmishers supporting cavalry

[aligern]

I would like to organise an article for Slingshot on cavalry supported by Lights. Hence I am asking the brains trust here for citations.
I know that Caesar has Ariovistus Germans doing this and si IIRC does Tacitus in the Germania. Slightly later Germans have, according specialist squads of horse hamstringers and this happens at Argentoratum, though of course these may not be operating with their own cavalry.
In an earlier debate The Romans were using Lights and cavalry outside Capua.
In. the medieval period the French have bidets who work with the knights at Courtrai.
Do any more examples spring to mind?

To relate the article to wargaming I wish to beg. contributions from players of particular rulesets asto how the. rules they use replicate Lights supporting cavalry.
If anyone would like to contribute instances, or represent a particular ruleset please contribute.
Somewhere there is that famous quote about cavalry getting off their horses to fight because cavalry warfare is so fluid, thus becoming their own supporting infantry.

Roy
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I struggle to think of a 'DarkAge ' example.

Roy

[Jim Webster]

The Greeks used them in the Classical period, and the Ionians may possibly have used 'war dogs' in that role :-)

Jim

[Patrick Waterson]

Caesar at Pharsalus has infantry supporting his cavalry (Civil War III.84):

"His cavalry being much inferior to the enemy's in number, he followed the method already mentioned; of singling out the strongest and nimblest of his foot-soldiers, and accustoming them to fight intermixed with the horse; in which way of combat they were become very expert by daily practice. This disposition, joined to constant exercise, so emboldened his cavalry, that though but a thousand in number, they would upon occasion sustain the charge of Pompey's seven thousand, even in an open plain, and appear not greatly dismayed at their multitude: nay, they actually got the better in a skirmish that happened between them, and killed Aegus the Allobrogian, one of the two brothers who deserted to Pompey, with several others of his party."

Arrian (I.16) mentions light-armed troops supporting Alexander's cavalry at the Granicus:

"The Persians themselves, as well as their horses, were now being struck on their faces with the lances from all sides, and were being repulsed by the cavalry. They also received much damage from the light armed troops who were mingled with the cavalry."

There is also (from memory) something in the Roman-Macedonian wars, in Livy, about the Macedonians using light infantry, especially archers, to support their cavalry against the Romans.  Perhaps someone knows the reference?

[Jim Webster]

I think it was Philip Vth with Cretans supporting his cavalry

Jim

[Erpingham]

Possible medieval example is Benevento, when the French used ribaulds to support the cavalry with the intention of finishing off unhorsed Germans, and maybe at Bouvines, where someone has his horse killed by a foot soldier getting under its armour in mid-melee with knights (see the text in the battle section).  I think there are examples of Almogavars giving close support to their knights - hamstringing and disembowelling with shortened spears was a popular tactic.

I'm not sure about the bidets at Courtrai - they seem to be in separate formations to the knights to me.

In a slightly different (i.e. not melee) context, English cavalry and crossbowmen draw up intermixed at Maes Moydog.

[Paul Innes]

To address the second part of Roy's post, i.e. how do wargames rules address the issue.  In Tactica, and only in certain named armies such as the Macedonians, specified light infantry types can support non-light cavalry.  The cavalry form up in front with the peltasts immediately behind them in base contact.  The whole lot moves at light infantry speed.  Only the cavalry fight.  Missile hits are divided equally between the two units, and melee is directed against both equally.  The units don't have to stay together, so the cavalry can break the formation to go off and do their own thing.  The rule only applies if the two units begin the battle in this way - it's not something that can be set up part way through.

I'm sure other rulesets do something like this...

[Justin Swanton]

For our Pharsalus game the Caesarian cavalry bases are assumed to have the infantry as integral to them, so one cavalry base is used to represent both.

In Optio, being supported by infantry gives cavalry a +1 modifier in combat against enemy cavalry if charged or in melee combat (not if charging). Pompey's cavalry are deployed across 11 Optio squares (about 550 yards) which represents the limit of a commander's command radius (Labienus in this case). Caesar deploys his cavalry in an extended line - one cavalry base straddling 2 squares - which gives a -1 in combat, but here is countered by the +1 of the supporting infantry, so the cavalry fight will be even. Caesar's cavalry has better morale than Pompey's, and when you add the surprise flank attack against the advanced Pompeian cavalry by Caesar's secret cohort reserve, it should be all over for Pompey. Well.....we'll find out. 

[Duncan Head]

Xenophon discusses the use of light infantry together with cavalry in his Cavalry Commander. Under the name hamippoi such light infantry are mentioned in the Boiotian army at Delium, the Aristotelian Constitution of the Athenians, and various other occasions mostly in the 4th century. The earliest reference may be Herodotos listing hippodromoi psiloi in the Syracusan army.

There's a bit in Livy 42, describing the Callinicus skirmish in the Third Macedonian War:

Perseus had drawn up his men less than a mile and a half from the Roman lines round a hill called Callinicus. Cotys commanded the left wing with the whole of his native troops, the light infantry being disposed between the ranks of the cavalry. On the right were the Macedonian cavalry, the Cretans being intermixed with them in the same way. This body was under the command of Midon of Beroea; the supreme command of the whole cavalry force was in the hands of Meno of Antigonea. Flanking the two wings were the king's cavalry and a mixed body of auxiliaries drawn from different nationalities. Patrocles and Didas were in charge of these troops. In the centre of the whole line was the king surrounded by the "agema" and the troops of the "sacred" cavalry. In front of these he posted the slingers and javelin men, 400 in all, under the command of Ion and Neoptolemus. The consul formed his infantry into line inside the rampart, and sent out the whole of the cavalry and light infantry; they were drawn up in front of the rampart. The right wing was commanded by the consul's brother Caius, and comprised the whole of the Italian cavalry with the velites interspersed among them. On the left M. Valerius Laevinus had the cavalry and light infantry from the various cities in Greece. The centre was held by Quintus Mucius with a picked body of volunteer cavalry. On their front were posted 200 Gaulish troopers and 300 Cyrtians from the auxiliary troops brought by Eumenes; 400 Thessalian cavalry were drawn up a short distance beyond the Roman left. Attalus and Eumenes took ground with the whole of their force in the rear between the hindmost rank and the rampart.

In this formation the two armies, almost equally matched in the numbers of their cavalry and light infantry, engaged. The battle was begun by the slingers and javelin men, who were in front of the whole line. First of all the Thracians, like wild beasts kept in cages and suddenly released, set up a deafening roar and charged the Italian cavalry on the right wing with such fury that, in spite of their experience of war and their native fearlessness, they threw them into disorder. The infantry on both sides snapped the lances of the cavalry with their swords, cut at the legs of the horses and stabbed them in the flanks. Perseus, charging the centre, dislodged the Greeks at the first onslaught, and pressed heavily upon them as they fell back. The Thessalian cavalry had been in reserve, a little distance from the extreme left, outside the fighting and simply watching it, but when the day began to go against them they were of the greatest use. For by slowly retiring, and keeping their ranks unbroken, they formed a junction with Eumenes' troops, and so afforded a safe retreat within their united ranks to the allied cavalry as they fled in disorder. As the enemy slackened in the pursuit they even ventured to advance and protected many of the fugitives whom they met. The king's troops, separated by the pursuit in all directions, did not venture to come to close quarters with men who were keeping their formation and advancing in a steady line.

The Bellum Africanum describes how Numidian cavalry and light infantry combined gave Caesar difficulty at Ruspina:

Meanwhile as the two centres were proceeding to charge one another, suddenly from out of the closely packed squadrons the light-armed Numidian infantry doubled forward alongside the cavalry and hurled their javelins among the infantry of the legions. Hereupon Caesar's men launched an attack upon them and their cavalry took to flight; but the infantry stood their ground meantime, until the cavalry should renew their charge and return to succour their own infantry. Caesar was now confronted with novel tactics and observed that his men's formation was becoming disorganised as they ran forward to attack — the infantry in fact, exposing their flank as they advanced in pursuit of the cavalry too far from the standards, were suffering casualties from the javelins of the nearest Numidians; whereas the enemy cavalry easily eluded by their speed the pilum of the milites.

[aligern]

Thanks everybody, rather more evidence than I had first thought there.  i'll go away and look for commonalities of tactics and outcomes.
Roy

[valentinianvictor]

I've probably come a bit late to this but Ammianus gives an example of infantry supporting cavalry in this way and there is of course the suggestion in Vegetius about doing this.

[aligern]

Not at all late as there are other articles ahead of it to do. So any examples still very much welcome.

Roy