Cavalry
Cavalry are soldiers riding horses. The earliest cavalry soldiers were in about
800 BC, when horses were finally bred big enough so that they could carry a full-grown man. During
the time of ancient Greece and Rome, rich men were in the cavalry - they rode horses to battle. In
ancient Greece, the way you knew a man was in the aristocracy was that he owned expensive war horses and could
be in the cavalry.
But in the ancient world men did not usually fight from the backs of their horses. Usually they got off
their horses and fought on foot. This is probably because cavalry actually isn't that useful against
well-trained foot soldiers in the hoplite tradition. (Though Alexander
the Great is certainly shown
fighting on horseback).
In the Middle Ages, in both Europe and the Islamic
Empire, more men began to fight from the backs of their horses, probably because
foot soldiers weren't so well trained anymore. The cavalry continued to be an important part
of any army until after the American Civil
War.
Back
to horses
Be careful not to confuse this word with Calvary, which means the crucifixion
of Jesus! (Many students do).
Back
to horses
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