ABSTRACT
The change in the character of the Roman army which ultimately substituted cavalry and light infantry for the solid strength of the ancient legion was mainly caused by the exigencies of border-warfare. The rebellion of Civilis shook the Roman hold on the Rhine frontier for a space; the defeat of Domitian's generals Sabinus and Fuscus let the Dacians into the interior of the Danube provinces; Marcus Aurelius once saw the Quadi at the gates of Aquileia. Yet if auxiliary and legionary were now Romans alike, the non-citizen element had not disappeared from the army. In despair of resisting the Gothic horse-men any longer by the solidity of a line of heavy infantry and Roman military men had turned their attention to the greater use of missile weapons for the foot-soldiery. Roman and barbarian alike threw their vigour into the organisation of their cavalry.
