ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the role of the horse in the cultural evolution of man. Three aspects of the role are represented in the title: centaurs, calvary, and cowboys. The mythological centaur represents the role of the horse in enriching the humanities; cavalry represents the involvement of the horse in the wars of man. The Scythians and later the Parthians not only gave civilization the chariot horse but their threatening presence also gave the cities their giant walls. The Phoenicians by 1000 B.C. were the horse traders of the Mediterranean basin. Thrace was the legendary source of the mythological centaur, which may have been the origin of bull fighting by man on horseback. The eastern Roman Empire survived the horsemen and developed into the stoic Byzantine empire under Constantine and Justinian. The Norman cavalry turned and standing in their stirrups cut the Saxon ranks to pieces beneath their horses' feet.
