HISTORY OF MARINE ARCHITECTURE.

185

thousand horse and ten thousand foot were embarked at Constantinople forthe conquest of Africa, but the infantry, for the most part levied in Thraceand Isauria, yielded to the more prevailing use and reputation of the cavalry ;and the Scythian bow was the weapon on which the armies of Rome werenow reduced to place their principal dependance. From a laudable desire toassert the dignity of his theme, Procopius defends the soldiers of his own timeagainst the morose critics, who confined that respectable name to the heavyarmed warriors of antiquity, and maliciously observed, that the word Archer,is introduced by Homer as a term of contempt. Such contempt might perhapsbe due to the naked youths who appeared on foot in the fields of Troy, and,lurking behind a tomb-stone, or the shield of a friend, drew the bow-string totheir breast, and dismissed a feeble and lifeless arrow. But our archers (pur-sues the historian) are mounted on horses, which they manage with admirableskill; their head and shoulders are protected by a casque, or buckler ; they weargreaves of iron on their legs, and their bodies are guarded by a coat of mail.On their right side hangs a quiver, a sword on their left, and their hand isaccustomed to wield a lance or javelin in closer combat. Their bows arestrong and weighty ; they shoot in every possible direction, advancing, re-treating, to the front, to the rear, or to either flank; and as they are taughtto draw the bow-string not to the breast, but to the right ear, firm indeedmust be the armour that can resist the rapid violence of their shaft. Fivehundred transports, navigated by twenty thousand mariners of Egypt, Cilicia,and Ionia, were collected in the harbour of Constantinople. The smallest ofthese vessels may be computed at thirty, the largest at five hundred tons ; andthe fair average will supply an allowance, liberal, but not profuse, of about onehundred thousand tons, for the reception of thirty-five thousand soldiers andsailors, of five thousand horses, of arms, engines, and military stores, and of asufficient stock of water and provisions for a voyage, perhaps, of three months.The proud gallies, which in former ages swept the Mediterranean with somany hundred oars, had long since disappeared; and the fleet of Justinian wasescorted only by ninety-two light brigantines, covered from the missile wea-pons of the enemy, and rowed by two thousand of the brave and robust youthof Constantinople. Twenty-two generals are named, most of whom w^ereafterwards distinguished in the wars of Africa and Italy : but the supreme com-mand, both bv land and sea, was delegated to Bclisarius alone, with a boundlesspower of acting according to his discretion, as if the emperor himself w'ereVol. I. B b present.