Cantabrian circle

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The Cantabrian circle was a military tactic employed by ancient horse archers. The horsemen rode around in circles, toward and away from the enemy, continually firing arrows or javelins. The tactic was usually employed against infantry and bowmen. The constant movement of the horsemen gave them an advantage against slow infantry and made them hard to target. The maneuver was designed to harass and taunt the enemy forces, disrupting close formations. This was commonly used against enemy infantry, especially heavily armed and slow legions such as the Romans.

The Cantabrian circle is similar to other cavalry maneuvers such as the caracole and the Parthian shot.