Lord Ponticus's force really lived up to its elite status given that it took three consecutive cavalry charges delivered to their flanks to finally snap them.
Any lesser force would have shattered far, far ago.
But regardless of their pedigry, and whether they would have run before or were running now, the fact was that the 3,000 cavalry managed to decisively destroy the formation there, forcing the 10,000 strong unit to break and rout.
"Stand! Stand! Keep still!"
"Hold! Hold! The enemy is about to collapse!"
"Do not run! Think of your family!:
And even such urging from the officers and even from Lord Ponticus himself failed to restore order, for the wound inflicted on their flanks was too grievous, going many, many echelons in.