Any Tolkienian link?

(1907) Farnell, L.R. The Cults of the Greek States, vol. 4, p. 21:

the horse was attached to Poseidon, the water-god, because in Greek imagination it was the symbol of the rushing water or the arching wave.

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(2004) Rance, P. The Fulcum, the Late Roman and Byzantine Testudo: the Germanization of Roman Infantry Tactics? cites (VIth c.) Agathias, that the Franks

all massed themselves together, both infantry and cavalry, and deployed in a compact formation, which though not very deep … was nevertheless made strong by linking shields and drawing in the flanks in good order

and that he also

provides a partly fanciful description of a Frankish-Alamannic army deployed in a giant “wedge” at the battle of Casilinum in 554.