02-25-2013, 10:27 PM
Going by Treadgold's numbers, by the later 4th century, about 50% of the limitanei but only 20% of the comitatenses and palatini were cavalry.
Cavalry was important for scouting. Cavalry was more expensive, harder to train, and harder to supply, which was why infantry was preferred for sieges. Cavalry might have had trouble replacing horses after thousand-mile marches. On the battlefield, if there were enough cavalry, there were times when they would all fight mounted, and even independently of the infantry, and there were times when some would fight dismounted.
Cavalry was important for scouting. Cavalry was more expensive, harder to train, and harder to supply, which was why infantry was preferred for sieges. Cavalry might have had trouble replacing horses after thousand-mile marches. On the battlefield, if there were enough cavalry, there were times when they would all fight mounted, and even independently of the infantry, and there were times when some would fight dismounted.
