05-03-2006, 06:43 PM
For a valuable insight into the placing of cavalry units, see:
D.J. Breeze, "Cavalry on frontiers: Hadrian to Honorius", in: D.F. Clark (ed.), The Later Roman Empire Today (London: Institute of Archaeology, 1993), pp. 19-35, with some nice maps.
Breeze notes that cavalry regiments are often placed at the head of an "invasion route", or at least a line of advance.
"When a legion was not available to control a route, a cavalry unit might be substituted, as occurred at Aalen in Raetia and at Linz in Noricum" (p.28 ).
Interestingly, like many legionary fortresses, Aalen lay some way behind the limes. There were, of course, other units nearby, chiefly mixed cohortes equitatae.
D.J. Breeze, "Cavalry on frontiers: Hadrian to Honorius", in: D.F. Clark (ed.), The Later Roman Empire Today (London: Institute of Archaeology, 1993), pp. 19-35, with some nice maps.
Breeze notes that cavalry regiments are often placed at the head of an "invasion route", or at least a line of advance.
"When a legion was not available to control a route, a cavalry unit might be substituted, as occurred at Aalen in Raetia and at Linz in Noricum" (p.28 ).
Interestingly, like many legionary fortresses, Aalen lay some way behind the limes. There were, of course, other units nearby, chiefly mixed cohortes equitatae.
