Content of cohortes equitatae

[C Aerius Lev]

Greetings!


I'm from Hungary, Dunaújváros (in the ancient: Intercisa, Pannonia Inferior) where I just now make a reenactment group. The unit what we want to present was a cohortes milliariae equitatae (cohortes I milliaria Hemesenorum), an archer unit (the soldiers were recruited from Hemesa, Syria). But we want to know that only archers served in a basically archer unit or maybe were there heavy infantrymen with spear and oval shield (clipeus)? And the cavalry? Were there only horse archers or heavy horsemen, too? Is there something information about this?


Thank for the help!
C. Aerius Lev.

[deprosagios]

Greetings!


I'm from Hungary, Dunaújváros (in the ancient: Intercisa, Pannonia Inferior) where I just now make a reenactment group. The unit what we want to present was a cohortes milliariae equitatae (cohortes I milliaria Hemesenorum), an archer unit (the soldiers were recruited from Hemesa, Syria). But we want to know that only archers served in a basically archer unit or maybe were there heavy infantrymen with spear and oval shield (clipeus)? And the cavalry? Were there only horse archers or heavy horsemen, too? Is there something information about this?


Thank for the help!
C. Aerius Lev.

A group of horsemen only was called "Ala"
A group of infantrymen only was called "cohors"
Logically, a "cohors equitata" should contain both infantry and cavalry (or this name would have no reason to be)
a group of archers (partly or only) was called "cohors sagitarriorum" (and your group is actually the "Cohors I Milliaria Hemesenorum Sagitarriorum", see here) : my thought (there could be a nice discussion about it) is that archers wheren't alone in this troop, just like horsemen ; so there should have been infantrymen, horsemen & archers... and I am not sure wether they were mounted or not (the all of them or some of them)