roman cavalry

[sicarii sam]

Im aware that most of the cavalry operations were run by auxillaries but what was the makeup and duties of the citizen cavalry, what numbers did they have inside the legion and how did their rankings take place ? were all cavalry of equestrian rank ? Thanks. I love this board.

[drsrob]

Im aware that most of the cavalry operations were run by auxillaries but what was the makeup and duties of the citizen cavalry, what numbers did they have inside the legion and how did their rankings take place ? were all cavalry of equestrian rank ? Thanks. I love this board.

According to Polybius in 160 BC each legion had 300 citizen-cavalry attached to it. They were organized in 10 turmae of 30 men. Each was commanded by three(!) decuriones of which the senior commanded the whole turma. They were recruited from the equites or Knights, who formed a seperate census class of probably 400.000 asses. I will not go into the earlier history of the citizen cavalry, but from the 1st century AD they were no longer called upon to serve. The last mention of citizen-cavalry dates from the Jugurthian War (ca. 105 BC)
Though the army of Pompey at Pharsalus did have - exceptionally - a compliment of citizen cavalry.
In the 1st century AD legionary cavalry reappeared, but now recruited from the ranks. According to Josephus in AD 69 each legion in Judea had 120 cavalry. Epigraphical evidence suggests that they had vexillarii, optiones and tesserarii. Decuriones are not known and it seams they were kept on the rolls of their former centuria.

[hoplite14gr]

If I belive my school text book that does not verify its references, the republican legion had 3000 footmen and 300 horsemen.
The number of 300 horsemen is recorded though in Classical Greek city states including Italiotic colonies. I can only speculate if possibly influenced the Romans in any way. Perhaps more scholarly members can give more informed opinions.
Kind regards
Stefanos

[drsrob]

If I belive my school text book that does not verify its references, the republican legion had 3000 footmen and 300 horsemen.
The number of 300 horsemen is recorded though in Classical Greek city states including Italiotic colonies. I can only speculate if possibly influenced the Romans in any way. Perhaps more scholarly members can give more informed opinions.
Kind regards
Stefanos

That refers to the Romulian legion. In the regal period, before Servius Tullius, the Roman people were divided into 30 curiae. Each had to supply 100 footsoldiers and 10 cavalrymen. This would make a total force of 3000 infantry and 300 cavalry.
This is entirely plausible for the early period. They would have formed a hoplite phalanx and be armed in Greek fashion with spear and clipeus. the units of 100 men would surely be called centuriae as the word is similar in form to curia and has a similar meaning.

• curia = co-viria = gathering of men
  centuria = cento - viria = group of hundred men

The centurio would also date from the same period, just like the curio (elected leader of the curia).

In the same way the 10 equites would have formed a decuria under a decurio. It is however not certain that they really were cavalry at this early date. The archaic hoplite army generally did not include cavalry. The Spartans had an elite force of 300 hippeis, but they were not cavalry. Also Romulus was said to have had a bodyguard of 300 celeres who served in time of war and peace. They must have been the same men as the equites as it is extremely unlikely that both bodies existed at the same time and were not mentioned by the same sources.
If they were the same, it was more likely that they were a bodyguard like the Spartan hippeis than a cavalry force.
Combining the sparce evidence about the celeres and early cavalry I would postulate that the decuriae formed single files and that for ease of manoeuvring they were divided into three parts or tribus, each commanded by a tribunus (celerum) which office retained a shadowy existence during the republic. The tribus were called Tities, Ramnes and Luceres.

[hoplite14gr]

Thanks Rob. Very enlightening.
Your post seems to agree with my theory that arround the late Bronze to early Archaic age, communities did an effort to field 300 cavalrymen or 300 picked men who would also served other functions too. It developed diferently for each people or locality dependng on need and necesity..
Thanks again, kind regards
Stefanos

[L C Cinna]

If you are interested in Roman cavalry I would read Junkelmann's books. the best on the topic I found so far.

[drsrob]

There are several good books on the Roman cavalry but almost none on the republican cavalry. Most books treat that subject as an intrroduction to the imperial cavalry only.

One Exception:

• J.B. McCall, The Cavalry of the Roman Republic, London and New York 2002.

But even this has little to say on the period before 300 BC.