Elite Formations of Roman Army

[Antek]

Ave!
I'm wondering if any of you knows something more about equites singulares, because all I know is that they were a part of Roman province governor's elite guard. I also know that they were recruited from the northern parts of the Empire, but also from Greece, in peak period their numbers were oscillated around 2000 men. They were disbanded after the battle at the Mulvian Bridge. Does any of you (I'm sure about that) know anything more about them? Fore example anything about their battle tactic or weapon.

I also suggest to make this topic a discussion theme about interesting troops in Roman army. Maybe somebody has some more ideas or suggestions?

[Ti Cl Nero]

Hi
As for the battle role, their duty appears to have been as close guard of the governor, and possibly as tactical reserve.
Arrian (governor of Cappadocia under Hadrian) mentions equites singulares among " the troops destined in battle to allow him to deal with any emergencies that may come to his attention "(Speidel, "Guards of the roman armies", 1978).
Tacitus while describing Cerialis' order of battle in 70AD (Hist. V,16) mentions that "dux sibi delectos retinuerat ad improvisa" ("the commander kept picked men close to him ready to face sudden developments") - this describes well the duty of "bodyguard" units as equites singulares were supposed to be.
Papyrus P.Ross.Georg. III,1, 3rd c. AD, mentions 15 singulares killed in battle, which shows that sometimes they actually needed to engage fight in battle - here they were the personal guards of the Praefectus Aegypti.
Talking about weapons: Flavius Josephus (BJ III, 95-97, 120) may help here.
According to Speidel's translation of Josephus' text, he would mention that "the select cavalry, forming the general escort, are armed in precisely the same manner as the ordinary troopers in the alae", while talking about pedites singulares, Josephus seems to descirbe infantry bodyguards' weapons as similar to those of auxiliary troops (he use the same terms "logkè" and "aspìs") as opposed to legionary weapons.
Generally speaking, if Speidel is right, it seems that in both cases Josephus meant to stress the fact that singulares' weapons were the same of auxiliary troops.
Just a possibility, anyway - maybe a likely one.
Vale

[Praefectusclassis]

Two books by Speidel are relevant here:
MP Speidel, Riding for Caesar (Cambridge, MA 1994) (eq sing Aug)
MP Speidel, Guards of the Roman armies (Bonn 1978) singulares of the provinces.