Cavalry re-enactment

[Crispvs]

"Due to the long period of the Pax Romana many legionairies never got a chance to use their weapons in battle during their whole careers. "

Do you have evidence to back this statement up? Don't forget that the army was also responsible for patrolling, policing, dealing with bandits, escort duties ('riding shotgun' in old fashioned parlance), and putting down localised disturbances, not to mention extorting the local population. Lets also not forget that there are few times during the 'pax Romana' when there wasn't a major war either being prepared for, being fought or being recovered from. The halciyon period of the five good emperors is a good example. Although throughout the riegns of Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius life was good in Rome, during this period we also have Trajan's Dacian wars, the Bar Kochbar Revolt, The Marcomannic wars and war against the Chatti, to name only some of the most significant wars. There must have been plenty of military activity between these wars as well.

"I don't see why you need to fight a battle to display your military prowess when you can do so in your training practices"

Actually I agree with you on this. However I still don't think someone would be depicted in training on their final memorial. You are a soldier because sometimes fighting needs to be done. You train so that you can fight. You do not fight because you have trained. Training can never be an end in itself. It is the act of preparation. What must surely be depicted is a stylised form of the activity that preparation was intended to lead to.

"Besides, as I said earlier, the Strategikon recommends hunting as a way to train soldiers. The two aren't mutually exclusive. "

True, but I don't see any birds, pigs, deer or bears on the tombstones. I see fallen warriors being over-ridden.

Crispvs

[Theodosius the Great]

Do you have evidence to back this statement up?

Simple statistical probablity. It's highly unlikely that every legionary experienced at least one battle in his lifetime during the Pax Romana. Remember that for a long time the Rhine region had only 4 or 5 legions assignned to it after 69 AD.
Surely this is a reflection of diminished activity in that section where the tombstone is from.

The only major wars were highly localized and didn't effect other regions of the frontier. (BTW, I think some were nothing more than glorified police actions.)

Don't forget that the army was also responsible for patrolling, policing, dealing with bandits, escort duties ('riding shotgun' in old fashioned parlance), and putting down localised disturbances, not to mention extorting the local population.

Well, I didn't mean to imply that lack of war meant you had an uneventful career as a soldier but, nonetheless, the activities you mention would hardly warrant the depiction of a cavalryman trampling over a barbarian.
Remember the Roman attitude in dealing with Spartacus ? They felt there was nothing glorious about suppressing banditry or minor uprisings.

but I don't see any birds, pigs, deer or bears on the tombstones. I see fallen warriors being over-ridden.

Ok, so given the lack of animal depictions and your belief that the tombstone isn't a depiction of training, what do you think is being depicted ? Please explain what you mean by "a stylised form of the activity that preparation was intended to lead to. " Which "activity" ?

~Theo

[Tarbicus]

To be shown in need of training implies incompetence - not an expert, lacking in skill. I don't buy training on a tombstone as a means of commemorating a warrior, and I use the word 'warrior' deliberately.

[Theodosius the Great]

To be shown in need of training implies incompetence - not an expert, lacking in skill

Not at all. Everyone needs training to maintain his skills. Hadrian encouraged training everywhere he went within the empire. Was he insulting his men by displaying a lack of confidence ? No. Everyone needs to train constantly, otherwise your skill level deteriorates.

Let's look at a more modern example - boxers. They never stop training.

and I use the word 'warrior' deliberately

The barbarians were warriors. The Romans were soldiers.

Soldiers aren't warriors. The latter will always lose in a pitched battle against the former. A group of warriors constitutes nothing more than a mere rabble. Soldiers are trained to fight as a unit which gives them the cohesiveness or stamina that enables them to win pitched battles. Warriors fight as individuals and the Romans did not fight this way - unless they appear in Hollywood films :wink:

~Theo

[Ironhand]

The barbarians were warriors. The Romans were soldiers.

Soldiers aren't warriors. The latter will always lose in a pitched battle against the former. A group of warriors constitutes nothing more than a mere rabble. Soldiers are trained to fight as a unit which gives them the cohesiveness or stamina that enables them to win pitched battles. Warriors fight as individuals and the Romans did not fight this way - unless they appear in Hollywood films :wink:

Spoken like a true Roman. I could picture a Roman discussion sounding something similar. A touch of Roman pride thrown in. :roll: :lol: The barbarians couldn't have been that bad or Rome wouldn't have utilized them so extensively. Don't forget that "barbarians" learned from the Romans and adopted their strategies. I don't think you could call the Goths rabble. Even some of the Celtic groups such as the Gauls adapted.
Rome definately set a good example for soldiering, but its not like it was beyond the "barbarians" to adapt and utilize Roman techniques.

[Theodosius the Great]

Salvete,

Here are Roman sarcophagi displaying hunting scenes with an unarmored, caped legionary cavalryman :





~Theo

[Crispvs]

Nice find Theo,

However, I note that the horseman is indeed riding down a deer, with another one being caught by the man in front. There are no enemy warriors being ridden down. Thus you are right that these images from sarcophogi show hunting, but at the same time it suggests even more strongly that a solder shown riding down a fallen enemy warrior is being shown engaged in combat, not hunting.

Crispvs

[Marcus Hortensius Castus]

salve,

does anyone know of any recreation of early Roman cavalry of the Equestrian class? There seem to be plenty of auxiliary cavalry (though never enough) reenactors, but I am trying to determine the kit a Roman citizen cavalryman would have worn.
Thanks

[Praefectusclassis]

Actually, the 'boar hunt' is a very common scene on tombstones, it is one of the standard themes and would actually show the prey as well. We've just chosen not to incorporate them into the imagebase for now, although I do have photos.