08-23-2002, 09:59 AM
Salve,<br>
<br>
Roman republican legions were assigned 200 to 300 citizen cavalry. The legionary cavalry gradually disappeared in the late republican era and in the imperial army legionary cavalry reappeared, though differently from that of the republican era. There are but two more or less reliable indications available for their strength in early imperial times, with some circumstantial evidence. Josephus mentions that one hundred twenty horsemen were attached to a legion in his description of the Roman march order, while a papyrus from the reign of Diocletianus lists, if I recall correctly, 99 ration units for the <i> promoti</i> of II <i> Traiana</i>. The twohundred <i> soomatophylakes</i> in the <i> Ektaxis</i> are regarded by Pavkovic and Speidel to have been legionary <i> equites protectores</i>, the strength explained by being that of one full strength legion and a lesser number for the incomplete other one.<br>
<br>
There are various types of legionary horsemen recorded in the imperial army such as <i> equites legionis</i>, <i> speculatores</i>, <i> stratores</i>, <i> singulares</i> and later on <i> equites promoti</i>, <i> equites protectores</i> and <i> equites stablesiani</i>. The <i> frumentarii</i> were also probably mounted. It is unclear to what extent these categories overlapped and whether they are to be counted into the total of the legionary cavalry given by Josephus or that such troopers were additional to that number.<br>
<br>
Legionary horsemen of the imperial army likely formed an elite. Though promotion and employment in the Roman army depended as much on patronage and outright bribery as on any qualities, it appears nevertheless that the citizen cavalry was tasked with important duties. Their complement served as bodyguards (<i> singulares</i>, <i> protectores</i>) to senior officers, trained auxiliary guard cavalry (<i> centuriones exercitatores</i>), was transferred to the <i> alae</i> to serve as cadre (eg appointment of Tiberius Claudius Maximus as <i> duplicarius alae</i>) and supervised the supply of horses to the army. Several of these tasks would have removed these soldiers from their parent unit on detached duty. Thus it is possible that the strength of the legionary cavalry attested by Josephus is not the complete number of troops. On the other hand it can be argued that men were recalled from their duties to serve in the ranks when a unit was mobilised for all out warfare.<br>
<br>
Vegetius, <i> Epitoma</i> 2.6, assigns a much larger number of troopers to the legion, 66 for the nine quingenary cohorts of his <i> legio antiqua</i> and 132 for the milliary first cohort for a total of 726 troopers, though the text mentions 730. His description of the legionary cavalryman's organisation does not match the record from inscriptions and papyri, and this is regarded as an indication that his reconstruction may be flawed. Nevertheless the legionary organisation has been variously ascribed to the reign of emperors in the second to third century, Gallienus notably being favoured for his assumed expansion of the Roman cavalry. The authenticity of the <i> legio antiqua</i> of Vegetius is disputed though, with some scholars arguing that it is a fictional reconstruction composed by the author from incomplete information. See also this thread.<br>
<br>
<br>
<i> Bellum Judaicum</i>, 3.115-126<br>
<br>
<i> Ouespasianos de hoormèmenos autos embalein eis tèn Galilaian exelaunei tès Ptolemaidos diataxas tèn stratian hodeuein katha Rhoomaiois ethos. Tous men ge psilous toon epikouroon kai toxotas proagein ekeleusen, hoos anakoptoien tas exapinaious toon polemioon epidromas kai diereunooien tas hupoptous kai lochasthai dynamenas hylas, hois eipeto kai Rhoomaioon hoplitikè moipa, pezoi kai hippeis. Toutois aph'hekastès hehekatontarchias èkolouthoun deka tèn te heautoon skeuèn kai ta metra tès parembolès pherontes, kai met'autous hodopoioi ta te skolia tès leoophorou kateuthynein kai chthamaloun ta dysbata kai tas empodious hylas proanakoptein, hoos mè talaipooroito dysporoun ta strateuma. Katopin de toutoon tas te idias kai tas toon hyp' auton hègemonoon etaxen aposkeuas kai sychnous epi toutois pros asphaleian toon hippeoon. Meth'hous autos exèlaunen tous te epilektous toon pezoon kai hippeoon kai tous lonchophorous echoon. Heipetod'autooi to idion tou tagmatos hippikon, idioi gar hekastou tagmatos eikosi pros tois hekaton hippeis. Toutois d'èkolouthoun hoi tas helepoleis pherontes oreis kai ta loipa mèchanèmata. Meta toutous hègemones te kai speiroon eparchoi syn chiliarchois, epilektous peri sphas stratiootas echontes. Epeita hai sèmaiai periischousai ton aeton, hos pantos archei Rhoomaiois tagamtos, basileus te oioonoon hapantoon kai alkimootatos oon: ho dè kai tès hègemonias tekmèrion autois kai klèidoon, eph'hous an ioosin, tou kratèsein dokei. Tois de hierois èkolouthoun hoi salpinktai, kai katopin autoon hè phalanx to stiphos eis hex platynasa. Toutois pareipeto tis hekatontarchos ex ethous tèn taxin episkopoumenos. To d'oiketion hekastou tagmatos hapan tois pezois heipeto, tas aposkeuas toon stratiootoon epi tois oreusin kai tois hypozygiois agontes. Katopin de pantoon toon tagmatoon ho misthios ochlos, hois ouragoi pros asphaleian èkolouthoun pezoi te kai hoplitai kai toon hippeoon sychnoi.</i><br>
<br>
'Vespasian though, impatient to advance into Galilea himself, marched out to Ptolemais having deployed the army for marching according to the Roman custom. The light armed from the auxiliaries and the archers he sent out to march ahead, in order to repel the sudden assaults of the enemies and to clear suspected woods for ambushes. And a heavy armed force of Romans followed them, both foot and horse. Following these came ten men selected from each century carrying their own kit and the measuring instruments for the camp, and behind them the pioneers to remove the obstacles of the marching route, level the uneven parts of the ground and cut away impeding bushes, so the army would not have a tiresome and difficult march. Behind them he placed his own baggage and that of the commanders around him with a strong guard of horsemen. Behind them he rode himself with the picked troops of the infantry and cavalry and the javelineers. Behind him the organic cavalry force of the legion, for there are one hundred and twenty cavalrymen of their own for each legion. The mules carrying the siege towers and the other siege engines followed them. Behind them the generals and the commanders of cohorts with the tribunes with picked soldiers as an escort. Next the standards surrounding the eagle, that leads each Roman legion, because it is the king and the bravest of all birds: this they consider the symbol of power and a portent of victory over foes, whoever they might be. The trumpeters followed these sacred objects, and at their rear the compact formation of six abreast. A centurion marched along according to custom to oversee the formation. The attendant's corps of each legion followed the infantrymen, leading the soldiers baggage on mules and beasts of burden. Behind all the legions the mercenary corps, both heavy armed infantrymen and a considerable number of cavalry followed these as rearguards for safety.'<br>
<br>
<br>
For republican era citizen cavalry:<br>
<br>
McCall, J.B., <i> The cavalry of the Roman republic</i> (London 2001) 200p.<br>
<br>
There is a monograph on the subject of imperial legionary cavalry, which I haven't seen yet:<br>
<br>
Pavkovic, M.F., <i> The legionary horsemen: an essay on the equites legionis and equites promoti</i> (Ann Arbor 1992).<br>
<br>
Legionary <i> singulares</i> and <i> protectores</i>:<br>
<br>
Pavkovicz, M.F., 'Singulares legati legionis: guards of a legionary legate or a provincial governor?' in: <i> ZPE</i> 103 (1994), 223-228. (also available EzCode Parsing Error:=]online[)<br>
Pavkovic, M.F., 'A note on Arrian's Ektaxis kata Alanon' in: <i> AHB</i> 2.1 (1988), 21-23.<br>
<br>
Imperial legionary cavalry in battle:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., 'Legionary horsemen on campaigns' in: <i> Saalburg Jahrbuch</i> 47 (1994), 36-39.<br>
<br>
Legionary <i> speculatores</i>:<br>
<br>
Clauss, M., <i> </i> ().<br>
<br>
For auxiliary guards and legionary training officers:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., <i> Guards of the Roman armies</i> (Bonn 1978) 149p.<br>
Speidel, M.P., <i> Riding for Caesar. The Roman emperors' horse guard</i> (London 1994) 223p.<br>
<br>
On the <i> stratores</i> and <i> stablesiani</i>:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., 'Stablesiani. The raising of new cavalry units during the crisis of the Roman Empire' in: <i> Chiron</i> 4 (1974), 541-546.<br>
<br>
On tetrarchic legionary cavalry detachment:<br>
<br>
Duncan-Jones, R.P., 'Pay and numbers in Diocletian's army' in: <i> Chiron</i> 8 (1978), 541-560.<br>
<br>
I have got more extensive references on the subject at home and will post them later this weekend.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
<br>
Roman republican legions were assigned 200 to 300 citizen cavalry. The legionary cavalry gradually disappeared in the late republican era and in the imperial army legionary cavalry reappeared, though differently from that of the republican era. There are but two more or less reliable indications available for their strength in early imperial times, with some circumstantial evidence. Josephus mentions that one hundred twenty horsemen were attached to a legion in his description of the Roman march order, while a papyrus from the reign of Diocletianus lists, if I recall correctly, 99 ration units for the <i> promoti</i> of II <i> Traiana</i>. The twohundred <i> soomatophylakes</i> in the <i> Ektaxis</i> are regarded by Pavkovic and Speidel to have been legionary <i> equites protectores</i>, the strength explained by being that of one full strength legion and a lesser number for the incomplete other one.<br>
<br>
There are various types of legionary horsemen recorded in the imperial army such as <i> equites legionis</i>, <i> speculatores</i>, <i> stratores</i>, <i> singulares</i> and later on <i> equites promoti</i>, <i> equites protectores</i> and <i> equites stablesiani</i>. The <i> frumentarii</i> were also probably mounted. It is unclear to what extent these categories overlapped and whether they are to be counted into the total of the legionary cavalry given by Josephus or that such troopers were additional to that number.<br>
<br>
Legionary horsemen of the imperial army likely formed an elite. Though promotion and employment in the Roman army depended as much on patronage and outright bribery as on any qualities, it appears nevertheless that the citizen cavalry was tasked with important duties. Their complement served as bodyguards (<i> singulares</i>, <i> protectores</i>) to senior officers, trained auxiliary guard cavalry (<i> centuriones exercitatores</i>), was transferred to the <i> alae</i> to serve as cadre (eg appointment of Tiberius Claudius Maximus as <i> duplicarius alae</i>) and supervised the supply of horses to the army. Several of these tasks would have removed these soldiers from their parent unit on detached duty. Thus it is possible that the strength of the legionary cavalry attested by Josephus is not the complete number of troops. On the other hand it can be argued that men were recalled from their duties to serve in the ranks when a unit was mobilised for all out warfare.<br>
<br>
Vegetius, <i> Epitoma</i> 2.6, assigns a much larger number of troopers to the legion, 66 for the nine quingenary cohorts of his <i> legio antiqua</i> and 132 for the milliary first cohort for a total of 726 troopers, though the text mentions 730. His description of the legionary cavalryman's organisation does not match the record from inscriptions and papyri, and this is regarded as an indication that his reconstruction may be flawed. Nevertheless the legionary organisation has been variously ascribed to the reign of emperors in the second to third century, Gallienus notably being favoured for his assumed expansion of the Roman cavalry. The authenticity of the <i> legio antiqua</i> of Vegetius is disputed though, with some scholars arguing that it is a fictional reconstruction composed by the author from incomplete information. See also this thread.<br>
<br>
<br>
<i> Bellum Judaicum</i>, 3.115-126<br>
<br>
<i> Ouespasianos de hoormèmenos autos embalein eis tèn Galilaian exelaunei tès Ptolemaidos diataxas tèn stratian hodeuein katha Rhoomaiois ethos. Tous men ge psilous toon epikouroon kai toxotas proagein ekeleusen, hoos anakoptoien tas exapinaious toon polemioon epidromas kai diereunooien tas hupoptous kai lochasthai dynamenas hylas, hois eipeto kai Rhoomaioon hoplitikè moipa, pezoi kai hippeis. Toutois aph'hekastès hehekatontarchias èkolouthoun deka tèn te heautoon skeuèn kai ta metra tès parembolès pherontes, kai met'autous hodopoioi ta te skolia tès leoophorou kateuthynein kai chthamaloun ta dysbata kai tas empodious hylas proanakoptein, hoos mè talaipooroito dysporoun ta strateuma. Katopin de toutoon tas te idias kai tas toon hyp' auton hègemonoon etaxen aposkeuas kai sychnous epi toutois pros asphaleian toon hippeoon. Meth'hous autos exèlaunen tous te epilektous toon pezoon kai hippeoon kai tous lonchophorous echoon. Heipetod'autooi to idion tou tagmatos hippikon, idioi gar hekastou tagmatos eikosi pros tois hekaton hippeis. Toutois d'èkolouthoun hoi tas helepoleis pherontes oreis kai ta loipa mèchanèmata. Meta toutous hègemones te kai speiroon eparchoi syn chiliarchois, epilektous peri sphas stratiootas echontes. Epeita hai sèmaiai periischousai ton aeton, hos pantos archei Rhoomaiois tagamtos, basileus te oioonoon hapantoon kai alkimootatos oon: ho dè kai tès hègemonias tekmèrion autois kai klèidoon, eph'hous an ioosin, tou kratèsein dokei. Tois de hierois èkolouthoun hoi salpinktai, kai katopin autoon hè phalanx to stiphos eis hex platynasa. Toutois pareipeto tis hekatontarchos ex ethous tèn taxin episkopoumenos. To d'oiketion hekastou tagmatos hapan tois pezois heipeto, tas aposkeuas toon stratiootoon epi tois oreusin kai tois hypozygiois agontes. Katopin de pantoon toon tagmatoon ho misthios ochlos, hois ouragoi pros asphaleian èkolouthoun pezoi te kai hoplitai kai toon hippeoon sychnoi.</i><br>
<br>
'Vespasian though, impatient to advance into Galilea himself, marched out to Ptolemais having deployed the army for marching according to the Roman custom. The light armed from the auxiliaries and the archers he sent out to march ahead, in order to repel the sudden assaults of the enemies and to clear suspected woods for ambushes. And a heavy armed force of Romans followed them, both foot and horse. Following these came ten men selected from each century carrying their own kit and the measuring instruments for the camp, and behind them the pioneers to remove the obstacles of the marching route, level the uneven parts of the ground and cut away impeding bushes, so the army would not have a tiresome and difficult march. Behind them he placed his own baggage and that of the commanders around him with a strong guard of horsemen. Behind them he rode himself with the picked troops of the infantry and cavalry and the javelineers. Behind him the organic cavalry force of the legion, for there are one hundred and twenty cavalrymen of their own for each legion. The mules carrying the siege towers and the other siege engines followed them. Behind them the generals and the commanders of cohorts with the tribunes with picked soldiers as an escort. Next the standards surrounding the eagle, that leads each Roman legion, because it is the king and the bravest of all birds: this they consider the symbol of power and a portent of victory over foes, whoever they might be. The trumpeters followed these sacred objects, and at their rear the compact formation of six abreast. A centurion marched along according to custom to oversee the formation. The attendant's corps of each legion followed the infantrymen, leading the soldiers baggage on mules and beasts of burden. Behind all the legions the mercenary corps, both heavy armed infantrymen and a considerable number of cavalry followed these as rearguards for safety.'<br>
<br>
<br>
For republican era citizen cavalry:<br>
<br>
McCall, J.B., <i> The cavalry of the Roman republic</i> (London 2001) 200p.<br>
<br>
There is a monograph on the subject of imperial legionary cavalry, which I haven't seen yet:<br>
<br>
Pavkovic, M.F., <i> The legionary horsemen: an essay on the equites legionis and equites promoti</i> (Ann Arbor 1992).<br>
<br>
Legionary <i> singulares</i> and <i> protectores</i>:<br>
<br>
Pavkovicz, M.F., 'Singulares legati legionis: guards of a legionary legate or a provincial governor?' in: <i> ZPE</i> 103 (1994), 223-228. (also available EzCode Parsing Error:=]online[)<br>
Pavkovic, M.F., 'A note on Arrian's Ektaxis kata Alanon' in: <i> AHB</i> 2.1 (1988), 21-23.<br>
<br>
Imperial legionary cavalry in battle:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., 'Legionary horsemen on campaigns' in: <i> Saalburg Jahrbuch</i> 47 (1994), 36-39.<br>
<br>
Legionary <i> speculatores</i>:<br>
<br>
Clauss, M., <i> </i> ().<br>
<br>
For auxiliary guards and legionary training officers:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., <i> Guards of the Roman armies</i> (Bonn 1978) 149p.<br>
Speidel, M.P., <i> Riding for Caesar. The Roman emperors' horse guard</i> (London 1994) 223p.<br>
<br>
On the <i> stratores</i> and <i> stablesiani</i>:<br>
<br>
Speidel, M.P., 'Stablesiani. The raising of new cavalry units during the crisis of the Roman Empire' in: <i> Chiron</i> 4 (1974), 541-546.<br>
<br>
On tetrarchic legionary cavalry detachment:<br>
<br>
Duncan-Jones, R.P., 'Pay and numbers in Diocletian's army' in: <i> Chiron</i> 8 (1978), 541-560.<br>
<br>
I have got more extensive references on the subject at home and will post them later this weekend.<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
<br>
Sander van Dorst <p></p><i></i>
