Need Information on Equestrian Rank in 1st Century

[Pointer]

Hello All...
I need some informational help on EQUESTRIAN RANKS in the 1st Century Roman Army. (Now here is what I am really asking for) Please keep it simple for a simple minded person who have a million other things on their mind and yet still desires to understand without being choked with twenty dollar words.

I Believe they were one step below Senator or Senatorial Rank?
They were allowed a thinner purple (What'cha'call'it) Stripe on their Tunic?
They had some type of wealth to put them at this rank?

Did they all have horses or as a part of the Cavalry?
What Rank of Officer would they be able to hold and for how long?

If a Reenactor was going for a certain "Impression" WIth a Muscle Cuirass... would this be the ranks he should be shooting for or Higher?
(Again, I may never actually be a reenactor, however I still want to remain as accurate as possible on all levels.) I don't think I would ever show up on someone's field or event in the Kit.

Your help in understanding this rank of Equestrian first... would be most helpful.

THank you!

Patrick

[D B Campbell]

Equestrians are the gentry, just like senators. The key difference was in the wealth qualification that Augustus set for each group. Senators had to be seriously rich; equestrians less so. At the end of the day, if the emperor liked you, he could give you the required cash that qualified you for senatorial status. Equally, there were equestrians who could probably have afforded senatorial status, but chose to dodge the onerous and time-consuming rigmarole of the senatorial career. (Domitian's praetorian prefect Cornelius Fuscus had apparently renounced his senatorial heritage for the sake of a quieter life!)

[Nathan Ross]

They were allowed a thinner purple (What'cha'call'it) Stripe on their Tunic?

The broad purple stripe (latus clavus) was the mark of a senator, the narrow one (angustus clavus) the mark of the equestrian order. The two different types of tribune in the legion were distinguished by these stripes.

Did they all have horses or as a part of the Cavalry?

The equestrian order started out as the Roman cavalry in the earlier republic, but later evolved into a military officer class. In fact most of their wealth came from trade (which was forbidden to senators), and a great many people gained equestrian status (and associated privileges) without gaining actual membership of the Ordo Eques... But as wealthy men, equestrians would surely have owned horses and known how to ride them.

What Rank of Officer would they be able to hold and for how long?

After Claudius, there was an established series of military positions for equestrians (called the tres militiae). In simple terms, an equestrian would start as prefect of an auxiliary cohort, then move on to tribune in a legion or a thousand-man auxiliary cohort, then serve as prefect of a cavalry regiment (ala). There was a fourth grade from Hadrian onwards, commanding a thousand-strong cavalry regiment. After this, equestrians could become procurators of provinces or commanders of fleets, and eventually rise to prefect of the grain supply in Rome, prefect of Egypt and Praetorian Prefect (the very top job).

We don't know how long each position was held for - three years or so seems a reasonable estimate. There was something called a 'six month tribune', but this was possibly an administrative or honorary post of some sort.

If a Reenactor was going for a certain "Impression" WIth a Muscle Cuirass... would this be the ranks he should be shooting for or Higher?

A muscle cuirass would be appropriate - equestrian officers would supply their own armour and equipment, and would be able to afford the best available.

[arklore70]

A couple of question scomes to mind.

1. Would it be appropite for a Equestrina Military Tribune to then wear a military tunic in the first century with angustus clavus? What about a Equestrian that entered in at the Centurionate, or a Centurion that qualified for Equestrian status?

2. While a Equestrain Tribune could certainly afford a musculata and the best availablbe equipment, would he have been limited to the musculata based on image and fashionable status, or would/could he have considered other options?

Thanks!

[arklore70]

A couple of questions comes to mind.

1. Would it be appropite for a Equestrina Military Tribune to then wear a military tunic in the first century with angustus clavus? What about a Equestrian that entered in at the Centurionate, or a Centurion that qualified for Equestrian status?

2. While a Equestrain Tribune could certainly afford a musculata and the best availablbe equipment, would he have been limited to the musculata based on image and fashionable status, or would/could he have considered other options?

Thanks!

[66kbm]

Jurjen or Moi could probablly help you....i think.
Kevin

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

He would most certainly have gone for scale as well.
I don't see why he would not go for mail as well,
there are findes of silvered mail, I understand.

[alekaras5811]

Salve,
Would a pleb legionary who reached the rank of Centurion become Equestrian or did he have to become a primes Pilus for that?

[Nathan Ross]

What about a Equestrian that entered in at the Centurionate, or a Centurion that qualified for Equestrian status?

As far as I know, the narrow purple stripe denoted equestrians generally, not just tribunes - so those centurions with equestrian status could have worn the angustus clavus too.

would he have been limited to the musculata based on image and fashionable status, or would/could he have considered other options?

There are only a few original depictions of tribunes, and those in armour wear the musculata. But there almost certainly wasn't a rule or expectation - they could wear whatever sort of armour they liked. Mail or scale would be quite likely too.

Would a pleb legionary who reached the rank of Centurion become Equestrian or did he have to become a primes Pilus for that?

A man who had served his year as Primus Pilus apparently received a bonus of around 600,000 sesterces (based on a dubious passage in Suetonius!) which would raise him into the wealth bracket for the equestrian class. This would enable him to serve in the higher ranks of the equestrian hierarchy as procurator etc, or give him and his family additional social prestige if he chose to retire to civilian life. Most men from the ranks who reached Primus Pilus would have been in their 50s or older, so few would have moved on to higher offices.

There's an inscription to the son of a primus pilus who joined the army directly as an equestrian auxiliary prefect aged only 18, so it's possible that this social distinction was often intended to benefit the next generation and boost them up the ladder.

[Vindex]

I'm not sure I can be very much help as Nathan has all the points covered, but it has frequently crossed my mind that actually riding in a musculata could be particularly uncomfortable compared to squamata or hamata. The reason for this is that the musculata is rigid and inflexible and does not allow the human body to follow the movement/manoeuvres (or antics, depending on the nag) of the horse...which is why you don't see representations of cavalrymen in segmentata (although that has more "give" than a musculata).

Also, if the musculata were to be of a design which dipped in front of the hips too far, this could potentially be eye watering when mounted... :twisted:

[arklore70]

Nathan, Byron and Moi,
thank you all for your responses. All very insightful and very informative.