Roman Cavalry

TheAzn · Post by **TheAzn** » Fri May 07, 2010 10:03 pm

I know that this is probably the wrong forum to discuss this, but I want to know the answer.

For the Roman cavalry, did each person have multiple horses like what the nomads have, or did the Romans only have one horse for one cavalryman?

And if you can, please do provide some sources.

Thank you

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Sun May 09, 2010 5:21 am

I think you will have to specify the period to get an answer. The early Republican cavalry was organised differently from the more professional cavalry of later times. Late Roman armies were different again.

TheAzn · Post by **TheAzn** » Sun May 09, 2010 7:02 am

Bede wrote:I think you will have to specify the period to get an answer. The early Republican cavalry was organised differently from the more professional cavalry of later times. Late Roman armies were different again.

I am looking at the time period between 0 to 220 A.D.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 10, 2010 12:43 am

Here are two books that might help you.

Karen R. Dixon and Pat Southern, The Roman Cavalry, 1992, (1997 paperback, Routledge).

Ann Hyland, Training the Roman Cavalry [From Arrian's Ars Tactica], 1993, Grange Books.

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 10, 2010 1:05 am

I have just had a quick read through The Roman Cavalry. In Chapter 9, Military Records and the Supply of Horses, it is noted that there was only one horse supplied per cavalryman and that sometimes there were not enough horses to go round.

A soldier was responsible for his horse and in the period you mentioned there was a standard value of 125 denarii deducted for the horse from his pay. There are records surviving from Dura Europos such as "Malchus Gora amisit equum" which means MG lost his horse. There were also laws preventing the export of military horses from the province.

I hope this helps. The book is full of references to original documents.

TheAzn · Post by **TheAzn** » Mon May 10, 2010 4:06 am

Bede wrote:I have just had a quick read through The Roman Cavalry. In Chapter 9, Military Records and the Supply of Horses, it is noted that there was only one horse supplied per cavalryman and that sometimes there were not enough horses to go round.

A soldier was responsible for his horse and in the period you mentioned there was a standard value of 125 denarii deducted for the horse from his pay. There are records surviving from Dura Europos such as "Malchus Gora amisit equum" which means MG lost his horse. There were also laws preventing the export of military horses from the province.

I hope this helps. The book is full of references to original documents.

Thanks Bede. So, this basically applies to all period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire, right?

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon May 10, 2010 12:18 pm

I read further and it seems that one horse per cavalryman was still current into the fifth century. I also found that they took the price of the horse's food out of the man's pay as well.

Hyarmendacil · Post by **Hyarmendacil** » Mon May 24, 2010 12:54 pm

For the later incarnations of the Roman army (especially after Diocletian's reforms--outside the period you mentioned, but you were also asking about whatever changes may have happened until the fall of the Western Empire, right?), you might want to check with the reenactment group COMITATVS and see if they could tell you about some detailed sources you could check out on the provision of horses for late Roman cavalry.

serindia · Post by **serindia** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 7:34 pm

I suggest you to read VII Report of Dura Europos, then, contact with Dr. Simon James, who works in University of Leicester. In this work, you will find many discoveries of the cataphract and relative discussions in the fortification of Dura Europos, Syria.