The Roman Army - Auxiliary Cavalry - AD 9

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As Romans were never considered exceptionally good horsemen, and the role of the cavalry not as important in the Roman thought process, the Equitatus (cavalry) was generally made up of noncitizens, usually from the various Roman provinces. They were used as light skirmishing troops whose job was to patrol, act as scouts and messengers and to provide a mobile defensive screen while the legion was massing in battle array. Roman cavalry were divided into alae (units of 512 men under the command of a Praefectus Equitum), divided into 16 turmae (squadrons of 32 horsemen, each under the command of a decurion (officer)). The model shown depicts a Roman cavalryman and his horse from the early 1st century AD. He wears a helmet of Coolus type, along with a short lorica hamata (chain mail) armor and the common military caligae (military boot) fitted with spurs. His weapons consist of the long cavalry spatha (sword), long thrusting spear or lance (7 feet in length), and oval cavalry shield. His horse, measuring 13 hands (52 inches) high at the withers and typical for this time period, is equiped with the common 4-horned saddle adapted by the Romans from Celtic saddles developed around 300 BC. Behind the saddle is a quiver of short throwing javelins used as a secondary weapon after the thrusting spear. Thanks go to Maotri on whose models the cavalryman is based, to The Emperors Champion for use of his Roman road, and to my house for the horse model. #armor #army #auxilliary #battle #cavalry #cavalry_helmet #Galea #helmet #Legion #Legionary #legionary_helmet #military #Roman #Roman_helmet #Rome #Soldier #war #warrior