The Roman Army - Equites Legionis Roman Cavalry - AD 43

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Although most Roman cavalry was generally made up of noncitizens from the various Roman provinces, the Equites Legionis were Roman citizen units assigned directly to a Legion. Varying in strength from 120 to 1,000 men (depending on campaign requirements), they were used to patrol, act as scouts and messengers and provide a mobile defensive screen while the legion was massing in battle array. These Roman units, under the command of a Roman Praefectus Equitum, were divided into standard turmae (squadrons of 32 horsemen, each under the command of a Roman decurion (officer)). The model depicts an unmounted Equites Legionis cavalryman from the mid 1st century AD. He wears a contemporary Cavalry Type 'A' Weiler helmet, lorica hamata (chain mail) armor with laminated plate shoulder guards, leggings (braccae) and scarf to prevent leg and neck chaffing, and the cavalry 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 Auxilliary shield. His horse, measuring 14 hands (52 inches) high at the withers, 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 #battle #cavalry #cavalry_helmet #equites_legionis #Galea #helmet #Legion #Legionary #legionary_helmet #military #Roman #Roman_helmet #Rome #Soldier #war #warrior