Auxiliary-horseman

Евсеенков А.С.

Among the auxiliary forces in the Roman army, cavalry was actively utilized. Auxilia, in addition to infantry archers and spearmen, had equestrian units. Often, the auxiliary cohorts were mixed and represented a combination of different types of troops.

On the battlefield, cavalry often served as light cavalry, meaning they did not engage the enemy directly but were used for reconnaissance and tactical swift strikes to the rear and flanks.

The equipment was likely similar to the traditional gear of roman cavalry. It is probable that auxiliaries did not use masks and had less costly equipment, although there are few distinguishing features between the equipment of auxiliary horsemen and equites in pictorial sources. Overall, auxiliaries, who were recruits from conquered tribes, were known to frequently use ethnic equipment such as shields, shirts instead of tunics, leg wrappings, and other elements.

Related topics

Equites-riders, Gladiator Equites, Roman equestrian equipment, Auxiliaries, Sagittarius, Auxilary-hastat