The cataphractarii were soldiers of the cavalry protected by a metal or reinforced leather armour. Ancient romans discovered this kind of soldiers around the first century a.D., when they kept in contact with Sarmati Rossolani people, at the Danubian border.
This type of soldiers, in addition to the armor, were equipped with a very heavy spear, 3 meters and half long and handled with both hands. They did not use any shield, and their charges were quite slow, but unstoppable. The effect on the enemy was more psychological than physical.
It was Emperor Adrian who formed the first official unity of cataphractarii in the Roman army.
Bibliography: The Roman army by Chris McNab
Visualizzazione post con etichetta Cavalry. Mostra tutti i post
Visualizzazione post con etichetta Cavalry. Mostra tutti i post
giovedì 16 aprile 2020
lunedì 27 febbraio 2012
LEGIO'S EQUIRRIA EVENT
lunedì 20 settembre 2010
PHARSALUS TRAINING
Waiting for the Pharsalus battle reenactment, last training (19 sept 2010) was mainly based on the practice for that event.
Here are a few pictures of the training:
The two teams are positionating (G.Iulius Caesar's team on the top, Pompeus Magnus' team on the bottom of the picture)
Infantries are meeting on the battlefield while cavalries fight on the background (Caesar's cavalry supported by a reserve of infantry)
lunedì 2 novembre 2009
Optium Novum in Equitata cohorte habemus
Propter valorem demonstratum in Zamae victoria, auxiliaris Revus Cornelius Patavius optionis ordinem obtenuit. Gratulemur et leterum omnes!
For the valor showed in the victory of Zama auxiliaris Revo Morales gained the rank of Optio. Congrats and be happy!
Per il valore dimostrato nella vittoria di Zama, l'ausiliario Revo Morales ha ottenuto il grado di Optio. Ci congratuliamo e ci rallegriamo!
sabato 12 settembre 2009
EQUES NOVUS NUNTIO: GAUDETE!
I'm proud to include Revus Cornelius Patavius ((Revo Morales)) in the Cohors Equitata. He is the first new effective in this unit since the reorganization and we hope many recruits will follow his example. Welcome Revus!
venerdì 19 giugno 2009
Cavalry in the ancient Rome
The following is a short resume of a very complex matter: for better knowledge I suggest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_order
We plan to insert in this blog more detailed infos under the tag "Cavalry"
Cavalry starts in the regal period as the personal escort of the king. In the beginning only patricians can be knights, because they can afford an horse; in fact they constituted a social high-rank group, the equites.
Few later, equites were divided in the ones provided of an horse from the public resources (equus publicus) and the ones with an equus privatus (but refunded with public money in case of killing in action) .
In the republican period, at a certain point, also a part of the not patrician class had to be provided with a public horse to rise the number of equites. To be in this group was considered a sort of status symbol and the legend of an ethical supremacy of the knights, starts probably at this point.
On the other side we must admit that the role of the cavalry in the ancient battles was limited in comparison with infantry, at least until the late empire period. So the amount of equites in the army has always been relatively small.
In the late republican period and in the imperial one Romans started to recruit equites from the allied populations, but equipping them with roman horses, because they were better selected.
As far as the limits of the empire were enlarging, cavalry groups (vexillationes) became more important to grant mobility, presence and visibility.
After the matches with populations that largely employed the horses in battle (Parts, Sarmats) the roman cavalry began to rise in number of knights and to change equipment in a more heavy one, going toward the so called catafracts of the middle-age armies.
We plan to insert in this blog more detailed infos under the tag "Cavalry"
Cavalry starts in the regal period as the personal escort of the king. In the beginning only patricians can be knights, because they can afford an horse; in fact they constituted a social high-rank group, the equites.
Few later, equites were divided in the ones provided of an horse from the public resources (equus publicus) and the ones with an equus privatus (but refunded with public money in case of killing in action) .
In the republican period, at a certain point, also a part of the not patrician class had to be provided with a public horse to rise the number of equites. To be in this group was considered a sort of status symbol and the legend of an ethical supremacy of the knights, starts probably at this point.
On the other side we must admit that the role of the cavalry in the ancient battles was limited in comparison with infantry, at least until the late empire period. So the amount of equites in the army has always been relatively small.
In the late republican period and in the imperial one Romans started to recruit equites from the allied populations, but equipping them with roman horses, because they were better selected.
As far as the limits of the empire were enlarging, cavalry groups (vexillationes) became more important to grant mobility, presence and visibility.
After the matches with populations that largely employed the horses in battle (Parts, Sarmats) the roman cavalry began to rise in number of knights and to change equipment in a more heavy one, going toward the so called catafracts of the middle-age armies.
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