The Cavalry of the Roman Republic

Download or read book The Cavalry of the Roman Republic written by Jeremiah B. McCall and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2005-06-29 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this original and revealing work, Jeremiah B. McCall challenges the generally accepted view of the Roman cavalry and explores the fundamental connections between war and society in republican Rome, c.300-100 BC. McCall describes the citizen cavalry's equipment, tactics, and motivation in battle, and argues for its effectiveness in the field. This success is proof that it cannot finally have been disbanded for purely military reasons; he shows that victories in the law-courts, and lavish displays of wealth, came to supersede cavalry service as a way of building the reputations of the Roman elite. The clear structure and fresh approach of the book, combining insights from both Roman military and social history, will be useful to readers at all levels of study.