The Cavalry of the Roman Republic

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.

1. Cavalry Service and Elite Reputations: The Problem of the Citizen Cavalry's Disappearance 2. Assessing the Roman Cavalry's Military Effectiveness 3. Equipment and Tack 4. Roman Cavalry Tactics circa 300-100 5. Combat Motivation: Cavalry Service and Elite Reputations 6. Dating the Disappearance of the Citizen Cavalry Corps 7. Alternative Sources of Prestige and the End of Citizen Cavalry Service Conclusion Appendix 1. Diagrams of the Battles of Cannae and Zama Appendix 2. Roman Cavalry Formations: Some Considerations Appendix 3. The Size of the Cavalry Class and the Burden of Cavalry Service before the Social War Bibliography