EQUITES (Lat. eques, a horseman), originally a division of the Roman army, but subsequently a political order. Romulus is said to have instituted a patrician cavalry corps, consisting of three centuriae ("hundreds"), called after the three tribes from which they were taken (Ramnes, Tities, Luceres). Servius Tullius found six centuries in existence, to which he added 12, including plebe ians, making 18 in all, a number which remained unchanged throughout the republican period. In the early constitution the equites had the privilege of leading the voting, but after 220 B.C. the centuria praerogativa, which enjoyed that right, was selected by lot from the equites and the prima classis.
As the demands upon the services of the cavalry increased, it was decided to supplement the regulars by the enrolment of wealthy citizens who kept horses of their own. The origin of these equites equo privato dates back, according to Livy (v. 7), to the siege of Veii, when a number of young men came forward and offered their services. In later times vacancies in the ranks were filled in this manner, with the result that service in the cavalry, with either a public or a private horse, became obligatory upon all Roman citizens possessed of a certain income. Thus, at a comparatively early period, three classes of equites may be distinguished : (a) The patrician equites equo publico of the sex suffragia; (b) the plebeian equites in the twelve remaining centuries; (c) the equites equo privato, both patrician and plebeian.
The equites were chosen by the curiae, then in succession by the kings, by the consuls, and (after 443 B.C.) by the censors, by whom they were reviewed every five years in the Forum. Those whose physique and character, horses, and equipments were satis factory, were bidden to lead their horse on (traducere equum), those who failed to pass the scrutiny were expelled from the corps. This inspection (recognitio) must not be confounded with the procession (transvectio) on July 15 from the temple of Mars to the temple of Castor, to commemorate the miraculous inter vention of Castor and Pollux at the battle of Lake Regillus. In spection and procession were discontinued before the end of the republic, but revived and combined by Augustus.
In theory, the twelve plebeian centuries were open to all free born youths of the age of seventeen, although in practice prefer ence was given to the members of the older families. Other re quirements were sound health, high moral character and an honourable calling. At the beginning of the republican period senators were included in the equestrian centuries. The only definite information as to the amount of fortune necessary for an eques refers to later republican and early imperial times, when it is known to have been 400,000 sesterces (about £3,500 to £4,000). The insignia of the equites were at first military—such as the purple-edged, short military cloak (trabea).
As the equites monopolized the farming of the taxes, they came to be regarded as identical with the publicani not, as Pliny re marks, because any particular rank was necessary to secure a con cession for farming the taxes, but because such an occupation was beyond the reach of all except those who were possessed of considerable means. At the time of the Gracchi, these equites publicani formed a close financial corporation, keenly alive to their own interests. Although looked down upon by the senate, they had as a rule sided with it, as less hostile to them than the democratic party. To obtain the support of the capitalists, Gaius Gracchus handed over to them the control (a) of the jury-courts, and (b) of the revenues of Asia.
(a) Hitherto, the list of jurymen, civil and criminal, had been composed exclusively of senators. The result was that charges of corruption and extortion failed, when brought against members of that order, even in cases where there was little doubt of their guilt. Popular indignation rendered a change in the composition of the courts imperative. By the lex Sempronia (123 B.c.) the list was drawn from free men over thirty years of age, who must possess the equestrian census and must not be senators. This measure increased the burden of the provincials, whose only appeal lay to a body of men whose interests were identical with those of the publican. Provided he left the tax-gatherer alone, the governor might squeeze what he could out of the people, while on the other hand, if he were humanely disposed, it was dangerous for him to remonstrate.
(b) The taxes of Asia had formerly been paid by the inhabitants in a fixed sum. Gracchus ordered that the taxes should be in creased, and that the farming of them should be put up to auction at Rome. By this arrangement everything was left in the hands of the capitalists.
From this time the existence of the equestrian order was officially recognized. The ordo iudicum (the official title) and the ordo equester were regarded as identical. Certain privileges of the equites, the gold ring, special seats in the theatre and the narrow band on the tunic, were probably due to Gracchus.
In 82 B.C. Sulla restored the right of serving as iudices to the senate, to which he elevated 300 of the most influential equites, whose support he thus hoped to secure. By the lex Aurelia (7o B.e.) the iudices were chosen in equal numbers from senators, equites and tribuni aerarii (see AERARIUM), the last-named being closely connected with the equites. About this time the influence of the equestrian order reached its height, and Cicero's great ob ject was to reconcile it with the senate. In this he was successful at the time of the Catilinarian conspiracy. But the union did not last long; shortly afterwards the majority ranged themselves on the side of Julius Caesar, who did away with the tribuni aerarii as iudices, and replaced them by equites.
Augustus divided the equites into six turmae (troops), each under the command of a sevir, who was appointed by the emperor. During their term of command the seviri had to exhibit games (ludi sevirales). It is not known whether the turmae contained a fixed number of equites; Augustus certainly went far beyond the earlier figure of 1,800. Thus, Dionysius of Halicarnassus mentions 5,000 equites as taking part in a review at which he him self was present. The old insignia were retained and seats in the circus added to those in the theatre. The old recognitio was re placed by the probatio, conducted by the emperor assisted by an advisory board of senators. The ceremony was combined with a procession, which, like the earlier transvectio, took place on July Is. As in earlier times, offenders were punished by expulsion. The equites were required to serve in certain subordinate posts; e.g., the command of an auxiliary cohort, the tribunate of a legion, etc., on the nomination of the emperor. After this they were eligible for a number of positions, civil and military, chiefly those under the emperor's personal control. Their influence over taxation was greatly reduced, while their judicial authority increased owing to the imperial jealousy of the senate. Certain minor religious functions were reserved to them, and they were eligible for official posts of which it would have been unwise to deprive senators. The control of the imperial correspondence and purse was at first in the hands of freedmen and slaves. The Emperor Claudius entrusted certain posts connected with these to the equites; in the time of Hadrian this became the regular custom. Thus a civil career was open to the equites without the obligation of prelim inary military service, and the emperor was freed from the pernicious influence of freedmen. After the reign of Marcus Aurelius, equestrian officials were divided into : (a) viri eminen tissimi, the prefects of the praetorian guard ; (b) viri per f ec tissimi, the other prefects and the heads of the financial and secretarial departments; (c) viri egregii, first mentioned in the reign of Antoninus Pius, a title by right of the procurators generally. The power of the equites was at its highest in the time of Diocletian. After the transference of the capital to Constantinople, they sank to the position of a mere city-guard, under the control of the prefect of the watch. Their history may be said to end with the reign of Constantine the Great.
Mention may also be made of the equites singulares Augusti. The body-guard of Augustus, consisting of foreign soldiers (chiefly Germans and Batavians), abolished by Galba, was revived from the time of Trajan or Hadrian under the above title. It was chiefly recruited from the pick of the provincial cavalry, but contained some Roman citizens. It never left the city except to accompany the emperor. In the time of Severus, these equites were divided into two corps, each having its separate quarters, and was commanded by a tribune under the orders of the prefect of the praetorian guard. They were subsequently replaced by the protectores Augusti. See ROME : History.