Equites Order
The second rank of Rome's property-based social classes, below the senators.
The equites (Latin: [ˈɛ.kʷɛs]; lit. 'horse' or 'cavalrymen', though sometimes referred to as "knights" in English) constituted the second of the property/social-based classes of ancient Rome, ranking below the senatorial class. A member of the equestrian order was known as an eques. During the Roman Kingdom and the first century of the Roman Republic, legionary cavalry was drawn from the wealthiest citizens, not exclusively patricians, who were expected to provide six centuriae (hundreds) of cavalry (300 horses for each consular legion). According to the Servian reforms of the 6th century BC, 12 more centuriae of cavalry were established, and these included non-patricians (plebeians).
- Class
- Equestrian Order
- Social Standing
- Wealthy Middle Class
Lore & Background
Around 300 BC the Samnite Wars obliged Rome to double the normal annual military levy from two to four legions, doubling the cavalry levy from 600 to 1,200 horses. Legionary cavalry started to recruit wealthier citizens from outside the 18 centuriae. These new recruits came from the first class of commoners in the Centuriate Assembly organisation, and were not granted the same privileges. By the time of the Second Punic War (218–202 BC), members of the first class of commoners could serve as cavalrymen, but they were not universally required to do so; the first class primarily served as heavy infantry. The presence of equites in the Roman cavalry diminished steadily in the period 200–88 BC as only equites could serve as the army's senior officers; as the number of legions proliferated fewer were available for ordinary cavalry service. After c. 88 BC, equites were no longer drafted into the legionary cavalry, as their military service had shifted to officer roles by the late Republic. They continued to supply the senior officers of the army throughout the Principate.
In Their Own Story
With the exception of the purely hereditary patricians, the equites were originally defined by a property threshold. The rank was passed from father to son, although members of the order who at the regular quinquennial (every five years) census no longer met the property requirement were usually removed from the order's rolls by the Roman censors. In the late republic, the property threshold stood at 50,000 denarii and was doubled to 100,000 by the emperor Augustus (sole rule 30 BC – 14 AD) – roughly the equivalent to the annual salaries of 450 contemporary legionaries. In the later republican period, Roman senators and their offspring became an unofficial elite within the equestrian order. Under Augustus, the senatorial elite was given formal status (as the ordo senatorius) with a higher wealth threshold (250,000 denarii, or the pay of 1,100 legionaries) and superior rank and privileges to ordinary equites.
Reader's Guide
During the Principate, equites filled the senior administrative and military posts of the imperial government. There was a clear division between jobs reserved for senators (the most senior) and those reserved for non-senatorial equites. But the career structure of both groups was broadly similar: a period of junior administrative posts in Rome or Roman Italy, followed by a period (normally a decade) of military service as a senior army officer, followed by senior administrative or military posts in the provinces. Senators and equites formed a tiny elite of under 10,000 members who monopolised political, military and economic power in an empire of about 60 million inhabitants. During the 3rd century AD, power shifted from the Italian aristocracy to a class of equites who had earned their membership by distinguished military service, often rising from the ranks: career military officers from the provinces (especially the Balkan provinces) who displaced the Italian aristocrats in the top military posts, and under Diocletian (ruled 284–305) from the top civilian positions also. This effectively reduced the Italian aristocracy to an idle, but immensely wealthy, group of landowners. During the 4th century, the status of equites was debased to insignificance by excessive grants of the rank.
Did You Know?
- The equites were originally defined by a property threshold; in the late republic it stood at 400,000 sesterces (100,000 denarii), a level that Augustus retained rather than doubling.
- During the Principate, equites and senators formed a tiny elite of under 10,000 members who monopolised political, military and economic power in an empire of about 60 million inhabitants.
- After c. 88 BC, equites were no longer drafted into the legionary cavalry, as their military service had shifted to officer roles by the late Republic.
- Under Diocletian (ruled 284–305), career military officers from the provinces displaced Italian aristocrats from top civilian positions as well as military posts.
- During the 4th century, the status of equites was debased to insignificance by excessive grants of the rank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Equites Order?
The Equites, or Knights, were a wealthy social class in Rome composed of merchants and bankers who stood between the common plebeians and the aristocratic Senate. Unlike traditional nobles who relied on land, these citizens accumulated their fortunes through trade, banking, and tax collection across the empire.
What powers or roles did the Equites hold?
Their primary influence stemmed from controlling Rome's finances, including public contracts for tax farming in the provinces and funding military campaigns. While they lacked formal legislative power initially, their economic leverage allowed them to sway political outcomes and support ambitious leaders like Julius Caesar.
How does the story of the Equites conclude?
The Order remained a powerful and active force throughout the transition from Republic to Empire, eventually gaining greater political integration under Augustus. Rather than disappearing, they evolved into a key pillar of imperial administration, managing finances alongside the Senate.
Why is the Equites Order important to Rome's history?
They served as the essential economic engine that funded wars and infrastructure, making them indispensable to any leader seeking power. Their rise highlighted the shifting dynamics of Roman society, where wealth generated from commerce began to challenge the dominance of hereditary land-owning aristocrats.
How did the Equites relate to the Senate?
Relations were often strained because the wealthy knights sought political status that matched their economic might, frequently clashing with the conservative patrician elite. This tension led many Equestrians to align with populist leaders like Caesar who promised them greater influence in governance.