The Roman Army, 31 BC–AD 337: A Sourcebook

42 The Roman Army
principalis, acting as clerk of a tribune, then as orderly (optio) in a
century, in his will ordered this to be constructed as a mark of esteem
and piety and in honour of Gaius Lucilius Secundus, his father, and
Lor[enia _ _ _ ], his mother, and [ _ _ _ ], his grandmother, out of the
2,000 sesterces he bequeathed.
Each praetorian cohort had a small number of cavalry attached to it; these
equites praetoriani numbered about 900 for the whole guard (Durry 1938:99–
100; Speidel 1965).
70 CIL 6. 2440=ILS 2077, inscription, Rome, 2nd C.AD
To the spirits of the departed, in honour of Lucius Naevius Paullinus,
son of Lucius, of the tribe Camilia, reservist of the Emperor, (who)
served as a cavalryman in the first praetorian cohort, orderly (optio) of
the cavalry, chief clerk (cornicularius) of a tribune, was on active service
for sixteen years, was a reservist for three years. Lucius Pessedius Agilis,
reservist of the emperor, set this up for his excellent friend.
71 CIL 6. 2601=ILS 2055, inscription, near Rome, 3rd C.AD
To the spirits of the departed, in honour of Aurelius Bitus, cavalryman
of the sixth praetorian cohort, of Thracian nationality, citizen of
Philippopolis, of more or less thirty-five years, who served seventeen
years as follows: in Legion I Italica, two years, in the second praetorian
cohort as an ordinary soldier, fourteen years; when promoted
cavalryman he served for ten months; Valerius Aulusanus, praetorian
guardsman, (set this up) to his most worthy and matchless brother.
The equites singulares Augusti or mounted imperial bodyguards were established
probably by the Flavians with an initial strength of 500, later rising to 1,000,
to provide élite cavalry support for the praetorians when they accompanied the
emperor on campaign. They were to the praetorian guard what the auxilia
were to the legions. The equites were recruited from auxiliary cavalry alae,
with a large proportion of men from Germany, Raetia, Noricum, and Pannonia;
they were divided into troops commanded by decurions under the overall charge
of a tribune, although the ultimate responsibility rested with the praetorian
prefects. The service conditions of the equites singulares Augusti were similar
to those of the auxilia, but their presence in Rome as an élite unit may have
increased the status of the auxiliaries in general (Speidel 1965).
72 CIL 6. 715=ILS 2184, inscription, Rome, AD 158
To the unconquered Sun god, in accordance with the vow undertaken,