Roman Cavalry - Sea Travel

[Branch]

For my first post, I have a question concerning the Roman cavalry.

 

Has anyone come across any references to the movement of Roman cavalry on the Mediterranean Sea? I'm interested in any references to the transport of horses on ships - if it took place, the types of ships used, and potential problems.

 

I'm particularly interested in the time period around 130AD. I've searched through Dixon and Southern's The Roman Cavalry but haven't found anything.

 

Thanks for any help.

[Germanicus]

Transport of Cavalry certainly took place regularly. The below is from Book 4, chapter 22 onwards in Caesars Gallic wars, so concerns Cavalry transport over the channel, rather than the mediterranean:

 

Having collected together, and provided about eighty transport ships, as many as he thought necessary for conveying over two legions, he assigned such [ships] of war as he had besides to the quaestor, his lieutenants, and officers of cavalry. There were in addition to these eighteen ships of burden which were prevented, eight miles from that place, by winds, from being able to reach the same port. These he distributed among the horse; the rest of the army, he delivered to Q. Titurius Sabinus and L. Aurunculeius Cotta, his lieutenants, to lead into the territories of the Menapii and those cantons of the Morini from which embassadors had not come to him.

 

Also this:-

 

These matters being arranged, finding the weather favorable for his voyage, he set sail about the third watch, and ordered the horse to march forward to the further port, and there embark and follow him

 

And this:-

 

A peace being established by these proceedings four days after we had come into Britain, the eighteen ships, to which reference has been made above, and which conveyed the cavalry, set sail from the upper port with a gentle gale, when, however, they were approaching Britain and were seen from the camp, so great a storm suddenly arose that none of them could maintain their course at sea; and some were taken back to the same port from which they had started; - others, to their great danger, were driven to the lower part of the island, nearer to the west; which, however, after having cast anchor, as they were getting filled with water, put out to sea through necessity in a stormy night, and made for the continent.

 

No references to problems specific to cavalry transport however, aside from the problems generally associated with sea travel - ie - unpredictable weather.

 

I dare say "The Civil War" would have similar references to transport of cavalry from Brundisium, but have not the time right now to check.

[Branch]

Thank you Germanicus - especially for taking the time to quote the references. I've found some full-text translations of "The Civil War" online and am searching it through.

 

Using your reference as a starting point I found some interesting sites for anyone interested in this topic:

 

This one gives some interesting details about the Cavalry in Britain plus the estimate "that one cavalryman with horse takes the same space as 4 or 5 infantrymen" on a transport ship -

Fell Pony Museum - Romans

 

I also came across this site Navis Romana that is under construction but if completed promises to be an excellent source for archaeological information on Roman era ships.

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

Wow, those two sites are certainly cool.

[Pantagathus]

Welcome Branch,

 

They certainly would have been transported in merchantmen vessels, i.e 'round ships' or 'tubs'. Not in Pentekonters, Triremes or any "beaked" warship. Probably why you see in one of those references that they embarked from a seperate location.

 

Ancient merchantmen vessels could haul quite a suprisingly large burden. Not matched again really until the 15th Century of our era... If I'm working out a sample tonnage in my head correctly (so don't hold me to this) I would say that you could get upwards a 500 member calvary in one.

 

If you are looking for offline references as well, I highly recommend Lionel Casson's book Ships & Seamanship of the Ancient World. Quite the best resource offered in the field in my opinion as he goes beyond the ships themselves and covers elements like crew terminology, cargo set ups, etc...

[Branch]

I came across a couple of references to Casson's book online - thanks for the recommendation.

 

I've requested one of Casson's books from the local library and I'm probably going to buy Ships and Seamanship of the Ancient World - from all the reviews I've read it is supposed to have great descriptions and illustrations backed by archaeological and historical evidence.

[Qvintus]

I came across a couple of references to Casson's book online - thanks for the recommendation.

 

I've requested one of Casson's books from the local library and I'm probably going to buy Ships and Seamanship of the Ancient World - from all the reviews I've read it is supposed to have great descriptions and illustrations backed by archaeological and historical evidence.

Ave Branch!!

 

Ive just read " the punic wars" by Adrian Goldsworhty and there he mentioned that Scipio during the invasion of Carthage, in the sekond war transported his cavallry by sea. This was 202 bc I think.

 

Vale

[Pantagathus]

I came across a couple of references to Casson's book online - thanks for the recommendation.

 

I've requested one of Casson's books from the local library and I'm probably going to buy Ships and Seamanship of the Ancient World - from all the reviews I've read it is supposed to have great descriptions and illustrations backed by archaeological and historical evidence.

 

You're welcome

 

Though Ancient Mariners is his classic per say, Ships and Seamanship of the Ancient World is much more indepth. I own both but if I could only choose one, there is no question. It is quite the difinitive source & yes, the illustrations are very thorough.