Riding for Caesar: The Roman Emperor's Horse Guard [Paperback]

Michael P. Speidel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0674768981 | ISBN-13: 978-0674768987

Caesar praised them in his Commentaries. Trajan had them carved on his Column. Hadrian wrote poems about them. Well might these rulers have immortalized the horse guard, whose fortunes so closely kept pace with their own. Riding for Caesar follows these horsemen from their rally to rescue Caesar at Noviodunum in 52 B.C. to their last stand alongside Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. It offers a colorful picture of these horsemen in all their changing guises and duties--as the emperor's bodyguard or his parade troops, as a training school and officer's academy for the Roman army, or as a shock force in the endless wars of the second and third centuries. Written by one of the world's leading authorities on the Roman army, this history reveals the remarkable part the horse guard played in the fate of the Roman empire.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Only Michael Speidel could have written so thorough and expert an account of the horse guard's place in Roman military and political affairs from its inception under Julius Caesar until it was cashiered by Constantine...This authoritative and colorful history of the guard is crafted with meticulous scholarship, clearly written, and readily accessible to the non-specialist.
--David Cherry (Military History )

Speidel's exhaustive knowledge of the Roman army emerges on every page...Well researched, rich in new ideas, and attractively produced.
--Everett L. Wheeler (American Historical Review )

[Speidel] returns to his favorite subject with a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the topic...These troops were the actual protectors of the person of the Emperor, wherever he went, even closer than the Praetorian guard. Since proximity to the Emperor is an index of influence, these troops, though small in number and often of barbarian and provincial origin, had a tremendous influence. Their loyalty was far more impressive than even the Praetorian Guard, and promotion of individual horse guards usually led to influential centurionates in the regular legions. Inscriptions and funeral monuments are the principle sources, outside of the scattered literary texts and ancient military manuals; these are comprehensively handled in masterly fashion by Speidel...Highly recommended. (Choice )

Product Details

• Paperback: 244 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (March 25, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674768981
• ISBN-13: 978-0674768987
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,332,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book centers on the role of guard cavalry in the Roman army, June 3, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Las Vegas, Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding for Caesar: The Roman Emperors' Horse Guard (Hardcover)

Spiedel draws on a variety of source materials to give us a view of the role of gaurd cavalry in the overall Roman military system. What this reader sees as being of greatest value in the book, are the generally reasonable conclusions Spiedel offers concerning the evolving ethnic makeup of the gaurd cavalry units at certain times in the history of their existence, and the consequent ability of those units to function as a part of the Roman army. This aspect of Spiedel's work is particularly important in light of the fact that any history of Roman gaurd units must have something to say about the political context within which they originated and operated. A good and reasonable series of conclusions given the relative dearth of primary written materials.

3.0 out of 5 stars A good work, but is totally exaggerated the usefulness of this riders, January 20, 2010

By 

Fco Javier Morales Segura "Javi" (Madrid (Spain)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Riding for Caesar: The Roman Emperor's Horse Guard (Paperback)

The author express his praise for the work done by the imperial horse guards, as if they were very effective in their work, but the reality is very different. A very large number of rome emperors were killed by the praetorian guard or the army, and in none of these cases the Germani Corpores Custodi or later the Equites Singulares Augusti could prevent the killings. So their work were not very good.

5.0 out of 5 stars The Emporers Rough Riders, December 27, 2001

By 

Laurence Orr (Honolulu) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding for Caesar: The Roman Emperors' Horse Guard (Hardcover)

Prof. Speidel writes of the little known Germani Corporis Custodes, AKA the German (Batavi) imperial body guard horsemen; first hired by the Julio-Claudian Emporers. The Batavians one may recall were well known to Julius Caesar who first wrote of them in his book The Conquest of Gaul. The Batavi were sought after not only because they were foreigners but because they were the best riders in Europe at the time. The Horse Guard, later known as the Equites Sigularis Augusti (expanded), became the symbol of tyranical imperial rule and perhaps an appendage to the Pratorians or even protection from them. Speidel specificaly covers the "roughshod" riders of the 1st 2nd, and 3rd centuries in great detail with just enough historical overlay as is needed, and does not over fill his pages with exponet historical facts. The book continuously retains its focus topic and is a good read for the historical novice and perfect for the historicaly serious. The book contains descriptions of gallant exploits in combat as well as the humdrum daily drudgery of garrison duty.