Roman Cavalry

Cavalry, although never replacing infantry as the mainstay of the Roman army, could provide useful cover on the flanks of armies, could be used as a shock tactic to cause disruption to enemy infantry formations, and could pursue an enemy during the confusion of retreat. Consequently, many an ancient battle was won or lost depending on the performance of mounted soldiers. Increasingly employed over the centuries, riders also diversified so that cavalry types ranged from lightly-armoured mounted archers to heavy cavalry with lances where both rider and horse wore metal armour to leave no part of the body exposed. Cavalry also became especially useful in the later Roman period when it became necessary to patrol increasingly contentious border states.