equites

1 9.9

A wealthy Roman class below senators who often served as soldiers on horses

noun
/ˈɛkwɪteɪz/

Archaic

: equites

The equites gained wealth through trade and often held important government positions in ancient Rome.

Examples

The equites played a crucial role in the Roman army.
The equites were known for their influence in politics and their wealth from various businesses in ancient Rome.
Unlike senators, the equites could engage in business and finance without restriction.
Archaeologists discovered inscriptions honoring several prominent equites from the first century BCE.
Many equites owned vast estates across Italy.
In ancient Rome, the equites provided horses for the military and were seen as a prestigious class.
Many wealthy families in Rome sought to elevate their status by aligning with the equites, who were crucial for local governance.

Synonyms

aristoi

vsequites

Literature

1 9.9

A privileged group with social and political power

is the Roman class with a defined rank below senators and cavalry origins

Surface Forms

equites singular

equites plural

Etymology

The word equites comes from the Latin root equus, which means 'horse', and it originally named Roman horsemen or soldiers on horses, a root you can also see in English equestrian. Later the word came to mean a rich and powerful Roman class made up of these horse riders, so thinking of equites as 'horse people' helps explain why they had wealth and power.