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The
Equites Taifali |
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A
Late Roman Cavalry Unit Stationed in Britain by
John Conyard |
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Every re-enactment season Comitatus operates not only as
historical interpreters but also as professional entertainers. That means we
put on shows that entertain hundreds of people. We largely rely on knowledge and skill, to demonstrate
things ordinary people can’t do. Soon we will be demonstrating a piece of
field artillery to give a whole new dimension to the displays. In past shows
we have worked alongside cavalry and riders organised by others. Horses add a
new dimension in terms of skill, speed and spectacle. It’s time for us to
organise our own cavalry. This will take some time to get right. We are good at
organising the cavalry, and using them in displays. But we need the riders,
equipment, horses and tack! The riders we can hire, and give members the
opportunity to have a go as well. The horses we can hire and get to know over
time. The tack we can hire with the horses, and patterns were provided in
Easter 2006 to allow our horse suppliers to start putting things together. But
I don’t expect authentic Roman tack by this August. We must be patient. The
cavalry equipment we can provide. There is really only one field cavalry unit
we can try and re-create from the army stationed in Britain in 400AD, the
Equites Taifali.
The Germanic Taifali joined a group of Goths, the
Greuthungi, under Farnobius in 377AD and fought in Illyricum. Modern writers
call the Greuthungi the Ostrogoths. Ammianus tells us Roman troops scattered
from these “unknown tribes” suggesting a fierce reputation. He further claims
“the Taifali are so sunk in gross sensuality that among them boys couple with
men in a union of unnatural lust ….but if a young man catches a boar
single-handed, or kills a huge bear, he is exempt thereafter from the
continuation of this lewd intercourse.” Ammianus calls Farnobius a “formidable troublemaker”,
but his force was wiped out in it’s first encounter with Romans sent by the
Western Emperor Gratian. The barbarians had slipped into Illyricum while
Frigeridus the Count of Illyricum was with the Roman army under Richomeres
fighting the Goths at Ad Salices in southeastern Romania. The battle was
inconclusive and Frigeridus needed to return to Illyricum to guard the passes
against the main Gothic army. Somewhere on his journey though the Succi
(Ihtiman) pass he encountered Farnobius and his band of Greuthungi and
Taifali. The “Pannonian and Transalpine auxiliaries” killed Farnobius, and
his army gave up. The Gothic and Taifali prisoners were sent to Italy to work
as farm labourers. These prisoners and their sons were perhaps used to form
the regiment Equites Taifali under the Emperor Honorius in 395/8AD. The
Notitia Dignitatum lists this unit under the command of the comes
Britanniarum, as part of the British field army. It could have been sent to
the Island by Stilicho in around 399AD to campaign in the north, alongside
such units as our very own Praesidiensis. However it has been suggested that
the Taifali and the Equites Honoriani Seniores, another regiment under the
command of the comes Britanniarum, should be read as a single entity, the
Equites Honoriani Taifali Seniores! The shield designs of the Notitia are taken from two
copies of the now lost original Codex Spirensis. The Oxford copy in the
Bodleian Library dates from around 1436, and the Munich copy from shortly
before 1550. The Oxford copy seems to be the most faithful. The shield design
of the Honoriani should be familiar to us, since their two light blue wolves
on a red background is used by Alan Larson on behalf of English Heritage. The
Taifali are given as a white background, red centre disk, light blue monster,
ball and centre spot. The design at first will be seen on very small buckers,
capable of both being carried in the left hand, and worn on the upper arm. In researching the Tailfali I was amazed at just how much could be reconstructed of their history. A regimental identity can be pieced together from the mists of time. By now I’m familiar with and rather proud of our legion, the Praesidiensis. Now we have something else to get used to! The first five years will be the worst!
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