Eques, équitis, pen. cor. com. gen. Plant. A horseman: a man of armes: among the Romaines a gentleman.Acies equitum.Tacit. Exercitus equitum. Virg.Turmæ equitum. Hor. Troupes of horsemen. Alarius eques.Tacit.A wing of horsemen.Egregij equites. Inuen. Infrænati equites. Liuius. They that haue no bridles on theyr horses.Loricati equites.Liu. Equitum aciem in collem erigere.Tacit.To bring vp the horsemen to the hill.Inducere equites in pugnam.Liu.Locare equites pro cornibus. Quint. To set the horsemen in the wings. Equites etiam iudices vocabantur, quia iudicum decuriæ ex Equestri ordine deligebantur. Sue. Equites ordini Senatorio dignitate proximi.Cic. Eques, pro ipso equo aliquando ponitur. Vir. A horse.Impositi dorso, atque equitem docuere sub armis Insultare solo & gressus glomerare superbos.
Lewis and Short: Latin dictionary
ĕquĕs, ĭtis, m. [id.], a horseman, rider.I. In gen.: it eques et plausu cava concutit ungula terram, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 419 ed. Vahlen); Liv. 26, 2; 28, 9; Dig. 9, 2, 57; Ov. F. 5, 700 (of Castor; cf. Hor. C. 1, 12, 26; id. S. 2, 1, 26); Hor. C. 4, 11, 27 (of Bellerophon; cf. id. ib. 3, 12, 8); id. Ep. 1, 2, 65; 1, 10, 38 al.—Poet. transf., of horse and rider: quadrupes, Enn. ap. Non. 106, 31; Gell. 18, 5; and Macr. S. 6, 9 (who, like the other ancient grammarians, consider eques = equus); cf. Enn. ed. Vahl. p. 37; imitated by Verg. G. 3, 116 Heyne.— Far more frequently, II. In partic. A. In milit. lang., a horse-soldier, trooper; opp. pedes, a foot-soldier, Caes. B. G. 1, 15, 3 (twice); 1, 18 fin.; 1, 23, 2 et saep.; opp. pedites, id. ib. 1, 48, 5; 2, 24, 1; 4, 33, 3 et saep.; opp. viri or homines, for pedites, Liv. 21, 27; 9, 19: equites singulares Augusti, v. singularis.—2.Meton. or collect., horse-soldiers, cavalry: plurimum in Aetolis equitibus praesidii fuit: is longe tum optimus eques in Graecia erat, Liv. 33, 7 fin.; 2, 20; 8, 38; Suet. Galb. 12; Flor. 2, 6, 13; Tac. A. 3, 46; 12, 29; id. H. 2, 89.— B. Equites, the order of knights, the Equites, who, among the Romans, held a middle rank between the Senate and the Plebs, consisting, under Romulus, of the 300 Celeres, but whose number, as early as the reign of Tullus Hostilius, had increased to 18 centuries. In the last centuries of the republic this order enjoyed great consideration and influence in the conduct of public affairs, in consequence of the wealth they acquired as farmers of the public taxes, as also by reason of the right to the administration of justice held by them after the year 632 A. U. C. (acc. to the lex Sempronia judiciaria), Liv. 1, 15; 30, 43; Cic. Rep. 2, 20; 22; id. Font. 8; id. Verr. 1, 13, 38; id. de Or. 2, 48 fin.; Plin. 33, 1, 7, 29 sq.; Cic. Clu. 55, 152; id. Rosc. Com. 14 fin.; id. Fl. 2, 4; id. Phil. 7, 6; Caes. B. C. 1, 23, 2; Sall. J. 65, 2; Ov. Am. 1, 3, 8; id. F. 4, 293; Hor. C. 1, 20, 5; 3, 16, 20; id. S. 1, 10, 76 et saep.; cf. Dict. of Antiq., art. Equites. —2. In the sing. collect., the equestrian order: senatores, eques, miles, Tac. A. 15, 48; 1, 7; 4, 74; Suet. Aug. 34; id. Calig. 26; id. Vesp. 9; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 185; Mart. 8, 15 al.