Slitherine

Just a small question regarding the Roman Dominate army list.

I was wondering if anyone knows what the source is for the Equites Alani/Sciri/Taifali/Theodosiaci being armed with lances. My reading so far suggests that they were javelin armed - in effect no different from the usual Equites. No one knows (I think) how the Taifali were armed, and the Sciri were probably armed just like Visigoth/Ostrogoth cavalry - with javelins. The Alani certainly could have been, but I haven't found any source for the Theodosiaci.

Is it because some are listed as Comites in the Notitia Dignitatum, and so may be considered elite? Or is it just an assumption that all Germanic cavalry were armed with the lance.

Sorry for the spoddiness of the question - and if I've missed some obvious source I do apologise.

i understand that the lancer poa is given due to how they supposedly fought..ie they were shock cavalry, rather than multi role troops?
Ben

benos wrote:i understand that the lancer poa is given due to how they supposedly fought..ie they were shock cavalry, rather than multi role troops?

Also there is a respectable body of thought that Ostrogoths etc. were in fact lance (kontos) armed having copied their mounted tactics from the Sarmatians, and that the old idea that they were javelin armed is based on over/misinterpretation of the written sources. But as Ben says, it doesn't really matter which interpretation is correct as FOG is function based rather than equipment based. Moreover, if you prefer to interpret them as light spear, swordsmen, just use them as ordinary Equites.

Alans, of course, were Sarmatians anyway, and are recorded as being charging lancers in Arrian's Order of Battle Against the Alans.

Cheers for the reply chaps. I get the reasoning behind it now. I only had the usual research doubts - and the fear......the fear that, after weeks (months!) of lovingly constructing and painting my army some geezer will come up and point out a load of mistakes. See - that would hurt more than me losing!!!!!!!