Master of the Horse

The office of magister equitum was a temporary office of the Roman Republic, and in the late imperial period the title of the commander of the cavalry of the Western Roman Empire.

He was appointed directly by the Dictator in times of crisis as his deputy. Originally he commanded probably only the cavalry. In principle this office was every Roman citizen accessible even without having previously passed through the Cursus honorum. A dismissal of the respective public official by third parties has not been possible after the end of emergency rule went out from his office (along with the dictator ) automatically.

In late antiquity, the office of supreme commander Master was initially divided in the western part of the empire - the magister equitum, the cavalry, the magister peditum commanded the infantry. A reference to previous Republican office no longer existed.

Offices of Cursus honorum: Bursary | tribune | aedileship | praetorship | Consulate | censorship

Extraordinary offices: Decemviri | tresviri | Interrex | Master equitum | Dictator

Other offices and honorary titles: Vigintisexviri | Tribunus Soldiers | Praefectus | Legatus | Magister militum | Comes | Dux | Vicar | Pontifex Maximus | Imperator | princeps senatus | Pater patriae | Augustus | Caesar

• Roman Office