ABSTRACT
Regardless of training, skill, tactics, or equipment, if the individual soldier proved unwilling to enter battle or unwilling to remain in battle once engaged, he would be ineffective in battle. The same was true at the level of the unit. If the individuals in the unit were not sufficiently motivated to enter the fight and continue to fight, the unit would be ineffective, retreating, or disintegrating on the battlefield. Ultimately, the Roman cavalry’s effectiveness depended upon the motivation of its individual riders. Therefore, we cannot accurately assess the combat effectiveness of the Roman cavalry without considering the motivation of its individual riders. Combat motivation for the Roman cavalryman derived from
numerous sources, only some of which we can identify. Leadership, esprit, and unit cohesion operated as collective forces that motivated the cavalry to perform well as a group.2 What made the Roman cavalrymen particularly stand out, however, whether as officers or regular troopers, was the emphasis their society placed
upon virtus, or martial courage. The desire to acquire a reputation for virtus and the corollary desire to avoid a reputation for cowardice impelled Roman riders to enter the fray and to keep fighting. Our evidence indicates the Roman troopers were equally, if not more, motivated to fight than their opponents.3
