“Noble fathers have noble children”
Euripides, playwright
“Equites” in Latin means “horsemen”. That is how the privileged ones were called in Ancient Rome. And initially, in time of Ancient Roman kingdoms and early-Republican period, patrician nobility, fighting on horseback bore the same name.
According to reforms of tzar Servius Tullius (YI century BC), 18 horsemen centuries composed a part of top census range of Roman citizens. Servius constitution included into horsemen ranks only those with necessary property and immaculate reputation – the last condition was always a must in the ancient republic.
Greek rhetorician Dionysius argued that Servius elected horsemen out of the richest and most famous families, and according to Cicero, they had the largest property census.
Ancient Roman historian Titus Livius wrote: the formed centuries consisted of the state most renowned people. Later, following the formation of nobility in Rome (III century BC) horsemen turned to be the second estate after senators. Senators and horsemen had similar titles of honor: illustrious, splendid, honest, dignified (illustres, splendidi, honesti, dignissimi).
“Horsemen are Senate’s seminary, – wrote Titus Livius. – They are elected to be senators, and senators are turned into consuls and assigned ranks of military commanders”.
Special garments of horsemen singled them out of the rest of the citizen and made reference to their potential abilities. The nobility wore special, almost similar tunics with purple or red vertical stripes; a senator’s tunic differed from a horseman’s one only by wider stripes. A formal token of distinction – a golden ring – decorated fingers of both horsemen and senators.
Following the development of trade and usury, owners of large workshops and usurers joined ranks of horsemen (in line with census). By the 20-ies of the II century BC horsemen turned to be a special estate of the Roman community – financial aristocracy owning large sums of money and personal assets.
Today, like many centuries ago, to become a horseman means to reaffirm one’s high social status. Equites Club membership is a key to a special world filled with interesting interlocutors, striking personalities and reliable partners.
Equites Club symbol is a golden ring and a purple band.
Motto: Equites perpetuo supra – “Horsemen always rise to the occasion”.