Equus: The Horse in the Roman World

by Ann Hyland

xii 285p hardback, red cloth, very light marks to edges, binding like new, pages clean and bright like new, text and diagrams clear and sharp, excellent copy of uncommon title, this copy published in the year 1990

Genres: Nonfiction, History

285 pages, Hardcover

Published November 28, 1990

Reviews

[Bonnie_blu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hyland presents a well researched examination of the horse in Ancient Roman society. She covers many aspects of the horses's history, including breeds, training, uses (military and civilian), and veterinary practices. I agree with another reviewer that some of Hyland's conclusions need more supporting evidence and that she is Arabian-centric, which may color her conclusions. However, overall the book is very good and the reader will learn a great deal. NOTE: In order to get the most from the book, the reader should be very knowledgeable about horses and Ancient Rome. Otherwise, the reader will find him/herself constantly looking up horsemanship terminology and translating Latin text that the author does not bother to translate. The book would have been much improved if Hyland had included a more thorough Glossary and had translated all Latin texts. These additions would make the book accessible to a wider audience.

[Dark-Draco · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a comprehensive description of the part that horses, ponies, donkeys and mules played in the Roman Empire. From the might of the cavalry to the public transport system to the race track. There are sections on tack, veterinary care, training of both horse and rider, famous exploits and literature. All of this Hyland has had sift from hundreds of obscure sources, many works of 'fiction' or propaganda. What it reveals is a very complex relationship - horses were treated harshly (especially by today's standards), expected to work hard all their life and few were granted 'retirement'. Yet, a lot of thought was taken into their care, breeding and at one point could be used to pay taxes.

On the negative side, the book became a little repetitious, as the same subjects were discussed in each section. The author also occasionally seemed to forget that not everyone can read Latin! Phrases didn't always appear in the glossary nor given an English translation in the text, meaning that the points she was trying to make didn't always come across.

That said, I still loved it and it will stay on my shelves for future reads.