LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

eques

eques m (genitive equitis)
Classical[ˈɛ.kʷɛs]Ecclesiastical[ˈɛː.kʷes]
№ 296 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. masculinehorseman, cavalryman, rider
  2. masculineknight
  3. masculineequite, eques, equestrian (class)
  4. Late Latinmasculineknight
  5. in pluralmasculineEquestrian order

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

mīles quī ex equō pugnat.
eques -itis m — in Mille Verba, Bellum et Arma

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeequesequitēs
genitiveequitisequitum
dativeequitīequitibus
accusativeequitemequitēs
ablativeequiteequitibus
vocativeequesequitēs

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

summovere or reicere hostium equites
to repel the attack of the enemy's cavalry.
dictator dicit (legit) magistrum equitum
a dictator appoints a magister equitum.
equites ad latera disponere (B. G. 6. 8)
to place the cavalry on the wings.

ĕquĕs, ĭtis, m. id.,
I. a horseman, rider.
I. In gen.: it eques et plausu cava concutit ungula terram, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 419 ed. Vahlen); Liv. 26, 2; 28, 9; Dig. 9, 2, 57; Ov. F. 5, 700 (of Castor; cf. Hor. C. 1, 12, 26; id. S. 2, 1, 26); Hor. C. 4, 11, 27 (of Bellerophon; cf. id. ib. 3, 12, 8); id. Ep. 1, 2, 65; 1, 10, 38 al.—Poet. transf., of horse and rider: quadrupes, Enn. ap. Non. 106, 31; Gell. 18, 5; and Macr. S. 6, 9 (who, like the other ancient grammarians, consider eques = equus); cf. Enn. ed. Vahl. p. 37; imitated by Verg. G. 3, 116 Heyne.— Far more frequently,
II. In partic.
A. In milit. lang., a horse-soldier, trooper; opp. pedes, a foot-soldier, Caes. B. G. 1, 15, 3 (twice); 1, 18 fin.; 1, 23, 2 et saep.; opp. pedites, id. ib. 1, 48, 5; 2, 24, 1; 4, 33, 3 et saep.; opp. viri or homines, for pedites, Liv. 21, 27; 9, 19: equites singulares Augusti, v. singularis.—
2. Meton. or collect., horse-soldiers, cavalry: plurimum in Aetolis equitibus praesidii fuit: is longe tum optimus eques in Graecia erat, Liv. 33, 7 fin.; 2, 20; 8, 38; Suet. Galb. 12; Flor. 2, 6, 13; Tac. A. 3, 46; 12, 29; id. H. 2, 89.—
B. Equites, the order of knights, the Equites, who, among the Romans, held a middle rank between the Senate and the Plebs, consisting, under Romulus, of the 300 Celeres, but whose number, as early as the reign of Tullus Hostilius, had increased to 18 centuries. In the last centuries of the republic this order enjoyed great consideration and influence in the conduct of public affairs, in consequence of the wealth they acquired as farmers of the public taxes, as also by reason of the right to the administration of justice held by them after the year 632 A. U. C. (acc. to the lex Sempronia judiciaria), Liv. 1, 15; 30, 43; Cic. Rep. 2, 20; 22; id. Font. 8; Cic. Verr. 1, 13, 38; id. de Or. 2, 48 fin.; Plin. 33, 1, 7, § 29 sq.; Cic. Clu. 55, 152; id. Rosc. Com. 14 fin.; id. Fl. 2, 4; id. Phil. 7, 6; Caes. B. C. 1, 23, 2; Sall. J. 65, 2; Ov. Am. 1, 3, 8; id. F. 4, 293; Hor. C. 1, 20, 5; 3, 16, 20; id. S. 1, 10, 76 et saep.; cf. Dict. of Antiq., art. Equites. —
2. In the sing. collect., the equestrian order: senatores, eques, miles, Tac. A. 15, 48; 1, 7; 4, 74; Suet. Aug. 34; id. Calig. 26; id. Vesp. 9; Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 185; Mart. 8, 15 al.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*HéHḱus
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éḱwos
  3. Proto-Italic*ekwos
  4. Latineques

Proto-Indo-European *h₁ey- Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-h₁its Proto-Italic *-its Latin -es Latin eques From equus (“horse”) + -es (“-faring”). Compare pedes, mīles for similar formations.

Quick answers

What does eques mean in Latin?
eques, a noun, means “horseman, cavalryman, rider; knight; equite, eques, equestrian (class)”.
What is the genitive of eques?
The genitive singular is equitis. eques is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce eques?
In classical Latin, [ˈɛ.kʷɛs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈɛː.kʷes].
Where does eques come from?
Proto-Indo-European *HéHḱus → Proto-Indo-European *h₁éḱwos → Proto-Italic *ekwos → Latin eques.