An Equestrian (Latin eques, plural equites) was a member of one of the two upper social classes in the Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. This class is often translated as knight. However, this translation is a bit misleading, since medieval knights relied on the physical power of their horse and armor to support their position, while the connection of Roman equestrians to horses was more symbolic.
The reforms of the Gracchi brothers in the 2nd century BC made an official distinction between equestrians and senators. Under Augustus, commoners were permitted to become equestrians by obtaining a fixed amount of wealth (400,000 sesterces). Equestrians could rarely move to the senatorial class, by being elected to a magistracy. Equestrians were permitted to operate businesses that senators could not.
He believed that "true glory consists of doing what deserves to be read, and writing what deserves to be written".
He was the son of a Roman eques by the daughter of the Senator Gaius Caecilius of Novum Comum.
He was born at Como, not (as is sometimes supposed) at Verona: it is only as a native of Gallia Transpadana that he calls Catullus of Verona his conterraneus, or fellow-countryman, not his municeps, or fellow-townsman (Praef. §1).
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