The
Magister equitum, in English
Master of the Horse or
Master of the Cavalry, was a
Roman magistrate appointed as lieutenant to a
dictator. His nominal function was to serve as commander of the
Roman cavalry in time of war, but just as a dictator could be nominated to respond to other crises, so the magister equitum could operate independently of the cavalry; like the dictator, the appointment of a magister equitum served both military and political purposes.