4 – 6 6 . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand ▁gray ling ▁Category : End em ic ▁fresh water ▁fish ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Category : Ext inct ▁animals ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ▁Category : F ish ▁ext in ctions ▁since ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁New ▁Zealand ▁gray ling <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁equ ites ▁singular es ▁August i ▁( lit : ▁" person al ▁caval ry ▁of ▁the ▁em peror " ▁i . e . ▁imperial ▁horse gu ards ) ▁were ▁the ▁caval ry ▁arm ▁of ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁during ▁the ▁Princi p ate ▁period ▁of ▁imperial ▁Rome . ▁Based ▁in ▁Rome , ▁they ▁esc orted ▁the ▁Roman ▁em peror ▁whenever ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁City ▁on ▁a ▁campaign ▁or ▁on ▁t ours ▁of ▁the ▁provinces . ▁The ▁Equ ites ▁Sing ular es ▁August i ▁were ▁a ▁highly ▁trained ▁unit ▁dedicated ▁to ▁protect ing ▁the ▁em peror . ▁Men ▁who ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁Equ ites ▁Sing ular es ▁August i ▁held ▁a ▁Roman ▁public ▁status ▁as ▁an ▁" Equ ites ". ▁ ▁Unit ▁History ▁The ▁unit ' s ▁origin ▁is ▁uncertain ▁but ▁it ▁appears ▁that ▁they ▁existed ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Tra jan ▁ 9 8 - 1 1 7 ▁CE . ▁The ▁unit ▁is ▁documented ▁on ▁Tra jan ' s ▁Column ▁as ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁Da cian ▁Wars ▁( 1 0 1 - AD ). ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁formed ▁of ▁Tra jan ' s ▁personal ▁horse gu ards ▁during ▁his ▁governor ship ▁of ▁Germania ▁Super ior . ▁ ▁Although