▁singular ium ). ▁ ▁The ▁equ ites ▁singular es ▁were ▁rec ru ited ▁from ▁serving ▁caval ry men ▁in ▁the ▁al ae ▁of ▁the ▁A ux ilia , ▁selected ▁for ▁their ▁quality . ▁As ▁membership ▁of ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁was ▁strictly ▁limited ▁to ▁persons ▁holding ▁Roman ▁citizens hip , ▁it ▁appears ▁that ▁rec ruits ▁to ▁the ▁imperial ▁horse gu ards ▁were ▁granted ▁citizens hip ▁on ▁en list ment , ▁instead ▁of ▁having ▁to ▁serve ▁ 2 5 ▁years ▁to ▁qual ify ▁for ▁citizens hip ▁as ▁did ▁their ▁fellow ▁al ares . ▁ ▁The ▁equipment ▁of ▁the ▁equ ites ▁singular es ▁was ▁the ▁same ▁as ▁for ▁ordinary ▁auxili ary ▁caval ry men . ▁From ▁the ▁Great ▁Tra jan ic ▁F rie ze ▁incorpor ated ▁in ▁the ▁Arch ▁of ▁Const antine ▁in ▁Rome , ▁it ▁appears ▁that ▁the ▁em blem ▁of ▁the ▁equ ites ▁singular es ▁was ▁the ▁sc orp ion , ▁which ▁was ▁emb la zon ed ▁on ▁their ▁standards ▁and ▁( four fold ) ▁on ▁their ▁shield s . ▁The ▁sc orp ion ▁was ▁the ▁birth - sign ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁T iber ius , ▁and ▁pres umably ▁represented ▁T iber ius ' ▁role ▁as ▁' second ▁founder ' ▁of ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard . ▁ ▁It ▁appears ▁that ▁after ▁some ▁campaign s , ▁det ach ments ▁of ▁singular es ▁were ▁left ▁behind ▁in ▁the ▁provinces , ▁to ▁form ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁new ▁ ▁regular ▁al ae , ▁which ▁retained ▁the ▁pr estig ious ▁singular es ▁title