Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Strator

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

STRA'TOR (ἀναβολεύς). A soldier who acted as military groom, or equerry to the emperor, and to a consul or praetor in the Roman armies (Ulp. Dig. i. 16. 4.); it being his duty to purchase cavalry horses for the service of the commander (Ammian. xxix. 3. 5.), as well as to saddle them, lead them out, and assist the officer in mounting (Id. xxx. 5. 19. Spart. Caracall. 7.), as stirrups were not brought into use until a very late period. The illustration (Strator/1.1) represents an equerry of this description, holding the emperor's horse, from the column of Trajan. He wears the military cloak, paludamentum, thus indicating that his rank was considerable. Other examples are frequently represented on the triumphal arches and columns, both with and without the said cloak, though always in military costume; but civilians of rank and fortune also kept servants who performed the same duties, and went by the same description.

• 
  Strator/1.1