Pliny: Natural History, Vol. IX (Loeb)

and the Roman people; and the equestrian order. This is the reason why it is even now written after the "People," because it was the latest addition introduced.

35 IX. Indeed, the very name of the knights has itself frequently been altered, even in the case of those who derived the title from the fact of their serving as cavalry. Under Romulus and the kings, they were called the Celeres the swift ones, then the Flexuntes the wheelers/turners, and afterwards the Trossuli, because of their having, without any assistance from infantry, captured a town of that name in Tuscany nine miles this side of Volsinii a major Etruscan city; and the name survived till after the time of Gaius Gracchus.

36 At all events, in the writings left by Junius, who owing to his friendship with Gaius Gracchus was called Gracchanus, these words occur: "So far as concerns the equestrian order, they were previously called the Trossuli, but are now simply designated the knights original: "equites", because people do not know what the word Trossuli means and many of them are ashamed of being called by that name." He goes on to explain the reason above indicated, and says that they were even in his time still called Trossuli, though they did not wish to be.

37 X. There are some additional particulars in regard to gold which must not be omitted. For instance, our authorities actually bestowed gold necklaces original: "torquibus aureis" on foreign soldiers, but only awarded silver ones to Roman citizens; and what is more, they gave bracelets original: "armillas" to citizens, which it was not their custom to give to foreigners.

38 XI. But at the same time, as is even more surprising, they gave crowns of gold original: "coronas ex auro" even to citizens. Who was the first person to receive one, I have not

The following notes provide historical context for the text above:
a) In fact, the regular order of words was Senate, Knights, Roman people.
b) Trossum or Trossulum; there are still remains of a town at Trosso, two miles from Monte Fiascone in Tuscany.