The Praetorian Guard was a
famous unit of the Roman Empire whose reputation evokes mixed
feelings of awe, fear, and mystery. In the popular imagination they are often equated
to modern forces such as the elite commandos of the SAS or the Republican Guard troops which
have propped up dictators such as Saddam Hussein. Even in the historical realm their role has
been subject to doubt with some in the past perceiving them as a ceremonial unit equipped
with archaic armor designed only for show. So who were they? Special forces, dictatorial
musclemen, or ceremonial relics? Let’s find out. You can get your hands on your own praetorians
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or going to vitrixlimited.com Invicta . Enjoy! The tradition of Roman bodyguards dates back to the earliest history
of its armed forces. In the very beginning, Roman warfare was quite tribal and primitive
in nature. During these days of the early monarchy it revolved around warbands led
by chieftains and their close retinue. As their military evolved however, the
mass of warriors became more organized. During this period the general still relied
on household troops for protection but increasingly specific units within the army
were assigned this role whilst on campaign. At first it seems that these would have been
Roman citizens. Their selection was particularly important when Monarchy turned to Republic and the
new government needed to ensure its own safety. Soon however the pool of potential
bodyguard candidates was expanded. For instance during the Early Republic it
became practice for 1/3rd of the allied cavalry and 1/5th of the allied infantry to be
selected as the Extraordinarii. It was this elite group which took on many critical roles for the
army and tented closest to the General in camp. As a result their members also came to be
tapped to serve alongside the Roman bodyguards. At this point however the unit was not yet
institutionalized. Rather it remained a temporary, ad hoc collection of individuals who
together accompanied a commander. In the field, these men would have been
welcome guests in the general’s tent, known as the praetorium. As such they might be
referred to informally as the cohors Praetoria. Over the centuries, their composition would
naturally have fluctuated. For instance, the general Scipio Aemelianus was famous
for selecting 500 men to guard him against enemy sorties during the Siege of Numantia
while Julius Caesar grew fond of keeping a band of Germanic cavalrymen close by his
side over the course of his campaigns. By the late first century BC it seems that
this practice became more regularized as loyalties began to revolve around
powerful men rather than the state. Following the death of Julius Caesar, both Antony
and Octavian divided between them 8,000 veterans, many of whom had fought under The Dictator.
These in turn were formed into multiple cohortes praetoriae as a part of either
Triumvir's own personal Praetorian Guards. When both men turned on one another,
their Praetorians became involved in the fighting and on occasion
faced each other directly. After his victory at Actium in 31 BC, Octavian
united his forces with those of his opponent in a symbolic reunification of Julius Caesar’s army.
This resulted in the existence of nine Praetorian cohorts after the war, fielding a maximum
of 5400 men. Rather than disband these units Octavian decided to keep them in his service as a
peacetime security force. Ever the prudent ruler, he was extremely wary of blatantly flaunting his
new found power and only billeted three cohorts around the city of Rome with the rest scattered
throughout Italy. Over the course of his reign, their role would gradually morph to the needs
of the new administration. In 2 BC Octavian, now named Augustus, bureaucratized their
structure by appointing two Praetorian Prefects to take overall command of the cohorts which had
previously functioned independently. By the end of his reign the guard was on its way to becoming
enmeshed into the fabric of imperial rule. Now let us take a closer look at the soldiers
who made up the ranks of this Praetorian Guard. As a military force the Praetorians were heavy
infantry trained and equipped like legionaries. However some of their gear was considerably
more ornate and included unique emblems. Praetorian helmets for instance appear to have
sported a tall horse hair crest with elaborate details worked into the metal. Shields were
similarly well decorated and maintained a rounded shape as opposed to the increasingly
rectangular scutum of the early empire. Each legion had its own emblem displayed on
its shield and the Praetorian Guard were one of only a handful of units known to use the
thunderbolt design. Evidence suggests that each Praetorian cohort had its own unique variant.
Additionally, wings, stars, and crescents were probably painted on their shield boards
with scorpions featuring prominently as well. Guard units were also unique in that
their standard bearers wore lion skin capes as opposed to the bear skin
capes of their legionary counterparts. The standards themselves used the image
of Victoria, winged goddess of victory, and were so heavily decorated with awards that men
reportedly had difficulty carrying them on long marches. The rest of a Praetorian’s kit matched
what the average soldier wore. This might include, mail, scale, or the famed Lorica Segmentata.
Swords, daggers, and pila were also standard fare. The key difference between regular and guard
units was that the Praetorians were often far removed from the threat of combat. As such they
rarely made full use of their equipment outside of the parade ground. Instead, they could be
seen carrying a pilum and shield with tunics, neck scarves and cloaks rather than armor.
Depending on their duties, a guardsman might even wear a toga to reflect civilian garment
but still remain conspicuous in a crowd. But how would one come to be a
Praetorian Guard in the first place? Records indicate they were originally
legionaries hand picked from among the active units of the army. Under Augustus, their
recruiting grounds were strictly restricted to Etruria, Umbria, Latium, and the
old legion colonies in Italy. This was eventually expanded to
include Spain, Macedonia, and Noricum which were some of the most prosperous and
Romanised parts of the Empire. During the reign of Septimius Severus, the doors were opened up to
all legionaries and most recruits came from the provinces. Dio [Die-o] said this made transfer
to the Praetorians a kind of prize for those who proved brave in war. To others, this shift
eroded the perceived elite nature of the guard. Generally speaking the men were
recruited between the ages of 15 and 32, slightly broader than the typical range
of between 18 and 23 for most legionaries. A man would need to be physically fit, of
good character, and from a respected family. Letters of recommendation were very important
and proper patronage could open many doors. Upon being admitted, Guardsmen would enjoy several
unique benefits related to enlistment and pay. For instance basic legionaries had a typical 25
year service length. By contrast, Mark Antony had initially set a 12 year enlistment period
for his Praetorian Guard which Augustus raised to 16 years. Over time, this service length
would remain lower than that of regular troops. In terms of pay, Augustus established the
Praetorian rate as double that of legionaries. Under Tiberius this was increased to triple
pay where the Guard received 720 denarii per year compared to the 225 of the legionaries. This
differential is likely to have remained in place throughout the history of the Guard. Additionally
it became custom for each new Emperor to win the troops over by giving them gifts of money known
as donatives. Naturally it made sense to secure the goodwill of the Praetorian Guard and so
they were paid exorbitant bribes to the tune of 3,750 denarii a man under Claudius and 5,000
denarii under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Upon retirement, Praetorian Guards could expect
continued preferential treatment. They received discharge bonuses of 5,000 denarii as opposed to
3,000 denarii which was standard for the legions. In addition, the Praetorians would be
presented with bronze diplomas which automatically legitimized their first
marriage and the children born of them. Soldiers who had received their discharges
might also go on to enlist in Evocati units. Now let us look at the organization of the
Praetorian Guards. Each Century was led by a Centurion while each Cohort was led by a Tribune,
and the entire group was led by a Prefect. There were initially 9 cohorts under Augustus
with a max of 16 being recognized under Vitellius. The amount of men in each cohort is also disputed
but it seems that they were inflated compared to a typical legion, fluctuating somewhere
between 500 to 1500 men each. This results in a theorized total strength of around 6,000
men under Augustus and 12,800 under Vitellius. Attached to the Praetorian Guard were
the 300 cavalrymen of the Speculatores Augusti. In a parallel to the legions, these were
intended to be the eyes and ears of the force. While abroad this might mean exploring and
scouting while back in Rome it might mean spying and conducting other clandestine operations.
Little is known about their secretive affairs. Now that we've covered the
organizational framework of the Praetorian Guard we can explore
how one might advance through it. The basic ladder for promotion consisted of
the following: Induction into the Guard and service as a probatus under one of the centuries
in a cohort. Several years of good service could lead to the post of an immunis who might serve
as a clerk or technician. Next up, one could receive double pay by becoming a Tesserarius
entrusted with passing on the watchword, an Optio who served as the centurion’s deputy,
or as a signifier who carried the standards. Highly literate and numerate soldiers could be
appointed to the Praetorian Prefect’s staff. Only a small number of soldiers would ever
be able to progress onto the enormously prestigious and well paid rank of Centurion
in the Praetorian Guard. This position was the culmination of a long career and held
no restrictions on the length of service. The highest echelons of the Praetorian Guard
were extremely selective. Tribunes who led each Praetorian Cohort were Roman Knights with
extensive resumes. They usually would have passed through the ranks of the Guard and transferred
to a legion where they served as centurion, then senior centurion, and finally primus pilus
followed then by a year as tribune in the Vigiles for and another in the Urban Cohorts. Other paths
were available but nevertheless, the year-long term as Tribune of the Praetorian Guard attracted
veterans with remarkable military experience. The highest post of Praetorian Prefect was
such a powerful position that it was almost unheard of for an individual to attain it
through conventional promotion. Instead, this position was generally held by appointees
of the emperor. These Prefects were amongst the most influential men in the Empire and some
would even go on to become Emperors themselves. So what were the typical
duties of this powerful force? As discussed, the Praetorian Guard was founded
on active wartime units and was thus expected to accompany the Emperor on campaigns. In
this capacity they were fairly active in the early Empire, seeing action in several
major campaigns across Iberia, Germania, and Dacia where they performed in battle
much like any other elite infantry unit. For the most part however, the Praetorian Guard
was comfortably back at Rome. Here they were tasked with a variety of duties requiring loyal
operatives and large numbers of trained personnel. Primarily they provided security for
the imperial household and palaces but also stationed a cohort to keep
order at the games and theaters. The Praetorians operated the city prison, carrying
out death sentences imposed by the Emperor and Senate. Additionally they partook in routine
civic administration of the city with tasks ranging from map-making to engineering work.
In later years however some of their elements increasingly functioned as political operatives
who meddled in the affairs of Rome and the Empire. But to get a better sense of their role,
let us now review their service history. We can pick the story up again with the
activities of the Praetorian Guard under Augustus. As discussed they were billeted
in Italy where they largely helped keep the peace and gradually took on civil duties.
In terms of actual combat in this period, it seems that they only saw action when
accompanying Augustus personally on campaign. This was actually quite rare as most of his
wars were fought by trusted lieutenants. The major exception to this was the Cantabrian
War which begun shortly after he was made Emperor. It was a bloody conflict of guerilla fighting
in difficult terrain which necessitated the deployment of 8 legions. Augustus saw fit to
personally bolster the conflict but was only there for about a year until illness drew him away. It
is unclear how much fighting the Praetorians saw but their contribution was likely quite minimal
as the war would drag on for a full decade. When Tiberius succeeded Augustus in
14 AD, he chose to maintain the Guard. Soon the new Emperor was met with
unrest in Pannonia and the Rhine. The former was dealt with by the son of Tiberius
who was given two Praetorian Cohorts while the latter was dealt with Germanicus and
his 2,000 strong Guard detachments. Affairs in Germania were significantly more
intense for the Praetorians who were present at both the 16 AD Battle of Idistaviso
and the Battle of the Angrivarian Wall. It was in the second of these engagements
when they were most bloodied during the heavy assault upon the enemy's forested
flank. In these military endeavors the Praetorians proved to be capable soldiers often
fighting toe to toe with other veteran units. During the reign of Tiberius, the Praetorians
continued to rise in importance. The Praetorian Prefect, Lucius Aelius Sejanus, became a close
advisor to the Emperor and exerted significant influence over the ruler. In 23 AD, Sejanus
managed to bring all the Praetorian Cohorts to Rome by constructing a fortified garrison atop
the Viminal Hill. This camp became known as the Castra Praetoria. The structure was roughly
two thirds the size of a legionary fortress from the frontier and covered 17 hectares with
surrounding, 3.5 meter walls. Later construction would substantially raise the height of the
curtain wall and add new battlements and towers. From this position, Sejanus was able to
consolidate his hold on power and pursue his own ambitions. The Praetorian Prefect embarked
on a ruthless programme of eliminating his rivals which included poisoning the emperor’s son
Drusus. His conspiracy to claim the throne was eventually revealed in 31 AD and he
was killed along with his conspirators. Such abuse of power would prove to be a
recurring theme for the Praetorian Guard. As the largest armed force in Rome, they carried
tremendous leverage over the Emperor and showed themselves unwilling to put their privileged
position at risk. Thus the Guard played an important role in each ensuing transition of power
during the reign of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. In 37 AD they helped Caligula succeed Tiberius
but later helped assassinate him in 41 AD. In the aftermath they hauled out his uncle Claudius
from the palace and proclaimed him Emperor. This would be the first of several instances where
they literally played the role of King maker. When Claudius died they next supported
Nero before later abandoning him and eventually getting enmeshed in the chaos which
followed during the Year of the Four Emperors. During this time, many of their ranks
were purged and when the Flavians took power their units were reformed to support
the new dynasty. Under these new rulers, the Guard was led once again into battle
against the Germanic and Dacian tribes. At the end of the 1st Century AD, the Praetorians
were front and center in the tumultuous transition to the following Antonine Dynasty. More executions
and disbandments followed but the future of the Guard was secured when it supported Trajan who
went on to become Emperor. Under this commander, the Praetorians returned in force to the
battlefield, taking part in both the Dacian and Parthian wars. Over the course of the 2nd
Century they would continue to see action on the borders of the Empire which diminished
their ability to stir up trouble at home. However in 180 AD, Emperor Commodus would bring
the Guards back to Rome. They quickly reoriented to this political battlefield and were back to
scheming. In 192 their Prefect helped direct the plot against Commodus and the Guardsmen
were rewarded by the New Emperor Pertinax with payments of 3,000 denarii. They returned
the favor by assassinating him within 3 months. In the greatest scandal to date, the Praetorians
then offered up the crown of the Entire Empire to the highest bidder. It would be bought
by Didius Julianus for 25,000 sesterces. Understandably his reign did not go unchallenged
and when Septimius Severus swept down to seize Rome with the Armies of the Danube the entire
Praetorian Guard was understandably dissolved. Yet their function was still critical and
its units were reformed from the loyal elements of Severus's forces.
As was now a familiar pattern, the Praetorian Guard of the new Severan
Dynasty initially distinguished itself in external wars before inevitably dishonoring
itself with internal politicking. The question of "Who watches the watchers'' was certainly
a pressing one over the following centuries. To answer it, some Emperors did attempt to
reign in the power of the Praetorian Guard. Septimius Severus for instance believed
that recruiting troops too familiar with politics in Rome was dangerous and thus made it
a policy to draw Guardsmen from frontier legions. Others sought to limit their role or have
tighter control of their officers. But this was a dangerous game to play, especially
during the civil wars of the 3rd Century. Yet as control was finally reasserted at the end
of this period, it presented an opportunity to finally begin to make more aggressive changes.
For instance Diocletian’s rule in 285 AD introduced the Jovia and Herculiana city legions
which undermined the Praetorians’ influence. Sensing that now might be the time to do away with
the unit, Galerian ordered their disbandment. Yet he may have struck too soon as the Praetorians now
turned to Maxentius and proclaimed him Emperor. This would now put them on a collision course
with Constantine the Great who marched upon Rome to take control of the west. The two would
clash climatically at the battle of the Milvian bridge in 312 AD. Unfortunately for the
Praetorians they and Maxentius would be defeated. In the aftermath, Constantine now permanently
disbanded the Praetorian Guard. After more than three centuries of existence, they were
now the ones cut down in front of the throne. In their place would rise new units of bodyguards
such as the Scholae Palatinae and Varangian Guards. The last vestige of the Praetorians
would be the position of Praetorian Prefect which served as a financial administrator in
Rome. Eventually, this too would fade away. We can now reflect back on our initial question:
who were the Praetorian Guards? Special forces, dictatorial musclemen, or ceremonial
relics? The short answer is none of these. The Praetorians were not equivalent to modern
special forces. Though at first the Guard did represent cream of the crop troops, they were
largely removed from front line military action and spent most of their time taking on domestic
missions of a civil and administrative nature. The Praetorians were somewhat similar to
dictatorial musclemen in that they served as tools of a thinly veiled military regime seeking to
control the population and political opposition. Over time though they grew
their own independence and often played the role of puppet master themselves. Finally, the Praetorians
were not ceremonial relics. This flies in the face of their active
participation in many important military campaigns and their contributions, for better or worse,
to the political destiny of the Roman Empire. In the end, we should perhaps best reflect on the
story of the Praetorian Guard as a reminder that absolute power corrupts absolutely and that
security often comes at the price of freedom. I hope you’ve appreciated our exploration
of the rich history of the Praetorian Guard. What Units of History would
you like to see us cover next? You can head over to our
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