Transcript Praetorian Guard

Stone remnant of the
Praetorian Guard
Praetorian gu
By: Justus
By: Joshua Turner
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guards were the Personal Bodyguards of the
Roman Emperors.
The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the
guards of Roman Generals, at least since the rise to
prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC.
A stone statue of the praetorian guard
Praetorian Guard
 Initially, the Praetorian guard consisted of nine cohorts of 500
men each. This was increased by emperor Caligula to twelve
cohorts. Vitellius again increased their number to sixteen
cohorts. Vespasian thereafter reduced their number again to
nine cohorts and Domitian increased them to ten cohorts of
500 men. A cohort was commanded by a tribune, together
with two equestrians(Cavalry or knights). The Guard
constantly went up and down for each emperor
Number of
cohorts
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Beginning Caligula
#
Vitellius Vespasian Domitian
Emperors that changed the the praetorian
guards numbers.
Augustus
Praetorian Guard
 The emperor who started the Praetorian Guard was
Augustus
 He thought about the protection of Rome.
 He left 3 cohorts in the major buildings and the Palace.
Praetorian Guard Cohorts
 Soldiers of the praetorian guard served only for sixteen
years, a term much shorter that the service of an ordinary
legionary. But after their sixteen year term they became socalled evocati, which ment that they were held back from
discharge. Their service in the praetorians meant they either
went on to perform specialist military duties or it simply
qualified them either for service as centurions. These
centurionates would usually be taken up in praetorian guard
itself or in the city cohorts and the vigiles. Though some also
took commands as centurions in the regular legion.
Praetorian Perfects
 The guard itself was commanded by the praetorian prefects,
who were equestrians rather than of senatorial rank. A sign of
the exclusion of the mighty senate from certain key positions
by the emperor
Castra Praetoria
Praetorian Guard
One of the powers of the Praetorian Guard was they could
elect emperors
They where place in Castra Praetoria. The Praetorian
Barracks. It was built when Tiberius was emperor.
The Guard was dissolved by Emperor Constantine I in the 4th
century.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praetorian_Guard
http://www.roman-empire.net/
http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
http://www.angelfire.com/or2/jrscline/elitepraetorian.htm
http://translate.google.com/#en/la/
tibi gratias ago pro vigilantem
Ut 'omnes folks