What was a Roman Praetorian?

Praetorian Guard, Latin Cohors Praetoria, household troops of the Roman emperors. The cohors praetoria existed by the 2nd century bc, acting as bodyguards for Roman generals.

How many Roman emperors were killed by the Praetorian Guard?

thirteen Roman emperors
They assassinated thirteen Roman emperors. An astonishing rate of murders for a unit whose sole purpose was the protection of the emperor. It all began with the assassination of Emperor Caligula (ruled 37-41 AD). The Praetorians appointed Caligula’s uncle Claudius as the new emperor.

How did the Praetorian Guard go bad?

The libidinous ruler Under Emperor Commodus’s dissolute rule, the Praetorian Guard descended into the abyss. When Commodus was murdered in AD 192, the guard took exception to his disciplinarian successor, Pertinax. So they killed him.

Did the praetorian guard wear black?

Some sources suggest they wore white, whilst others that they wore a sort of off-purple colour in deference to their status as Imperial bodyguards.

Who was the Praetorian Guard in ancient Rome?

Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard (Latin language:Praetoriani) was a force of bodyguards used by 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.

What was the length of service of a praetorian?

Unsurprisingly, the praemia militare (or discharge bonus) of a Praetorian was also more, being equal to 5,000 denarii, when compared to 3,000 denarii of regular legionaries. At the same time, the length of service for a Praetorian amounted to 16 years. In comparison, the Urban Cohorts had to serve for 20 years]

What was the purpose of the Roman Praetorians?

In many ways, alluding to the proverbial scope of ‘too much power leads to corruption’, the Praetorians started out as a prestigious bodyguard unit loyal to the Roman general and leader.

How many emperors were killed by the Praetorian Guard?

Pertaining to the latter, there were possibly around twelve Roman Emperors who were assassinated or killed by the machinations of the guard. However, at the same time, we must understand that a handful of these seemingly egregious actions were justified by the political mood of Rome itself. In many ways, the Praetorian Guard put up the