A STING IN THE TAIL

The Praetorian Guard, established in 27 BC by Augustus, was entrusted with protecting the emperor. Yet the guard is most known for its assassinations of the very men they were meant to protect, such as, infamously, Caligula and Galba. What made the Praetorian Guard abandon its duties?

Sandra Bingham

SPECIAL HISTORY AND ORIGINS OF PRAETORIAN GUARD By AD 69, the Praetorian Guard had been in operation for nearly a century. Established by Augustus in 27 BC, it was not a new formation. Commanders in the late Republic had made use of similar units for protection, with the first specific reference to a Praetorian cohort (cohors praetoria) appearing in Sallust’s account of the war against Catiline in 62 BC (Catiline 60.5). We also hear of provincial governors having a Praetorian cohort on staff for administrative duties, as in Cicero’s speeches against Verres. Augustus cleverly adapted these two different types of Praetorian cohort for his own purposes. It was clear, given his route to power, that he needed a unit that would ensure protection for him and for the imperial family. The…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 49

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