The Rise and Fall of the Praetorian Guard
A history of the elite military unit that both made and unmade emperors of Rome
“Wherever there is power, greed, and money, there is corruption.” — Ken Poirot
The cohors praetoria, or Praetorian Guard as we know them today, were an elite force of the Imperial Roman army that escorted high ranking political officials, provided security service to senior officers of the Roman legions, and were the personal bodyguards to the emperor and his family. Over time, the Praetorian Guard gained immense power and influence within the Roman Empire and often played a significant role in the politics of Rome as well as the succession of emperors. For 3 centuries, the Praetorian Guard used their power and influence to create political instability and entangle themselves in bureaucratic intrigues until 312 CE, when Emperor Constantine disbanded the unit, striking a significant blow to the group who by now had become unpopular with both the people and other military forces throughout the empire, leading to their downfall.
While much of the history of the Praetorian Guard takes place during the time of Imperial Rome (31 BCE — 476 CE), origin of the unit shows up during the early years of the Roman Republic (509–27 BCE). Scipio Africanus (236–183 BCE) had Praetorians working as bodyguards during the Hispania Citerior campaign (28–201 BCE)…
