The Praetorians and their Participation in Military Campaigns
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52575/2687-0967-2025-52-3-547-555Keywords:
the ancient Roman state, battles of ancient Rome, praetorian cohorts, Praetorian Guard, praetoriansAbstract
The paper explores the specifics of personal security units in ancient Rome. The Praetorian Guard was a force loyal to Emperor Augustus who had adopted and significantly improved the principle of using the "praetorian" cohorts to establish a permanent special paramilitary unit. The author’s focus falls on the Guard performing military tasks, analysis of their combat ability, and a coverage of their most famous battles. The chronological scope of the publication includes the period from the end of the 1st century B.C., from the formation of the Praetorian Guard, to 312 A.D., when all of praetorian cohorts were disbanded. The study was based on narrative and epigraphic sources, as well as contemporary research works.
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