For four years Rome endured the wild antics of the emperor Caligula. But there is a limit to everything. And so on January 24, 41 A. D. NS. a group of soldiers of the Praetorian Guard, led by the commander of the palace guards, broke into the palace and killed the cruel emperor. The tortured bodies of Caligula and his household were lying on the blood-drenched staircase, and the conspirators ransacked the palace, not really knowing what to do next. But then a soldier named Grath noticed that someone's legs were sticking out from under the curtain. Grath drew back the curtain and pulled the man shaking with fear into the light. The soldier immediately recognized Claudius, Caligula's uncle. Claudius, who was reputed to be a fool, fell on his knees in front of Grat and began to beg for mercy. But he was not going to kill him. On the contrary, having saluted Claudius as emperor, Hrat called his comrades. They put Claudius, half-dead from fear, on a stretcher and dragged him to their camp. The street crowd, seeing Claudius surrounded by armed people, pitied the innocent uncle of the murdered tyrant, believing that he was being dragged to execution. And in vain she regretted - the soldiers decided to proclaim Claudius emperor.
This case became a turning point in the history of Rome: if earlier only the higher officers played a noticeable role in politics, then from now on the ordinary praetorians also undertook to decide the fate of the empire. And very soon the Praetorians turned into real "doers of the Caesars."
Elite War Machine
Who are the Praetorians? Initially, these are the detachments of personal bodyguards of the Roman generals. "Praetorium" in Latin - a place in the camp for the commander's tent, hence the name - "praetorian cohort". The first praetorian cohorts were formed from friends and acquaintances of generals. Many noble youths went here, striving for a military career: after all, in battles they fought side by side with those whom they were called to protect, which means that the commander could notice them and promote them in the service. To enter the Praetorian, a candidate had to have excellent health, be distinguished by good behavior, and come from a decent family. If someone "from the outside" wanted to join the guard, he had to submit a recommendation from some important person. Moreover, the inhabitants of Rome itself were not taken into the Praetorians, they were considered too "spoiled", but the immigrants from the rest of Italy, who became famous in battles, had a very real chance to get into the Praetorian Guard. The higher officers were recruited from the senatorial and equestrian classes, that is, from people of noble birth.
Praetorians had many privileges over ordinary legionnaires: 16 years of service instead of 20, increased salaries and severance pay, the right to wear civilian clothes outside of service. Their armament was the same as that of the legionnaires, but of much better quality. Each praetorian had a chain mail reinforced with copper plates, or a leather carapace with iron plates, a shiny helmet with a magnificent sultan, and an oval "scutum" shield with rich embossing. The helmet, breastplate, pauldrons and handcuffs were also adorned with gilded embossing. Even the blades of the swords were engraved.
For all these privileges, the guards had to pay with exhausting training. But as a result of daily training, they turned out to be steadfast and skillfully L trained soldiers. The Praetorians had two pilums, spears with flexible pins behind the point that flexed when hitting the target. A spear stuck in a shield hindered the enemy, stuck in a body killed. Throwing their spears, the Praetorians continued to fight with swords. In general, during the heyday of the Empire (1-2 centuries), it was an excellently functioning machine, the core of the army of Rome, the best army of antiquity.
Both the guard and the police
The main function of the Praetorians was considered to be the protection of the Caesars. In 23 AD, during the reign of Emperor Tiberius, a fortress camp was built for the Praetorians in Rome. However, this does not mean that the Praetorians were constantly wiped out at court. No, they actively participated in both civil and external wars. The guards showed themselves excellently during the Jewish War (66-71), under the Emperor Trajan the Praetorians made a huge contribution to the Roman victory over the Dacians, the tribes that lived on the territory of modern Romania, in 169-180. they accompanied Marcus Aurelius in his campaigns against the Germans. The valor of the guard is marked on the military monuments of Ancient Rome: on the famous "Trajan's Column" and "Marcus Aurelius's Column".
However, the Praetorians went down in history not only because of their military victories. From the very beginning, the Guard also performed police functions. Among the tasks of the Praetorians were political investigation and arrest of state criminals, their detention in prison, which was located in the Praetorian camp, and even executions. All this led to the fact that the Praetorians began to feel themselves almost masters of the Empire. And over time, they turned into an arrogant, capricious and corrupt caste.
Nest of rebellions and debauchery
Since the time of Emperor Tiberius, the outcome of the struggle for power has largely depended on the support of the guards. It was the praetorian officers who overthrew Caligula who had put him on the throne before. And when Claudius died, one of the pretenders to the throne, Nero, went first of all to the Praetorians and promised them generous gifts if they would support him. The Praetorians agreed and Nero became emperor. When Nero was killed, Galba came to power, who said that soldiers should be recruited, not bought. Of course, such words did not like the greedy praetorians - they killed Galba and elevated Otho to the throne, who promised them a reward.
It must be said that although the praetorian corps was theoretically supposed to have absolute loyalty to the Caesar, the Caesars themselves had no special illusions on this score: they did not particularly believe in the loyalty of the guards. So, even Augustus used the Germans as bodyguards, who were distinguished by truly iron loyalty. Not subordinate to Roman officers, foot and horse detachments of the Germans existed under the following emperors, but they could not oust the Praetorians.
Nowadays, in Rome, numerous tourists are shown "mummers" praetorians, told about their weapons and fighting techniques. The inglorious end of the guard is also the theme of these stories.
It was possible to return loyalty and discipline to the army in the "golden" times for Rome, during the Antonine dynasty (96-192). But when the last of the Antonines, the rebel Commodus, ascended the throne, the Praetorians remembered the old days and killed the dissolute emperor. But they did not like the new Caesar Pertinax either. He tried to curb the Praetorians by forbidding them to plunder the population. The guards killed Pertinax and retreated to their camp. And then the uttermost began - from the walls of the camp the Praetorians announced that they would elevate the one who paid the most to the throne. This "auction" was won by a certain Didius Julian - he offered 6250 denarii to the guardsmen and became the emperor. But the treasury was empty, and the Praetorians were left with nothing.
The leader of the legions Septimius tried to curb the presumptuous "bodyguards of the generals" - his people drove the Praetorians out of Rome and destroyed their fortress. This exile greatly weakened the Praetorian Guard, but nevertheless, for a good hundred years, the Praetorians actively participated in all the troubles, during which all kinds of "soldier emperors" were blown up with soap bubbles and immediately burst. Finally, Constantine the Great in 312completely abolished the Praetorian Guard - this is, in his words, "a constant nest of rebellions and debauchery." This is how ingloriously ended its existence the most powerful military unit of antiquity, which practically did not know defeat on the battlefield!
