The Praetorian Guard and the Political System

Paper Summary:

A paper discussing the role of the Praetorian guard which was established in Rome as an elite squad of personal bodyguards of the Roman emperors. This guard accompanied the Emperor on all his campaigns. The paper gives examples of how emperors who had better control over their guards were known to have better control over their entire empires.

From the Paper:

"A Roman emperor had to earn the respect of his subjects; and, at the same time, expect his commands to be obeyed. The Praetorian Guard acted as intermediaries between the emperor and the people. The Guard commanded a stature higher than the Roman legions and the auxiliaries. Their role was to maintain order in Rome. They also acted as the police force for the country of Italy. They were normally recruited from the city of Rome itself and not from its neighboring provinces unlike the legions and auxiliaries."

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