Praetorian: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Imperial Bodyguard

A riveting account of ancient  Rome's imperial bodyguard, the select band of soldiers who wielded the  power to make - or destroy - the emperors they served.

Founded by Augustus around 27 BC, the elite Praetorian Guard was  tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the  centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as  protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players.  Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly  toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax,  and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full  narrative history of the Praetorians, whose dangerous ambitions ceased  only when Constantine permanently disbanded them.

De la Bédoyère introduces Praetorians of all echelons, from prefects  and messengers to artillery experts and executioners. He explores the  delicate position of emperors for whom prestige and guile were the only  defenses against bodyguards hungry for power. Folding fascinating  details into a broad assessment of the Praetorian era, the author sheds  new light on the wielding of power in the greatest of the ancient  world's empires.