From Gladiator to Rome Total War to I, Claudius, today the Cohortēs praetōriae are one of the most distinctive military units of Imperial Rome. It was their job to protect the Roman Emperor and his household, a task for which they hold a somewhat ‘chequered’ record (especially when we focus in on the Praetorian Prefects). But what do we know about this unit’s origins? How did this powerful force become protectors of the Emperor and his household? What other functions did they serve? And how did they differ from the standard Roman legions in their structure?To talk through the rise of the Praetorian Guard, with a specific focus on the reigns of Augustus and Tiberius, Tristan caught up with historian Lindsay Powell at Fishbourne Roman Palace in West Sussex. Lindsay is the author of several books about the Early Roman Imperial Period. His latest book, Bar Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian and Challenged the Might of Rome, is out now.Presented by Tristan Hughes. The producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.The Ancients is a History Hit podcast.All music from Epidemic SoundsSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.This episode first aired in October 2021.
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They're one of the most recognisable military units of ancient history. The infamous bodyguards of Roman emperors, famous from epic movies such as Gladiator. The Praetorian Guard. But these Praetorians were much more than just imperial bodyguards. Their duties stretched from policing to fighting on the battlefield. And it's the story of their rise that we're going to explore today.
It's The Ancients on History Hit. I'm Tristan Hughes, your host.
Our guest is Lindsay Powell, an author of many books on ancient Rome and an expert on this transition period from the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, a period that features larger-than-life figures like Julius Caesar, Augustus, Cleopatra, Tiberius, Mark Antony, but also the rise of the Praetorian Guard and how it came to be the unit associated with emperors.
We're going to explore the Guard's origins, its structure, duties and key figures that rose to prominence within this unit, including the fascinating yet horrifying figure of Sejanus or Sayanus. That and much more is all to come.
Now, this episode was very special because we recorded it in person a couple of years ago at Fishbourne Roman Palace, this strikingly large Roman villa that was built on England's south coast, not far away from what is today Chichester, the place that I was born. It was the perfect location to talk all things The Rise of the Praetorian Guard.
Lindsay, the Praetorian Guard, it must be one of the most iconic aspects of the Roman imperial period.
I think you're right. There are certain things that stand out because they, in a sense, typify or embody some of our stereotypes, what we think we know about ancient history. And the word itself, Praetorian, somehow hits you in the face as being really powerful and important. And we use the expression Praetorian Guard.
as if it's somehow like, I don't know, dare I say, like the Waffen-SS standing outside the Reichstag or something. But in a sense, that's what the Praetorian Guard, if we use the modern expression, did in ancient Rome. Except, of course, they were called the Cohortes Praetoriae, so they were actually cohorts. Praetorian cohorts.
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