Rome without the Praetorian Guard

[Theodosius the Great]

Avete,

I was wondering : After Constantine had permanently disbanded the Praetorian Guard around 312 AD, was Rome thereafter left without any kind of a garrison ? Was the city left vulnerable to barbarian attack ? What became of the Vigiles and Urban Cohorts ? Were they also disbanded ?

I keep wondering about the sack of Rome in 410 AD and think that maybe the city would not have fallen so easily without the absence of the old Guard.

Has this been discussed before ? If so, I could not find the old thread.

Was the city of Rome left undefended after the Praetorians were disbanded ?

~Theo

[Jona Lendering]

As far as I know, the city had more than one garrison, although serving in the units of the vigiles or the sailors from Misenum was less prestigious than the guard. The Second legion Parthica was close to Rome; but this was also disbanded in 312.

The Praetorians never had the monopoly on violence, so I think that disbanding the unit did not mean leaving Rome ungarrisoned. The vigiles were still there, and no doubt Constantine created or transferred other units.

[Nicholas Gaukroger]

I have my doubts that other than for sentimental reasons - city that founded the empire - Constantine would have thought that Rome needed much of a garrison. It was not a de facto capital and of little strategic value although maybe of some political value as a symbol.

An emperor confident of his ability to defend the frontiers - as I would suggest Constantine was - would not woryy about barbarians attacking Rome.

Lets face it the impact of the 410 sack was minimal.

[Casmin]

nevermind

[Theodosius the Great]

The Praetorians never had the monopoly on violence, so I think that disbanding the unit did not mean leaving Rome ungarrisoned. The vigiles were still there, and no doubt Constantine created or transferred other units.

That all makes sense to me. I've just never read anything implying a continued garrison presence after Constantine's victory until 401 AD when Honorius had the Aurelian walls and gates strengthened.

I have my doubts that other than for sentimental reasons - city that founded the empire - Constantine would have thought that Rome needed much of a garrison.

This doesn't sound very plausible to me. The Aurelian Walls were only about 40 years old by the time Constantine conquered Rome. I doubt anyone would feel so secure after such a short period of time.

Besides, a city of a million people (or approching that) would need some kind of police force to maintain law and order.

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If anyone has anything else to add, please do so. Otherwise, thank you, everyone for posting.

~Theo

[Jona Lendering]

I have my doubts that other than for sentimental reasons - city that founded the empire - Constantine would have thought that Rome needed much of a garrison.

I'm not quite sure about that. Symbols can be powerful (I just stumbled across a runaway slave named Philoromus in Synesius' Epistle 145). Maxentius was an usurper, but he was taken seriously because he was master of Rome, something that he stressed with a grandiouse building program; almost every emperor wanted to build at least one monument in the eternal city.

On the other hand, the city was in decline (600,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the fourth century according to one estimate), so recalling (or disbanding) one of its police forces was certainly an option.

[FlaviusCrispus]

I believe I have read that Constantine founded a group of soliders to replace the Praetorians, called the Scholarians. These were supposedly Germans, and the name came from the fact that they were billeted in an old school dormatory (the Praetorian camp had been demolished). I'm not sure whether the Scholarians were officially "stationed" in Rome, or at Constantinople, or had no permanent location and simply accompanied the emperor wherever he went. Anyone know anything more about these guys?

I can't imagine that Rome completely disbanded its police force (vigiles) and urban cohorts, who served as a fire brigade. Crime and fires must have continued as before, and the government needed some way to deal with them. But...

There is an interesting story in Ammianus about Nepotian, a distant relative of Constantine's, who seized power in Rome in AD 350 in revolt against Magnentius. Nepotian supposedly relied on a band of "ruffians and gladiators" to seize power. Magnentius sent one of his officers and a few soldiers to Rome and easily crushed the rebellion after a few weeks. This seems to indicate the urban police force must not have been very strong if a mere "gang of ruffians" could have seized power.

[Theodosius the Great]

I believe I have read that Constantine founded a group of soliders to replace the Praetorians, called the Scholarians.

Ah, the Scholae Palatinae ? There's a book on them which I haven't read called Scholae Palatinae. The Palace Guards of the Later Roman Empire Rome, 1969 by Frank, R.I.

These were supposedly Germans, and the name came from the fact that they were billeted in an old school dormatory

So that's how they got their name. I thought it was odd that they were called a Palatine College but now it makes sense. Yes, I knew they were Germans and officered by slaves. So, in the end it looks like the German guard that Augustus had instituted had won out over the Praetorians :wink:

I'm not sure whether the Scholarians were officially "stationed" in Rome, or at Constantinople, or had no permanent location and simply accompanied the emperor wherever he went. Anyone know anything more about these guys?

To my knowledge they were always attached to or stationed near the Emperor. In the East I know they were stationed on the outskirts of Constantinople and I think were called "The Emperor's Presence." I have no idea about their status in the West though.

I can't imagine that Rome completely disbanded its police force (vigiles) and urban cohorts, who served as a fire brigade. Crime and fires must have continued as before, and the government needed some way to deal with them. But...

My thinking exactly. Galerius also tried to disband the Praetorian Guard but that led to their supporting of the usurper Maxentius' claim to power.

There is an interesting story in Ammianus about Nepotian, a distant relative of Constantine's, who seized power in Rome in AD 350 in revolt against Magnentius. Nepotian supposedly relied on a band of "ruffians and gladiators" to seize power.

Wow, that is interesting. I need to buy the penguin of Ammianus' work soon !

~Theo

[Jona Lendering]

Wow, that is interesting. I need to buy the penguin of Ammianus' work soon !

It's also online: go here (in progress). However, I think the story cannot be in Ammianus, because he starts with Gallus, i.e., in 354. For what it's worth, Wiki mentions Victor, De Caesaribus 42.6, Epitome 42.3; Eutropius 10.11; Zosimus, 2.59.

[Alexandr K]

Hi,

Galerius also tried to disband the Praetorian Guard but that led to their supporting of the usurper Maxentius' claim to power.

please, have you source for this? I don't remember reading that Galerius tried to disband the Praetorian Guard.
Greetings
Alexandr

[Nicholas Gaukroger]

So that's how they got their name. I thought it was odd that they were called a Palatine College but now it makes sense. Yes, I knew they were Germans and officered by slaves. So, in the end it looks like the German guard that Augustus had instituted had won out over the Praetorians :wink:

Never heard that they were officered by slaves - where does that come from?

[Tarbicus]

Never heard that they were officered by slaves - where does that come from?

Looks like it could be from Frank, R.I., Scholae Palatinae. The Palace Guards of the Later Roman Empire Rome, 1969? See the source at the bottom of the Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholae_Palatinae

[Theodosius the Great]

please, have you source for this? I don't remember reading that Galerius tried to disband the Praetorian Guard.

Galerius tried to disband them through his puppet, Severus II, who was appointed to be Caesar of the West. Diocletian had already reduced the Praetorians to being a city garrison.

Diocletian had been stripping Italy of all its ancient privileges (legal, financial, etc..) and thereby alienating the Italian aristocracy. Maxentius capitalized on this trend by favoring the continued existence of the Praetorian Guard as well as the restoration of Italy as the mother province of the Empire. So, Senate and Praetorians sided with the usurper.

No, I don't know the original sources but I just double checked my modern ones. As I said, I need to buy Ammianus.

Never heard that they were officered by slaves - where does that come from?

Please read my last sentence. I only have modern sources.

But actually, the Scholae Palatinae were officered by slaves and freedmen. This was done to create as big a social barrier as possible between them and the native Romans who may try to conspire with the newly formed guard.

Looks like it could be from Frank, R.I., Scholae Palatinae. The Palace Guards of the Later Roman Empire Rome, 1969?

It's a good place to look for the original source but the book is out of print, unfortunately

~Theo

[Nicholas Gaukroger]

As the future emperor Valentinian was an officer in the Scholae before he was emperor I consider it unlikely that they were offciered by slaves.

[Robert Vermaat]

I think there is a chance that whilst the Praetorians were disbanded, they were not sacked or sent packing. They may have stayed on in different form.

Read:
Speidel, Michael P. (1992): Maxentius' Praetorians, in: Roman army studies II (Stuttgart), pp. 385-9.