Does Praetorian Guard play a role on battlefield?

[Nathan Ross]

Would you be so good as to remind me? :unsure:

Well... mile:

I think it's just inference that Fuscus took praetorian cohorts with him into Dacia (although not a bad bet even so).

There are a few inscriptions that appear to record military decorations for praetorians. We don't know what they did to earn them - stand around looking smart? - but fighting can't be ruled out, surely? See what you make of these:

AE 1933, 00087
L. Tatinius Cnoso, 'militi cohortis IIII praetoriae singulari et beneficiario tribuni optioni beneficiario praefecti praetorio evocato Augusti donis donato torquibus armillis phaleris corona aurea ab Imperatore Domitiano Caesare Augusto Germanico' (Looks like service as a praetorian under Domitian - either Dacia or in the Sarmatian war, perhaps?)

IRC-02, 00023
L. Aemilius Paternus 'centurioni cohortis IIII praetoriae... donis donato ab Imperatore Caesare Nerva Traiano Augusto semel I expeditione iterum II Dacica torquibus armillis phaleris corona vallari' (Dacian war as a praetorian centurion?)

AE 2007, 00526
C. Arrius Clemens 'militi cohortis IX praetoriae equiti cohortis eiusdem donis donato ab Imperatore Traiano torquibus armillis phaleris ob bellum Dacicum' ... 'centurioni cohortis VII praetoriae trecenario donis donato ab Imperatore Hadriano hasta pura corona aurea...' (Dacian war under Trajan, other conflict - maybe the Jewish war? - under Hadrian. Decorated twice, both apparently while serving in the Guard)

CIL 06, 02725
C. Vedennius Moderatus 'cohortem IX praetoriam in qua militavit annos VIII missus honesta... evocatus annos XXIII donis militaribus donatus bis ab divo Vespasiano et Imperatore Domitiano Augusto Germanico' (served under Vespasian and Domitian)

CIL 11, 02112
'primo pilo legionis VI Ferratae centurio legionis ex CCC et cohortis X praetoriae... evocato Augusti donis donato ob bellum Dacicum torquibus armillis phaleris corona aurea...' (This one could have won his awards as a legion primus pilus, but as a evocatus and later centurion of the guard it seems possible that he was a praetorian in the Dacian war).

You're right about the Parthian war - I can't find any direct evidence for that one.