Army Ranks

[M.ilionario]

hock: Jenny, you write alot!
Thanks for the link Jim :wink:

[taira1180]

The emperors Maximus and Diocletianus are examples of persons who begin as soldiers and finished as emperors (the first was a shepherd and the late the son of a slave).

[M.ilionario]

hock:
How have they done such a thing?

[Tib. Gabinius]

Just to get it complete:
The Praetorians were not just "history". In the fight at the milvian bridge (pons Milvius) between Maxentius and Konstantin they were all killed, and after that victory the were disbanded, new guards were the palatini and other special units.

Why exaktly he did that, we cant say, perhaps he dont trust those units anymore, perhaps cause they didnt had the fighting skills they used to have, perhaps to show the break between old empire and new and the traditions of non christian rome.... just hard to figure out.

And by the way, the praetorians wasnt worse as normal legions in making Princeps, Augusti and Caesares.
Just to mention it: in the year 69 a.d. the legions followed some men to rome, not to forget the period between the dead of Commodus and the following Pertinax, esp. from Maximus Thraex to till the time of Diokletian. e.g. Florianus was killed by his own men.
Same happend to the last severian, Severus Alexander who was killed by soldiers on command of a part of the legion.
The list of killed and brought to might by the legions is as long, perhaps even longer as those of the praetorians.
So the picture of the "emperor making" praetorians is right, but just a focus of a little part, even the more spectecular.

[taira1180]

They both volunteered in the army, and after several years serving until middle officers, the emperors (Alexander Severus with Maximus and Carus with Diocletianus) noticed them and promoted them to important offices; with the murder of the emperors, they were acclaimed by the troops.