The travels of the Praetorian Guard

[Praefectusclassis]

Hi all,
Do we have any indications of how much of the Praetorian guard accompanied the emperor on the great campaigns in the 2nd and 3rd century?

[Jona Lendering]

Yes, tgere are indications. For example, prefects of the guard like Macrinus and Philip the Arab accompagnied Caracalla and Gordian III - after all, they could succeed them. I understand that II Parthica was commanded by the praetorian prefect, so I'd say that the movement of this unit betrays the presence of the guard as well.

[Publius Nonius Severus]

Hmmm, I've spent most of the afternoon trying to find some decent sources or references. I didn't find anythng definitive in the major references so I tried looking for references to praetorian strengths in the different orders of battle during the campaigns of the 2nd and 3rd century and didn't find much either. The only real references I can find are 1st or 4th centuries so I will describe what I found hoping that they are also representative of 2nd and 3rd century as well.

The most content I found was from Tacitus during all the chaos of the year of the four emperors (AD 69). Tacitus gives accounts of the various battles in an around Bedriacum.

From the accounts it sounds like Otho had sent at least three cohorts and attached them to the other legions engaging Vitellius. When the generals who were commanding these earlier engagements hesitated to engage fearing inferiority of numbers or other factors...apparently the praetorians essentially forced them to engage in order to prove their loyalty to Otho. (there is also notation that suggestes that praetorians weren't the best fighters!)

It then looks like Otho later joined then with another 5 or so cohorts of guard (so assuming the praetorians were at full strength of 9-10 or more cohorts, that would mean that almost all of them were deployed).

There is also reference later on of groups of cohorts engaging in battles and holding territory.

I found some obscure secondary references from during Nero's earlier reign that he used to travel with some guard during his "musical" tours, but it doesn't sound like the whole guard.

There are also accounts of course of the Praetorian holding the Milvian bridge in the battle between Constantine and Maxientius but there is no reference to say how much.

So, based on the little information I can find, I would still pretty confident to suggest that if not on a military campaign, the Emperor would travel with some guard - at least a cohort or two. If on a campaign, he would travel with all the praetorian cohorts and possibly divy them up amongst his generals to keep them in the righteous path. This of course is all seperate from the horse guard and other units.

I will continue to look for some more sources, hopefully for the time period in question, and let you know if I find anything.

[Praefectusclassis]

Thanks guys! Very helpful.
If the PrfPraetorio was away, would the other one - if available - hold the fort, or was there another? Something like a praefectus reliquationis?

[Alexandr K]

Hi Jasper,
IIRC there are no number for praetorians on campaigns in the 2. and 3. centuries. The sources just say that praetorians or praefectus praetorio was here or there, but no numbers.
To the overview of Publius Nonius Severus I would add, that when at the beginning of Tiberius' reign the legions on Rhein and Danube revolted, Drusus was accompanied by two praetorian cohorts, praetorian cavalry and the praetorian prefect Seianus, when he suppressed the uprising on Danube (Tac. Ann. I. 24) and that two praetorian cohorts fought with Germanicus in the battle of Idistaviso (Tac. Ann. II. 16).

I think you're right that when one prefect was on a campaign, the other was in Rome. It's quite logical. And at least when you read about a praetorian prefects on campaign, there is always just one, I can't recall any case when there were both prefects campaigning at one time (well but this can simply be due to my bad memory :-) ) ).

Greetings
Alexandr

[Alexandr K]

Hi,

If on a campaign, he would travel with all the praetorian cohorts and possibly divy them up amongst his generals to keep them in the righteous path.

I don't think so. At least when the emperor Maximinus Thrax was on campaign (now I don't know against whom), we have accounts in the sources, that the people of Rome attacked the rest of the guard who remained in Rome because of cruel behaviour of the praetorians. Now I don't know the sources for this event, but I'll look at it and post them later.
Alexandr

[Crispvs]

A few years ago I had a long look at a book on Trajan's column and copied down every shield blazon which seemed to be Roman. Of these I identified nine different blazons on rectangular scuta. Three of these were consistantly found with the praetorian standards and in close proximity to Trajan himself. This suggested to me that the sculptors were attempting to show that there were three praetorain cohorts and all or parts of six different legions involved in the Dacian campaigns. Unfortunately my notes on this matter are deep within a box in New Zealand so I cannot check right now to see if I have remembered correctly.

Crispvs

[Praefectusclassis]

Do you know Rossi's book on Trajan's column Crispvs? He's done a similar thing. I'll look at him to see what he says.

[Alexandr K]

Hi,
so the sources for the event I've mentioned above are Herodian (VII. 11. 1-12); Aurelius Victor (Liber de Caesaribus 27. 2) and Historia Augusta (Maximini duo 20. 6; Maximus et Balbinus 9. 1-2). But now I see that I can't use this incident to support my claim, that only part of the guard accompanied the emperor on campaign and part remained in Rome, because Herodian reports that the praetorians left in Rome were only few old soldiers waiting for discharge from service. So on the contrary to my claim it seems, that the whole guard was with Maximinus in war. :oops:
Greetings
Alexandr

[Publius Nonius Severus]

Alexandr..I still think you are right in certain cases..I have found other references that do infer that some of the praetorians were left behind.

As such, I have developed a theory. Perhaps if everything were on the line for an emperor, like in in the case of Otho and Vitellius, where the victor will be emperor and the loser will be dead...perhaps it was best to take all of the praetorians with you. Why leave anyone behind? And, perhaps against a foreign enemy, you may not have needed to take all of the cohorts. Leave some behind to look after your interests in Rome. I plan on digging into this further...a weekend project perhaps!

Regarding leaving one Prefect at home. I am fairly confident this too varied from emperor to emperor and campaign to campaign. Again to use my Otho example (not to say that what he did, they all did). Again in Tacitus, Book II, there are passages where both of his prefectslotius Firmus and Licinius Proculus are both in the field. I'll continue to explore this as well.

-Severus