Praetorian Guard, << pree TAWR ee uhn, >> was the personal guard of the Roman emperors. Until the reign of Septimius Severus (A.D. 193-211), only soldiers recruited in Italy could serve in the guard. Septimius opened the guard to soldiers from all the Roman legions.
Emperor Augustus made the praetorians a standing army. He divided them into nine cohorts (groups) of a thousand soldiers each. Three cohorts remained in Rome, and the others were stationed in nearby cities. Members of the guard received much higher pay than other soldiers. The praetorians eventually became so powerful they could overthrow emperors whenever they chose. Emperor Constantine finally abolished the guard in A.D. 312.
