Selected for their loyalty and experience in combat, the Praetorian Guard grew in political power. They were the ones to protect the emperor and to help during times in need but they soon became lost in their own greed for power. This later caused political corruption by the Praetorian Guard, leading to instability in the Roman Empire in the late second century and the third century CE.
The Praetorian Guard was created by Octavian or later known as Augustus Caesar. After the death of Julius Caesar, Augustus was adopted at the age of nineteen. He was given the same political power as Julius Caesar and was becoming well liked within the Roman society, but as the years went on, he became more powerful, becoming the emperor of Rome. As it states in The Deeds of the Divine Augustus by Augustus, “the senate and Equestrian order and Roman people all called me father of the country.” He was starting to become an idol to the people of Rome. Before Augustus was adopted, his uncle Julius Caesar was stabbed twenty three times to death by the senate, which planned to assassinate him because of loss of political power. (Notes in class) Augustus soon realized that the more power
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that he acquires, the more likely it is for him to be killed by someone. He established the Praetorian Guard to protect him and his family, as well as maintain public order in Rome. The Praetorian Guard were experienced Rome soldiers, as it says in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome by Michael Gagarin, “constituted a standing body of professional soldiers.” The soldiers who were selected were the most skillful and the most loyal to the emperor.
Their main job was to protect the emperor of Rome and act as an enforcement of laws to the society. (Alchin, Linda) The Praetorian Guard were also involved in the roman games. They would ensure that no prisoners escaped during the event or they would participate to show off there abilities. They also would be sent by the emperor to help during disaster, like fires to help the people. This made the emperor look as if he truly cared about the citizen’s safety. (History, 8 things you didn’t know about Praetorians
Guard) Augustus formed ten groups with around a thousand or more soldiers in each, but at the end of his ruling only nine were still serving. Three of the groups were in Rome and the other seven were located around the outside of Rome, in Italy. (Oxford Encyclopedia) But the number of groups was later increased to sixteen by the emperor Vitellius. Before them, the capital did not allow any type of army or weapons within the city boulders. These soldiers had higher pay then the rest of the army as well as better connections with the emperor. With these types of benefits they became more powerful to the point of having a huge part in who became emperor or taken off from power. Many would say that invading barbarians from the north, who attacked and took over the city of Rome, caused the instability in Rome, (Richard, Cavendish) or the new religion of Christianity. The religion of Christianity was different from the roman religion polytheistic, meaning they believed in more then one god. Christianity only believed in one god, decreasing the power that the emperor had over the people. Many persecutions of people and conflict between people who did not believe in the religion were created. The conflict was soon controlled when emperor Constantine made Christianity a religion that could be practiced within the boundaries of Rome. Christianity soon became a stably and one of the main religions in Rome during that time. Another reason could have been the splitting of Rome into two cities, the west and east. The west was able to function properly and continue to be successful but the east side began to fall into inflation. They did not have proper leadership and could not produce enough amounts of food and supplies to function properly. Merchants were beginning to sell their products for higher, creating a decrease in gold supply in the city. This weakling of Rome gave barbarians better access in attacking and defeating the romans. There are many possible reasons in which Rome could have instability, but the main reason would be the Praetorian Guard. The Praetorian Guard created an unstable system in which choosing a rightful emperor. The choosing of the next emperor was based on the votes of the emperor, the senate, the army and the Praetorian Guard. But was soon based solely on the Praetorian Guard. As the Praetorian Guard grew in power there ambitions increased, as Edward Gibbon states in The History of the Declined and fall of the Roman Empire, “the love of power is of the most imperious and unsociable nature.” They first began their corrupt strike by killing the emperor Caligula. They killed Caligula because he was a cruel and reckless emperor. While they killed Caligula they found Claudius. They put Claudius in the throne, giving him support from the Praetorian Guard. (Oxford References) They later were involved in the killing of many other emperors, for example Emperor Commodus, Caracalla, Elagabalus, Pupienus, Balbinus, Galba, and Pertinax. (History) They killed Galba after they allowed him to become emperor, but Galba did not give the Praetorian Guard what he promised them. The Praetorian Guard also murdered Pertinax when he tried to install new disciplinary rules within the guard. (History) Pertinax was known as a good emperor who tried to help the people, but later angered the Praetorian Guard. He was killed, then put on a lance and placed where everyone could see him. A symbol to the power that the Praetorian guard had. (Gibbon, Edward) They also forced the emperor Nero to commit suicide and give up the throne (Alchin, Linda) because he became a crazy horrible ruler, who was thought of burning part of Rome to build more buildings and then blaming Christians. Leading to many Christians being killed. They were also known for auctioning the Roman throne to the highest bidder after they killed Pertinax. They were the force that made emperors do things, if not they would face death. They became more powerful then the senate and maybe even the emperor himself. The Praetorian Guard were the main reason in why the Roman Empire was instable. They caused an imbalance of power. They gave the throne to anybody who had enough money to give or who promised the guard more power. During the years they let power corrupt their intentions. They were first created to protect the emperor and make sure nothing happen to him or his people. Emperors had to fear not only the people outside of the wall, but also there own bodyguards. The emperor could be on the good side of the Praetorian guards and later on their death list. If they were promised more money or power, the Praetorian Guard would become the most dangerous threat of the emperor. They were the group of people that you wanted to be on their good side. Emperor Constantine, who realized that their services were no longer helpful or needed and also they supported Maxentius, his reveal during that time. (Oxford References) As Michael Gagarin states, “this privileged military service remained at first largely the preserve of individuals from Rome itself.” The Praetorian Guard lost site of their good Intentions and created a corrupt system in picking the next emperor. The emperor should be someone who is willing to do anything to better the society and help the people. The emperor of Rome should have been chosen because he had the abilities to be a good leader and have the best attention to help Rome become more successful. Praetorian Guard let bad people with bad intentions, into the throne because they had money. These unqualified leaders lead to the killing of innocent people or the destruction of Rome. The Praetorian Guard had too much power to the point where they could over take the senate and the emperor himself. They did not protect the people but brought more harm. They are the main ones who created instability in the Roman Empire in the late second century and the third century CE because they didn’t hit Rome with war or destruction but they hit Rome at the main point of the society, their leader.
... middle men between the troops and the Senate, and were looked on by their soldiers as looking out for their best interests. The soldiers relied on their general to give them what they needed, be it arms and armour, pay or land to retire on, and in return the generals wanted loyalty from their troops. As the legions were firmly in control of their generals, they were content to become a threat to the Republic and willing to become akin to private armies, following Generals such as Sulla to march on Rome or other generals.
The Praetorian Guard were the Roman troops whose job it was to protect the Roman emperors. They were upset that Claudius executed Caligula’s assassin without consulting them first. However, Claudius was able to buy back their loyalty and support by providing the Guard with a generous bonus of 15 000 - 20 000 sesterces. By doing this, he established a precedent. However, although Claudius had the support of many, he struggled to gain the support of the Senate.
Philosopher A: In the Republic, the Senate was the primary branch of the Roman government and held the majority of the political power. It controlled funds, administration and foreign policy, and had significant influence of the everyday life of the Roman people. When Augustus came to power, he kept the Senate and they retained their legal position. The Emperor’s rule was legitimized by the senate as he needed the senators experience to serve as administrators, diplomats and generals. Although technically the most authoritative individual in Rome, Augustus strived to embody Republican values. He wanted to relate and connect to all parts of society including Plebeians. Through generosity and less extravagance, Augustus achieved a connection with the common people.
The Roman Republic can be explained as the period from 509 – 27 BCE, which the ancient Roman civilization exemplified a republican form of government; where the supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. During the Roman Republic, the 2 most powerful, and main branches of government included the Consuls and the Senate. It was the Consuls who held supreme civil and military control over Rome; however the republic had precautions in place to avoid one of the consuls from exercising too much power, such as short one year terms, veto and the notion of 2 consuls to divide authority. The republic then also included the senate; where at first, senators were only chosen from the patrician class, but in time, plebeians joined their positions (Bradley, 1990). Throughout the history of the republic, the evolution of government was driven by the struggle between the aristocracy and the ordinary citizens. The demise of the republic resulted through a series of civil wars and powerful dominance of significant historical figures (Princeton.edu, 2014).
With the problems starting with the dissolution of the first triumvirate and the actions of Julius Caesar, it seemed almost inevitable that the Republic would become an Empire. With the death of the true republican, Cicero, and many not remembering what the republic was like, giving power to the capable and honorable man seemed as if the best answer. Furthermore, if the Rome continue to remain a Republic the Senate could not have maintained the success or power that the Empire held. The ambition of one man made it easy to continue the growth whereas, many of the policies and disputes the country faced had face might have taken to long or complicated had the republic
Formally created in 23 BC by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus the Praetorian Guard Served as Bodyguards for the Emperors, About nine cohorts of five hundred men each formed the early Praetorian Guard; they were stationed right outside the center of Rome. The Praetorian Guard were recruited primarily from central Italy, unlike most of the Roman Army, the Guards were made up of all Italian citizens and they are referred to as “the true-born sons of Italy” by Piso the chosen heir of Galba. “The Praetorians therefore became the symbolic living descendants of the glorious Roman past” (Wasileski 32).The Praetorians were thought to be the Emperors’ symbol of power “The Praetorians were a visible symbol of that [Emperor’s] force in the Capital” (Wasileski 1).
Patricians were the richer people in the world at the time and owned a considerably large amounts of lands. Since they had large amounts of land, which allowed them to gain power, they were deemed patricians, They were the ones who governed the city from the Senate. The Senate was the empire’s governing body during the republic and were voted into office annually by a large group of citizens and also the equites, or men who had property. Equites were people lower in ranking under the patricians (Ancient Roman Politics, Crystalinks). All the social and political power was mostly in the hands of ancient families who are: the Cornelii family, the family of the Caesars, and the Aemilii. The Senate’s power and all other things were lost under the emperors, but the patrician families still held public opinion. The Roman’s sons were sent to be great soldiers so after they became Roman citizens, they were enlisted on their first military campaign. On their return from service in the military, the son of a patrician usually always entered into politics, and sometimes the sons of equites did the same. The young man first stood for election as an aedile, also known as a city councilor. The aediles looked after the corn supply and public amusements. They were basically there just to run the fruitless jobs that were needed. Then the next office that could be achieved was that of the quaestor, also known as the secretary of the
In 27 BC, Augustus became the first emperor of Rome, thus creating a strong leader figure, which could shape and mold the Republic system into what was best for the empire or themselves. During the reign of the emperors, the political policies for Rome would vary according to, which emperor was in power. Not only were politics shaky, but also there never was a clear-cut method of succession for the man who controlled those politics. Rome had created the position of emperor in hopes that men like Augustus would continue to lead her into prosperity, however the office of emperor struggled in attempting to find great men to lead Rome. The office never truly evolved into something greater than when it had been created, but rather the office varied according to the personality of the man in the position.
The strength of the Roman military was the string that held the Roman Empire together for as long as it lasted. The military was made up of strictly disciplined men whom were ready and willing to serve their emperor.
As Rome became independent from the Etruscan ruling, its government walked away from having a monarch and transformed into a Republic as a way to avoid the tyranny that many times comes with an absolute autocrat. Rigorous precautions were taken from the start in order to keep the power balanced. Moreover, the structure of the government was meant to be resilient to bad judgment. The structure of the Roman Republic with its government and law provided for a more just system.
The era of the Pax Romana – though still a period of time filled with civil war and conquests in an attempt to expand the empire – was an overall period of stability for Roman society. During this time the Roman people knew their Emperor was an unwavering political powerhouse with an ability to run the Empire efficiently. In addition to having an efficient political leader, Rome had a strong military force stable enough to protect them from outside forces. The security of the Pax Romana period allowed Romans to focus on politics, culture, and technology providing them the opportunity to progress and flourish as a society.
This new Republican government, which was administered by the consuls, was not the easiest to transform. Because of the expansion in Italy, the government began to initiate political institutions. These institutions enforced laws and provided authority which were very similar to imperium. “The Romans had a clear concept of executive authority, embodied in their word imperium, or “the right to command” (Spielvogel 117). Since the Romans were very sensible in their actions, they made and implemented them only as needed. The most essential positions held were the few elected magistrates and the two consuls who were “chosen annually, administered the government and led the Roman army into battle” (Spielvogel 117). If the consul was otherwise occupied, either a dictator or praetor would assume responsibility for the time being.
Julius Caesar was written in 1599 in England by William Shakespeare. Shakespeare has born in 1564 and died in 1616. Nobody really knows when exactly he was born but for the records it is assumed that he was born in April, creating an interesting coincidence with his death. He is the greatest writer of his century and probably of the modern era. He influenced many contemporary writers and created a new point of view in the poetry. He wrote 37 plays and 154 sonnets. In his work Julius Caesar Shakespeare shows us the change of power in Rome and the problems that Rome had there. Power is the ability to act with force. Shakespeare makes visible the abuse of power and the struggle to gain power in the biggest empire at the time. Shakespeare also shows that the power itself is more than a name or position. It is something that the people exercise. There is not absolute power, every power has limitations. Besides the servants every character in some way has his power. Although the biggest argument in Julius Caesar is the change of power in the rulers of Rome, Shakespeare tries to show us many different kinds of power and the use of it. As we can see during the play, people with power use power just for their convenience.
The Roman Republic was founded in 509 BC after the ruling Tarquins abused their extensive power as monarchs and were overthrown. The goal of the Roman Republic was to have a strong government, governed equally by the patricians and the plebians, and to avoid another Roman Monarchy. For years Rome was guided by great men, such as Cincinnatus and Scipio Africanus, who led the Republic through hard times, conquering such enemies as the Etruscans and the Carthaginians. Large-scale war united Roman society in its common goals. However, after Scipio’s victory at Zama in 202 BC, a new Roman world began to take shape. Roman soldiers returned home from their victory to find that they could not pay for their farms, becoming “squatters” on their own lands after having to sell them to richer men. The Senate became corrupted, and despite the Gracchi brothers’ best efforts, the rich patricians soon monopolized nearly all aspects of the Republic, from trading and “farming” to governing the people. After marching on Rome, Sulla became dictator in 82 BC. After Sulla, the First Triumvirate: Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar, owned virtually all power in Rome, yet each had his own desire to defeat the other two and become Emperor. When Crassus died in battle, Caesar had his chance. He defeated Pompey and marched on Rome, victorious. After declaring himself Dictator for Life, Caesar was assassinated, and another Civ...
The Emperor did depend on the Army to keep Rome safe from enemies. Although, more importantly was the role of the Praetorian Guard, which will be discussed further on in this essay, who protected the emperor from any harm on a daily basis. For the Army, they got praise, money, ability to be promoted in military or senatorial rank and