The WORST Bodyguards in History? - Praetorian Guard

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Assassinating their own emperor is obviously something a bodyguard should not do… and yet the Praetorian Guards of Rome did exactly this, multiple times. How? Well… it’s complicated.
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We’ll start with something juicy – the murders. Emperors Caligula and Pertinax were assassinated by the Guard in 41 AD and 193 AD respectively. Why? Abuse of power and extreme cruelty, excessive taxation, and poor military decision-making are the reasons for Caligula’s death.

Attempted reforms of the guard, and financial austerity resulted in Pertinax being assassinated. It is after his death the Praetorians auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder, leading to the rule of Emperor Didius Julianus.

But how did the Guard find itself in such a situation? It began at their very inception. The Praetorian Guard, instituted by Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE, marked a pivotal development in the structure of imperial security in ancient Rome.

Formed from the amalgamation of select troops in the wake of civil war, the Praetorians were established with a specific focus on safeguarding the Roman emperor and maintaining order within the capital city, Rome.

Assassinating their own emperor is obviously something a bodyguard should not do… and yet the Praetorian Guards of Rome did exactly this, multiple times. How? Well… it’s complicated.
______________

We’ll start with something juicy – the murders. Emperors Caligula and Pertinax were assassinated by the Guard in 41 AD and 193 AD respectively. Why? Abuse of power and extreme cruelty, excessive taxation, and poor military decision-making are the reasons for Caligula’s death.

Attempted reforms of the guard, and financial austerity resulted in Pertinax being assassinated. It is after his death the Praetorians auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder, leading to the rule of Emperor Didius Julianus.

But how did the Guard find itself in such a situation? It began at their very inception. The Praetorian Guard, instituted by Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE, marked a pivotal development in the structure of imperial security in ancient Rome.

Formed from the amalgamation of select troops in the wake of civil war, the Praetorians were established with a specific focus on safeguarding the Roman emperor and maintaining order within the capital city, Rome.

Assassinating their own emperor is obviously something a bodyguard should not do… and yet the Praetorian Guards of Rome did exactly this, multiple times. How? Well… it’s complicated.
______________

We’ll start with something juicy – the murders. Emperors Caligula and Pertinax were assassinated by the Guard in 41 AD and 193 AD respectively. Why? Abuse of power and extreme cruelty, excessive taxation, and poor military decision-making are the reasons for Caligula’s death.

Attempted reforms of the guard, and financial austerity resulted in Pertinax being assassinated. It is after his death the Praetorians auctioned off the throne to the highest bidder, leading to the rule of Emperor Didius Julianus.

But how did the Guard find itself in such a situation? It began at their very inception. The Praetorian Guard, instituted by Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE, marked a pivotal development in the structure of imperial security in ancient Rome.

Formed from the amalgamation of select troops in the wake of civil war, the Praetorians were established with a specific focus on safeguarding the Roman emperor and maintaining order within the capital city, Rome.