TY - BOOK ID - 4893705 TI - Praetorian PY - 2017 SN - 9780300218954 0300218958 9780300226270 0300226276 PB - New Haven London DB - UniCat KW - Praetorian Guard KW - Special forces (Military science) KW - Prétoriens KW - Forces spéciales (Science militaire) KW - History KW - Histoire KW - Rome KW - Army KW - History. KW - Armée KW - HISTORY / Ancient / Rome. KW - HISTORY / Military / Other. KW - Praetorian Guard. KW - Prétoriens KW - Forces spéciales (Science militaire) KW - Armée KW - Special force troops KW - Special operations forces (Military science) KW - Commando troops KW - Counterinsurgency KW - Guerrilla warfare KW - Military art and science KW - Special operations (Military science) KW - Cohors praetoria KW - Praetorians KW - Guards troops UR - https://www.unicat.be/uniCat?func=search&query=sysid:4893705 AB - A riveting account of ancient Rome's imperial bodyguard, the select band of soldiers who wielded the power to make-or destroy-the emperors they served Founded by Augustus around 27 B.C., the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players. Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax, and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full narrative history of the Praetorians, whose dangerous ambitions ceased only when Constantine permanently disbanded them. de la Bédoyère introduces Praetorians of all echelons, from prefects and messengers to artillery experts and executioners. He explores the delicate position of emperors for whom prestige and guile were the only defenses against bodyguards hungry for power. Folding fascinating details into a broad assessment of the Praetorian era, the author sheds new light on the wielding of power in the greatest of the ancient world's empires. ER -