Praetorian Guard - Relationships Between Emperors and Their Guard

Relationships Between Emperors and Their Guard

Emperor Year Relationship with the Guard
Augustus 27 BC–AD 14 Created the Praetorian Guard, commanded their complete loyalty.
Tiberius 14–37 Made Sejanus the sole Guard prefect (as opposed to having the usual two) allowed him to concentrate the guard in a single camp. Tiberius later had him executed and replaced with Macro.
Gaius Caligula 37–41 Accession smoothed by popularity with Macro, the Praetorian Prefect he later had executed. Murdered by the Guard.
Claudius 41–54 Proclaimed emperor by the Guard and defended by them when in difficulty (e.g., Messalina and Gaius Silius' attempted coup). Began the process of formalised accession donatives on a large scale and his coinage reflects the fact with coin captioned imper.recep i.e. "position of emperor received from" with a picture of the Praetorian camp on.
Nero 54–68 Eventually deserted by the Guard
Galba 68–69 Murdered by the Guard whose accession donative, promised on his behalf by Tigellinus and Otho, he refused to pay.
Otho 69 Elevated by the Guard who fought ferociously for him at Cremona before he committed suicide.
Vitellius 69 Deposed by the Guard then executed.
Vespasian 69–79 Reduced the size of the Guard after victory in 69
Titus 79–81 Served as Praetorian prefect, then as emperor.
Domitian 81–96 His election was supported by the Guard who remained fiercely loyal to him, especially as he increased the army's pay. Killed by influential palace freedmen.
Nerva 96–98 Forced by a rebelling guard to adopt Marcus Ulpius Traianus as his successor.
Trajan 98–117 Had the Guard officers who led the rebellion against Nerva executed upon his succession.
Hadrian 117–138 Founded the Frumentarii.
Antoninus Pius 138–161
Marcus Aurelius 161–180 Commanded the Guard in his war against the Germanian Tribes.
Lucius Verus 161–169
Commodus 180–192 Retained the loyalty of the Guard.
Pertinax 193 Assassinated by the Guard.
Didius Julianus 193 Scandalously 'purchased' the Empire from the Guard and was soon deserted by them.
Septimius Severus 193–211 Disbanded the Guard and created a new one from the Danubian Legions.
Caracalla 211–217 Murdered in a plot by the Praetorian Prefect Macrinus.
Macrinus 217–218
Elagabalus 218–222 Murdered in the Castra Praetoria by the Guard.
Alexander Severus 222–235 Elevated by the Guard.
Maximinus Thrax 235–238
Gordian I 238
Gordian II 238
Balbinus 238 Murdered by the Guard.
Pupienus 238 Murdered by the Guard.
Gordian III 238–244 Proclaimed emperor by the Guard but killed by his Prefect, Philip the Arab.
Philip the Arab 244–249
Decius 249–251
Herennius Etruscus 251
Hostilian 251
Trebonianus Gallus 251–253
Aemilianus 253
Publius Licinius Valerianus 253–260
Gallienus 260-268
Claudius II 268–270
Quintillus 270
Aurelian 270–275 The Praetorians accompanied Aurelian on an expedition against Palmyra. Subsequently he was murdered by the Guard
Marcus Claudius Tacitus 275–276
Florianus 276
Marcus Aurelius Probus 276–282 Murdered by Praetorian troops after a revolt.
Carus 282–283
Carinus 283–285
Numerian 283–284
Diocletian 284–305 Dismantled the political power of the Praetorians through sweeping reforms of the Imperial system. Reported to have reduced the size of the Guard.
Maximian 286–305, 307–308 Praetorians accompanied Maximian to Africa in 297.
Galerius 305–311
Constantius Chlorus 305–306
Flavius Valerius Severus 306–307
Maxentius 306–312 Last emperor to command the guard.
Constantine I 306–337 Disbanded the Guard and destroyed the Castra Praetoria.

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