Praetorian : the rise and fall of Rome's imperial bodyguard / / Guy de la Bédoyère

• Autore: De la Bédoyère Guy
• Pubblicazione: New Haven, Connecticut : , : Yale University Press, , [2017]; ©2017
• Descrizione fisica: 1 online resource (352 p.) : 16 pp. b-w illus
• Disciplina: 356.160937
• Soggetto topico: Praetorian Guard - History; Special forces (Military science) - Rome - History
• Soggetto geografico: Rome Army History; Rome History Empire, 30 B.C.-476 A.D
• Classificazione: HIS002020HIS027130
• Nota di bibliografia: Includes bibliographical references (pages [317]-325) and index.
• Nota di contenuto: Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- Plan of Castra Praetoria -- Introduction -- 1. Evolution (44-31 BC) -- 2. Foundation (31 BC-AD 14) -- 3. Ambition (14-37) -- 4. Making History (37-51) -- 5. A Tale of Two Prefects (51-68) -- 6. Civil War (69) -- 7. To the Victor, the Spoils (69-98) -- 8. Concordia Exercituum (98-180) -- 9. The Age of Iron and Rust (180-235) -- 10. Decline and Dissolution (235-312) -- Epilogue -- Appendix 1: Key Dates -- Appendix 2: Praetorian Pay and Organization -- Appendix 3: Praetorian Prefects -- Appendix 4: Glossary of Terms -- Notes -- Bibliography and References -- Index of Emperors -- General Index -- Illustration Credits
• Sommario/riassunto: 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.
• Titolo autorizzato: Praetorian
• ISBN: 0-300-22627-6
• Formato: Materiale a stampa
• Livello bibliografico: Monografia
• Lingua di pubblicazione: Inglese
• Record Nr.: 9910162707503321
• Lo trovi qui: Univ. Federico II