Roman Guardsman 62 BC-AD 324 by Ross Cowan

Author:Ross Cowan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Roman Guardsman 62 BC–AD 324
ISBN: 9781782009269
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Fragments from the Temple of the Flavians at Rome, showing Vespasian (centre, being crowned by Victory) and one of his praetorians (left). By AD 76, Vespasian had reduced the number of praetorian cohorts to nine. His son, Domitian, who built the Temple, increased the number to ten. (© C. Seeman)

Praetorian cavalry

The praetorian cavalrymen of a particular cohort were enrolled into the centuries, but formed a separate fighting unit (Tacitus, Histories 2.11, 24). It is not known whether the cavalrymen were included in the strength of the century, or whether they were supernumeraries. A passage in Hyginus’ de Munitionibus Castrorum (30) indicates there were at least 400 praetorian troopers. They accompany four praetorian cohorts. At first sight, this suggests 100 cavalry per cohort, but when Drusus went to negotiate with legionary mutineers in Pannonia in AD 14, he was escorted by two praetorian cohorts (specially reinforced, probably by drafts from the seven other cohorts, speculatores and evocati) and ‘the greater part of the praetorian cavalry and the flower of the Germani [corporis custodes]’ (Tacitus, Annals 1.24.1–2). This could suggest that it was normal for the bulk of the praetorian cavalry to go out on campaign, even if only a few praetorian cohorts were involved.

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