PR.ETORIANI, ,Oree-tli-ri-k'mi, or CortonriEs PRmiireal/E, co-her'..tes the impe rial development of the republican arbors Pra to' rid or body-guard attached temporarily to the Roman commander-in-chief in the field to protect his person and execute his orders, were first constituted a distinct corps by Augustus, who levied ten cohorts of z,000 men each in Etruria, Umbria, Latium, and the old colonies, and gave them special privileges and double pay ; but, to avoid irritating the populace, three cohorts only were stationed in Rome, and the rest were distributed in the neighbour ing cities. Tiberius, on pretence of intro ducing a stricter discipline and relieving the country districts of the burden of military quarters, congregated them all in a permanent fortified camp (cas'ira PratYria) at the north Priapus end of the Viminal in Rome. They necessarily wielded great power, and their good-will was bought with compliments and donations by every prince on his accession. They gradually
became more insolent, till, on the murder Pertinax, they sold the throne to the highest bidder, Didius Julianus, A.0 193. They were disbanded by Septimius Severus, who, how ever, formed them again on a new model, and made their number (which had before been raised to r6,000 by Vitellius) 40,000, and re cruited them from the picked men of the frontier legions. Their numbers were re duced and privileges abolished by Diocletian, who supplied, in a great measure, their place by the Illyrian legions, Pvidni and Ile, ni ; and, after being raised to their former strength by Maxentius, they were at last disbanded by Constantine the Great. The office of General —Prcefeetus Prato' rio—was vested in two, three, or four persons, and was of great importance.