praetorian guard - The praetorian guard was an elite infantry
created by Augustus and charged with the task of guarding the princeps. The princeps was a person without strict legal
right to rule, however they possessed great imperium, along with
extraordinary political influence. The praetorian guard consisted of 9,000
troops and signified a destabilizing influence on the Roman Republic.
Unfortunately, the praetorian guard, with its allegiance to the princeps and not to the state, could be used to subvert the will
of the Senate and the legal representatives of power. In fact, the
praetorian guard would be instrumental in the assassination of
Caligula, and it was also responsible for placing Claudius as
the emperor who succeeded Caligula. definition
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