Osprey Trade Editions : Guardians of the Roman Empire

The Praetorian Guard of Imperial Rome was the power behind the throne, with the ability to make or break an Emperor. Its origins lay in the guards units of republican commanders and the units of Octavian and Anthony that fought at Actium. This book covers the organisation, dress and history from these early days to the Guard's effective destruction at the battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD, and also details the guard units of the third and fourth centuries that replaced those lost. Text by Dr Boris Rankov with illustrations by Richard Hook.