Use of Praetorians

[GrahamP]

Hi everyone,

I've been wargaming GW games for over fifteen years now, but I wanted to give something else a try. My Friendly Local Gaming Store was displaying Black Powder, Hail Caesar and the Warlord Games models, which is how I ended up here. At least intially, I'm planning on playing Romans against British celts during the conquest and occupation of Britain by the Romans.

So I'm looking at the Roman Starter army box and wondering something:

If a Roman army includes Praetorians, does that mean the army is personally commanded by the Emperor himself? Or at least that there would only have been Praetorians fighting in Britain when the Emperor was present, even if he wasn't in that battle?

[zedeyejoe]

While campaigning, the Praetorians were the equal of any formation in the Roman Army. On the death of Augustus in 14 A.D. his successor Tiberius was faced with mutinies among both the Rhine and Pannonian legions. According to Tacitus, the Pannonian forces were dealt with by Tiberius' son Drusus, accompanied by two Praetorian cohorts, the Praetorian cavalry and some of the German bodyguard. The German mutiny was put down by Tiberius' stepson Germanicus, his intended heir, who then led the legions and detachments of the Guard in an invasion of Germany over the next two years. The Guard saw much action in 69, fighting well for Otho at the first battle of Bedriacum. Under Domitian and Trajan, the guard took part in wars from Dacia to Mesopotamia, while with Marcus Aurelius, years were spent on the Danubian frontier. Throughout the 3rd century, the Praetorians assisted the emperors in various campaigns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praetorian ... on_in_wars

[Invisible officer]

The use of Praetorians to help the emperors son and heir Drusus to quell a rebellion of Roman troops was a very special occasion. Normal army commanders got no guard units in wars against foreign enemies. The death of Germanicus had left Drusus as the only legal heir and to give him guards for his security was logical, even it was a risk for Tiberius.

In the civil wars Praetorians fought some battles without the emperor present but that was again a very special situation.

The Praetorians are recruited among serving Legionaries, usurper emperors used to take new ones from the legiones that brought them to the throne.
To give a general an opportunity to gain support from the Praetorians (by presents or loot) would have been foolish.

The possible murder of Drusus by the Praetorian commander Seianus was done (if at all) without the support of the unit. We can be sure that Drusus had gained some support among the men.

For an ordinary campaign I would not field Guard units but there are many campaigns with emperors present. And many nice miniatures of emperors available.

[zedeyejoe]

So we have the Praetorians fighting under the command of the Emperor (and sometimes there was more than one Emperor running around, the Guard went with the one they supported) and his heir.

[mikeland]

Claudius himself visited Britain to 'assist' with the victory in ad43. This was probably a mere token gesture to seal his position, a PR stunt. However it does place the praetorians in Britain in ad 43, good enough excuse for me!

[Invisible officer]

So we can play the 16 days Claudius stayed in Britannia with Praetorians. I like to suggest a real time game.

Not to forget the Elephants he brought with him on a seperate transport. Cass Dio 60.21. is the source for that. I don't think that he had real war trained elephants, just circus ones. Polyaenus Stategemata 8.23.5 claimed that Julius Caesar used an Elephant in a forced river crossing in Britannia but he confused Julius with Claudius. Anyway that story is very doubtful. We read of no actions of elephants or guards in these 16 days in any Claudius related source.

The speed of Claudius travel indicates that he had only a small guard escort with him. Cassius Dio 60: "He sailed down the river to Ostia, and from there followed the coast to Massilia; thence, advancing partly by land and partly along the rivers, he came to the ocean and crossed over to Britain, where he joined the legions that were waiting for him near the Thames"

But there is no need to have no praetorians in a gaming army. I do. It's gaming.

[grant]

Hey, you just gave two references that would spice up British "what if" gaming. An elephant! Awesome!