Praetorian Guard
Americannoun
noun
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the bodyguard of the Roman emperors, noted for its political corruption, which existed from 27 bc to 312 ad
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a member of this bodyguard
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The term is sometimes applied to the inner circle of advisers to a major political figure.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Besides the emperor’s residence, the complex included gardens, places of worship, quarters for the Praetorian Guard that protected the ruler and a service district for workers that overlooked the Roman Forum.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2023
She was the sister of the emperor Caligula and the niece of his successor Claudius, who became emperor after Caligula was murdered by his own Praetorian Guard in C.E.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 9, 2023
The Praetorian Guard started as nine cohorts of 480 men, but later each cohort was grown to 1,000 men.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2020
It’s said that in ancient Rome, the emperor had a member of the Praetorian Guard who, amid all the pomp and all the accolades, would stand behind him and murmur: “Remember, Caesar, thou art mortal.”
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2017
But suddenly she became aware that a member of the Praetorian Guard was standing behind her.
From "Tiger, Tiger" by Lynne Reid Banks
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
