IntroductionTheir name alone conjures up many vivid images; from the heroic men clad in Roman red iron to the bloody battlefields, where they stand disciplined and orderly while chaos reigns all around, and even to the silent corridors of the Emperors' palace, where a change in power and leadership is but a thrusting blade away. These fierce and resilient men formed the iconic symbol of the ancient Roman army: the Praetorian Guard. Rigid and unshakable, these soldiers were the bodyguards of the most powerful men in the ancient world: the emperors of Rome. Formally created in 23 BC by Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, the Praetorian Guard served as bodyguards for emperors, approximately nine cohorts of five hundred men each forming the first Praetorian Guard; they were stationed right outside the center of Rome. The Praetorian Guard was mainly recruited from central Italy, unlike most of the Roman army, the guards were made up of all Italian citizens and were referred to as "the true sons of Italy" by Piso, Galba's chosen heir. “The Praetorians thus became the symbolic living descendants of the glorious Roman past” (Wasileski 32). The Praetorians were thought to be the symbol of the Emperors' power "The Praetorians were a visible symbol of that [the Emperor's] strength in the Capital" (Wasileski 1). The transition from bodyguard to political power gave the Praetorian Guard a sense of power, particularly the Praetorian Prefects. Most of the infamous stories surrounding the Praetorian Guard The guards who assassinate their emperors are actually just a few guards following a very ambitious Praetorian Prefect. Praetorian Prefects do not usually serve with the Praetorians before assuming command. They are primarily Guard administrators and most do not have... half the card... ki 20). It should also be known that the Praetorian Guard were still personal bodyguards and on most occasions served their Emperors faithfully and actually helped maintain the peace and continued to do their duty to the Emperor in general. However, with the realization of their political powers, the Praetorian Prefects will use the Praetorian Guard to influence what happens behind the palace doors more frequently and in a way more suited to their own agendas. Those loyal and heroic men of the Guard are slowly turning into infamous tools used to further corrupt ambitions and treacherous treacheries. Although, despite all the bribes and corruption, the Guard will always be an impressive symbol of Roman might, it will always be remembered as the right hand of the Emperor. They will always take their place in the hallowed annals of history as the Emperor's elite bodyguards.