The lives of roman emperors pretty much went one of two ways. It was either “reigned 60 years and died surrounded by his family” or “stabbed by his own guards and caused a civil war.”
I've always been fascinated by the Praetorian Guards, never in my life have I ever seen a documentary about them, because they have never been made... This made me smile so much that my whole day cannot be messed up anymore. Thank you!
@Sic semper tyrannis You make a good point. The line between traitor and patriot is usually declared after the fact and by the winner. In the case of Caligula I believe most Romans would lean towards patriotic.
Jim Li "Almost." But also, many of the problems with Rome are not patchable. They're simply due to the engine and the way it has been set up and coded. No amount of patching will fix the crappy animation. No codes can strip out the kill moves or work out the lack of unit collision.
+ortegaajesus1998 I play it on low graphics and they still good, the only thing I don't like is that whit FFW there are no sound effects, like when the horses run and all the stuff.
A treat to celebrate the 100,000 subscriber mark!!! This video is a bit different from the battle / campaign video series that I usually do. My idea moving forward is to do a lot more of these types of standalone videos. They will be a bit shorter which will make them easier to produce and consume. Let me know what you all think about this new direction. I will speak on this more in depth in another video.
+THFE Productions Yes please do. This was amazing. You are an amazing youtuber and this video was extremely interesting. It is crazy to think about even the sheer number of soldiers that make up these units and that were fielded in battle. This was extremely interesting and loved every second!
For many claiming the Praetorians are SWAT are completly wrong as the Urban Cohorts acted as riot controll/police alongside with the Vigiles with more Praetorian Guard acting more as overpaid perimiter guard for the Emperor as he had the Germanic Guard acting as the Emperors personal bodyguard.
Just imagine how glorious the Praetorian Guards military parade march must've looked like with the soldiers shields and armor gleaming in the Roman sun.
+MathemedicUpdates Why? The history channel don't do history shows anymore they do reality tv. Go take a look at what's on now. Bet it'll be pawn stars or some shit.
@@InvictaHistory the usa has a similar group that people never hear about when you see a Armed Marine standing next to the President those men are 8152 Marine Corp Gunslingers MCSFCO the original mission of this group of marines was to stop the american mob from stealing federal pay roll "mail" in 1920 and w.wilsons direct comment upon activation was "for every stolen piece of mail i expect to see two dead marines." no more federal payroll mail was stolen and these incidents is the reason why may mail carriers carry weapons today this is the only military unit that was created specifically to go after american citizens in a military sense..much like the preatorians they also guard all HIGH level prisoners' and guard the top brass in the field. very similar in many ways
@@InvictaHistory also many of the marines that get selected to this unit went to expensive military prep schools as youngsters in a effort to get selected. now i think people can go in this as a job without having to be selected and specifically 8152s are "final barrier defense"
+Black Baron Very true, although when new wars would happen in Japan, the Samurai would get their act together, up until the Meji Restoration, although many would end up becoming officers in the Japanese Army, which is kinda a remarkable evolution, that other elite groups did not really do. Really, the Samurai had several rises and declines, which make them rather interesting in that regard.
Janissaries and Mamlukes are actually a near perfect repeating of the shit that went down with the Praetorians. By the height of the Ottoman Empire, the Janissaries, just like the Praetorians, we're actively intervening in Ottoman political affairs by killing Sultans and appointing their own choices or taking sides in succession disputes. Really, it's a cautionary tale. Never create an elite, unaccountable military outfit unless you have something else to counterbalance it.
A distinction without a difference. We're all corruptible, and even more so the ones who think they're not. Power realizes that corruptibility into corruption, in everyone. Power corrupts. The only powerful people who aren't significantly corrupted are the ones who are aware of this, inspect themselves for corruption, and address it when they find it. Oh... Do you think 'corruption' = 'quid pro quo'? It doesn't. Any and all abuse of power is corruption, as is any degradation of personal virtue. - If you get a large corner office with a promotion, and can't stomach the idea of going back to a cramped office without a view? Congratulations! You're corrupted. - Get lazy after you hired a housekeeper? Congratulations! You're corrupted. - Stopped memorizing things after you got a smart phone? Congratulations! You're corrupted. Power corrupts, in all its forms: High office, wealth, fame, influence, respect, strength, beauty, intelligence, and more.
@@erikjarandson5458 Thank you. We should remember that it is not all or nothing. Every bit of change can lead to corruption, and only way to mitigate it is to be constantly vigilant and even then expect to fail. Same idea with "road to hell is paved with good intentions"
I love the Praetorian guard. For me it's mainly because of what they symbolically represent in history. Especially how more and more the Roman empire's true power lay with swordsmen and generals, which I'd argue is ultimately a big part of the reason the empire fell. Like the fact that the emperors paid them off has always been very interesting to me, as is the fact that they basically crowned Claudius. I wish you could do an entire episode (maybe even of half an hour or something) about this increasing political role alone.
it is refreshing to find a TH-cam who uses multiply, well respected books, to acquire his information instead of using the internet, and Wiki 24/7, and end up getting 80% of the things he says wrong. so 1000/1000 to you and the hard work you put into these videos. Keep up the good Work!
Sort of... dont be so optimistic about war elepahnts, they actually proved very ineffective in most scenarios in the battlefield, and worst, sometimes even became counter-productive when they panicked and made an stampede against their own forces, killing, disorganizing and scarying their own men.
When used improperly, or in the wrong situation, they failed. But keep in mind Antiochus the First's battle with the Galatians. 40,000 Gauls vs a much smaller Selucid army with 16 elephants. The elephants won the battle. They were glass cannons, true, but more of a fragile nuke. Devastating when used properly, pathetic when not.
Sebastian Ja You don't have to think they're amazing weapons of destruction to be enthusiastic, I know they are generally not great for warfare, but I'm also enthusiastic about them, because they're fucking war elephants, the only thing more badass would be war bears
The varangians were significantly more loyal and reliable than praetorians even though they served a foreign emperor. The Scandinavians were were a bit like the goths they were known for their loyal service
@@svenalans2707 its always good to use men from other countries because they will have no alliegences, just like the germanic guard to the roman emperors
@@balticbvll2987 Yet their loyalty ran as far as you payed them and quite the healthy sum. During the 1204 they deserted the Emperor just because they couldnt pay them.
Great vid! Love these history specials but please don't stop doing the massive battles series either, I think you've achieved a near perfect content balance on your channel and love the way things are currently going! More uploads are always appreciated though ;)
There were also long periods when Praetorians served very well in their primary role and also at the battlefield as a real elite .Since Septimius Severus guard was mostly composed from legionaries who served on the Danube and who actually saw a real combat duty.It is known that 1st century Praetorians were laughing to legionaries calling them "barbarians" because by that point absolute majority of Legionary soldiers was composed from provincial recruits not at Italian peninsula like in previous centuries.Legionaries of that very same time on the other hand scorned with Praetorians thinking they were no real soldiers,had easy service and were lazy.But live of a common Pretorian even if serving outside of wars was not so easy as frontier Legionaries imagined it although they had many benfits and much bigger pay.
Often times, their attempts to go toe to toe with battle hardened Roman Legions tended not to go their way. Just ask the Praetorians who tried to fight Septimius Severus
A few emperors spent a lot of time and money keeping their guards happy. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much. The Praetorians could be king makers or some times the emperor's executioner.
I'm glad that your conclusion wasn't the overused "it was a little bit (or it was) all of the above". I give points for changing it up and saying "it was not really any of them". Bravo good sir! 👍🤘
THFE Productions It might not be a very practical suggestion but a video listing all Republic/early Imperial legions and their accomplishments would be cool i.e. how they got their name, their standard, major battles. Or maybe a series of videos about Rome's expansion into Germania and Gaul
+THFE Productions As long as it covers wars,strategy&tactics,units backgrounds to tell us how was the life of a different types soliders back then,I am all ears.
+ThePrestd If you're keen on that time period and topic, one of the books referenced at the end of the video is precisely about that :) "Legions of Rome" by Stephen Dando-Collins. It's an about 500 page thick book describing each individual legion with it's standard, shield pattern and colouring, notable commanders and battle participation. The latter part of the book also describes every major campaign from the early reign of Augustus, up until the formation of the Byzantine Empire (I think, haven't finished it yet). Might be hard to acquire, but well worth the effort. Hope this helps :)
The whole "power" dynamic is really similar to the Ottoman Janissaries. Originally the Sultan/Khans guard, they grew so large and powerful they could pressure Sultans even dethroned some of them etc to keep their power. They also had a massive rivalry with the Sipahi elite Ottoman/Turkic forces.
+THFE Productions When Warhammer comes out, you should do a parody video about empire state troopers. It'd could be more humorous since it's fictional while diving into the lore of the unit.
Order breaks down when those intended to protect the state actually run the state by bumping off unpopular leaders and installing their own. That might work well for the small elite running the show, but usually doesn't garner much public support. During the last decades of the Roman Empire, emperors came and went so quickly that the title effectively became a death trap if one chose not to hand over the reigns to the Praetorians. It was almost like the Sword of Damoclese looming over the heads of the late emperors.
The Best Way to Put it in a Modern Context. The Legio Praetoria was a Combination of Elite Veterans, who became Honor Guards and served a role similar to the US. National Guard, but with more Prestige. They also functioned much like the Royal Guards of the British Crown, and yet they also had training in Espionage and Counterterrorism, similar to our intelligence agencies, but in antiquated times. The Legio Praetoria was a Prestigious, and Honorable Role for a Roman of Great Power and service. They were loyal to Rome and did so with a high regard for their people, leading to their participation in Public and Imperial affairs.
So, absolute power corrupts absolutely and with great power comes great responsibility. Especially if you are a praetorian guard. Had they not sided against Constantine, they might have continued on for some time.
That would have been essentially betraying everything they stood for. Remember that Constantine was the guy who replaced roman soldiers by german mercenaries and forced christanity on the population that did not want it. There was absolutely no other way for them as to oppose him.
I think what makes the Praetorian Guard so special is their physical proximity to the Emperor/Rome. Juvenal was right in asking, "Who will watch the watchers?"
He's unlikely to make a vid on the Royal Spartans, since they didn't exist historically. For a time, the kings of Sparta maintained a bodyguard called the "Hippeis" ("horsemen", though they weren't actually mounted) of 300 men. The Royal Spartans you see in R2TW were put in there for purposes of badassness. They never existed as such.
:D You're right about the hair, though they reportedly ate meat whenever it was available, and often ate blood soup (a disgusting black broth made of blood). "Hippeis" comes from "hippos" (horse) - as in hippopotamos = hippos (horse) + potamos (river), so literally "river horse".
Maybe for the next part, you could cover the Crisis of the Third Century? It's a rather forgotten period by most that really deserves some light shed on it so people can understand that there was a ton of stuff that happened between Marcus Aurelius/Commodus and Diocletian. For the part where you said that some would even rule as Emperor, aside from Macrinus, were there any other Praetorians who rose from the rank of Prefect to the Imperial throne? I don't quite recall whether or not there was, but there may have been one other (possibly, if I'm not just thinking of Sejanus, who essentially wielded so much power at the height of his power that Tiberius pretty much just was there to rubber stamp what Sejanus decreed). It's also interesting to note how Septimius Severus' decision to recruit only his Praetorian guard from talented soldiers across the empire stripped the frontier garrisons of some of the most capable officers and soldiers available to the empire. This decision had devastating consequences for his successors, who really struggled to fight Rome's enemies, especially as civil war continued to rage on.
The closest comparison in the American Military would be the 3rd Infantry Division. They are tasked with the security of Washington DC, the Capital Building, the White House, and most famously, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They are highly skilled and held to above normal standards. Their uniforms are held to extreme standards. While high scores in training alone could get you into the 3rd Infantry division alone, to receive any of the more respected roles such as Tomb Sentinel, it is an unofficial expectation that the soldier have at least 1 combat deployment and be well seasoned. Most in the 3rd did not start there and moved from other divisions. And since the 3rd is rarely mobilized away from the capital, you would struggle to gain actual combat experience while on their roster. While they are predominantly ceremonial, their weapons are real and loaded and they are among the best trained troops not in a special forces unit.
You know even our days in democratic Europe there is still interior troops that is primary function to be as riot police, but they are also trained as regular police and/or (depends from country) as regular military, that in need they can support swat operations or some raids against smugglers or illegal dealers, those interior troops usually physical requirements is higher than regular military or police units but it do not reach swat or any other military SOF unit requirements...
0:39 - A Praetor was not a single office - it was a magistracy with control over a particular province, city, or region. It simply confers upon someone the right to command troops, as the line between military and state in Ancient Rome was rather blurred.
+ThoseTolerableNoobs in the beginning I specifically mention the post of praetor early in Rome's history before there were regions and provinces to be given control of. Later on though your definition would be more accurate
+THFE Productions Ah, so you did, my apologies. Where did you source the info that the Praetor office came before the Consul? I had assumed that Praetor was just a generic term for a person with imperium to command troops. I find Rome really fascinating, so I'd be interested in learning more about how it developed politically.
+ThoseTolerableNoobs That came from the "Legions of Rome" book by Stephen Dando-Collins on pg 191. However for an overview of the Roman political life of the early monarchy/republic I would recommend "The Rise of Rome" by Anthony Everitt
Noobs - A lot of the modern books are good, but why not go back and read the ancient writers yourself ? I promise you they are NOT boring. Livy's "The History of Rome" is a good start. Julius Caesar's "The Gallic Wars" is another excellent book, and action packed. Think of it this way - crappy books are not still in publication 2,000 yrs later ! Personally, I find that the fact I can read a book written by Julius Caesar himself absolutely fascinating. It's just a suggestion for you, by why not read the very books used as sources for these modern books ? Reading both ancient and modern should give you a much more exciting learning experience. There are so many great Roman books (histories and other literature) still in publication to this day that you are almost cheating yourself by not reading them. See how the hard facts were put into play when they were real life. Like you, I also find Rome fascinating, so I hope that you'll take this suggestion seriously. Good Luck !
@@TedBronson1918 Because most - if not all - surviving Roman literature are very biased. Especially Livy and Julius, but also Historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius.
Bravo, Oakley! So well done! My mind craves this kind of insight. 2000 years later, I constantly and neurotically ponder the kinds of things your videos explain. Long time fan, bro. Keep up the good work!
2:05 Holy christ the animation... lmao! Everyone has sword drawn for no reason, and people are making 10 foot leaps onto the beach in full armor without breaking their ankles on the landing. xD
Could you do the spartan hop lite and phalanx as I'm currently doing it in university and It would really be interesting for everyone and help me out ☺
If you study ancient history at university level and need TH-cam videos to 'help you out' rather than consulting text books and primary and secondary historical sources, then I have bad news for you ...
Robert Fabbri's novel series Vespasian told me everything about Sejanus. and the Year of the Four Emperors period. Loved this era of Roman Imperial history
This is interesting, from what ive studied the praetorian guard were really an actual force until Titus became emperor and as you covered the leader essentially took a strangle hold on Rome. But before then, there really wasn't a thing that could be called the praetorian guard
It was ok. I didn’t have a pension plan or anything when I served Octavian. We ate well but were moved around depending on the leaders of our day. Politicians will never change. If you wanted to change out your uniform you had to have your wife or daughter help. Good luck getting any help with the armory. That being said, we were treated pretty well overall. Compared to other duties at the time.
+rainius byzantinus_ (RainTheRobloxian) In Domitian's Dacian War, the Praetorians did not make a good impression, they were defeated (85 A.D.) and they abandoned their Vexillum.
I disagree with that emphasized always. Security provides you the options to do stuff like speak freely without being murdered, leaving your house without being robbed, living your life without being enslaved by someone stronger. So to an extent, security provides you some of those freedoms you otherwise wouldn't have.
Conto but who is giving you that Security?! The government, in reality, you have no security, and the freedom is only a mere blind. I suggest you listen to Ronald Regan’s speech of 1964.
@@jmayday2653 Imagine this scenario: One day, a guy walks into your house. He is strong, he is armed and he catches you unprepared. He drags you into his house, and into his basement where he has a workshop. He makes you craft wooden products there all they long. You can't escape and if you resist he beats you up and doesn't give you the very cheap dinner you'd otherwise get. Others may have figured out what happened, but no one really does anything because they are scared of him. Your freedom is next to null. Now imagine the second scenario: When someone tries something like that, the government launches an investigation. They normally find the guy, they're strong enough that they don't have to be scared of him so they arrest him in put him in prison. It's so obvious that would happen to anyone that would attempt it that pretty much no one ever does. In short, they provide you with security from bullies like him. So in the second scenario the government interference traded the bully's freedom to hold you a slave for all of your freedoms to live your life normally. And no my question: which of the two scenarios has a freer society? Because I stand firmly on the position that the second one is freer. That this particular security has a greater net benefit of freedom than not having it.
+Lone Wolf Gaming but compared to the ss, the praetorians had more power over their regime. I don't think the ss ever even have the thought of taking over nazi germany
I love all your videos, but just want to say I really really look forward to your history vids, there're just so in depth and not at all boring to watch, learned most of my history from you. Love the content. :)
+THFE Productions it would be verry ineresting to learn something for the troops of eastern roman empire or byzantines. except varangian guard there is not a lot of info around. How the army changed when the empire changed.
+THFE Productions Oh god you replied... If would say legionaries, I know abit common and what other may have said but I always think of them as the backbone whenever I hear of them. Another option I could suggest is the bodyguards which Flavius Belisarius created during the reign of Justinian (I think), however I cannot remember the name. But whatever you do next I know I will be ecstatic to watch it :).
![Avenging Varus - The Germanic Wars [FULL DOCUMENTARY]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZyzY4ayG8R4/mqdefault.jpg)
The lives of roman emperors pretty much went one of two ways. It was either “reigned 60 years and died surrounded by his family” or “stabbed by his own guards and caused a civil war.”
yup pretty much lol
no roman emperor reigned 60 years. the avg was 20 and the longest reigning emperor was 41 yeaars which isn't anywhere near 60.
no roman emperor reigned 60 years. the avg was 20 and the longest reigning emperor was 41 yeaars which isn't anywhere near 60.
Don’t forget retired, diocletian pulled that shit off like a champ
@@gregorflopinski9016 He retired for a fucking cabbage farm, what a dude.
They protecc
They atacc
But most importantly
they stab the emperor's bacc
This needs to be on a shirt...
Hahaha wtf 😂
😂😂😂😂😂
I knew what was coming before I even hit Read more
Unlike the emperor he never knew what was coming
I thought only I noticed this when exploring Roman history lol
I've always been fascinated by the Praetorian Guards, never in my life have I ever seen a documentary about them, because they have never been made... This made me smile so much that my whole day cannot be messed up anymore. Thank you!
+ROBLOXablietski glad this video hit the spot
They also take 2 turns to recruit in Rome Total War
Simp
Lool
Rome 1. The only good one
@@bread9815 don't scoff at rome 2 now, its better than before
"Rome's finest!"
Praetorians, or as I like to call them "Experienced elite traitors"
eat?
Professional backstabbers
On point if they don't like your leadership they will have no second thought of killing you
@Sic semper tyrannis You make a good point. The line between traitor and patriot is usually declared after the fact and by the winner. In the case of Caligula I believe most Romans would lean towards patriotic.
That background music is incomplete without “ YES, IMPERATOR”
KnifeHand03 or "GENERAL"
HAHAHAHHA xD
YES SIRE
Rome’s finest...
Rome demands victory from her generals, and this day is clearly ours!
Man, I still love the Rome 2 graphics..
+ortegaajesus1998 That's about all there is to love...
+VelmiVelkiZrut post patch emperor edition fixed almost all of the bugs.
Jim Li "Almost." But also, many of the problems with Rome are not patchable. They're simply due to the engine and the way it has been set up and coded. No amount of patching will fix the crappy animation. No codes can strip out the kill moves or work out the lack of unit collision.
+ortegaajesus1998 I play it on low graphics and they still good, the only thing I don't like is that whit FFW there are no sound effects, like when the horses run and all the stuff.
+VelmiVelkiZrut No,the game is absolutely fine at it's current state.There's absolutely no bugs after all these patches.
A treat to celebrate the 100,000 subscriber mark!!! This video is a bit different from the battle / campaign video series that I usually do. My idea moving forward is to do a lot more of these types of standalone videos. They will be a bit shorter which will make them easier to produce and consume. Let me know what you all think about this new direction. I will speak on this more in depth in another video.
+THFE Productions This is a great idea, keep doing them please!
+THFE Productions I found it thoroughly enjoyable and educational so many thanks for this.
+THFE Productions Yes please do. This was amazing. You are an amazing youtuber and this video was extremely interesting. It is crazy to think about even the sheer number of soldiers that make up these units and that were fielded in battle. This was extremely interesting and loved every second!
I would love more of this!
Your short documentaries with total war games are great and informative.Keep it up m8.
For many claiming the Praetorians are SWAT are completly wrong as the Urban Cohorts acted as riot controll/police alongside with the Vigiles with more Praetorian Guard acting more as overpaid perimiter guard for the Emperor as he had the Germanic Guard acting as the Emperors personal bodyguard.
Hey, do you know what those "vicatii" units were?
Galba disbanded the Germanic Guard, though.
Just imagine how glorious the Praetorian Guards military parade march must've looked like with the soldiers shields and armor gleaming in the Roman sun.
Just to run away when they saw a enemy legion.
@@dudi0_0 and kill the emperor for not bribing them enough
"...whose reputation evokes mixed feelings of fear, awe, and mystery."
And among Romaboos, *_hatred._*
What's worse than a G*rmanic army sacking Rome ?
The existence of the Pr*torians
These kind of videos should be in the history channel or better yet, history channel should hire oakley.
+MathemedicUpdates Why? The history channel don't do history shows anymore they do reality tv. Go take a look at what's on now. Bet it'll be pawn stars or some shit.
history channel will never go back to actual history all they do is reality shit
Why do they call it the History channel still is beyond me......pure crap...
Ancient roman aliens n sheeeeit
I think this was well written, well researched, and well enunciated.
+Wolfgang Hendery thanks : )
Nice #work indeed
@@InvictaHistory the usa has a similar group that people never hear about
when you see a Armed Marine standing next to the President
those men are 8152 Marine Corp Gunslingers MCSFCO
the original mission of this group of marines was to stop the american mob from stealing federal pay roll "mail" in 1920 and w.wilsons direct comment upon activation was "for every stolen piece of mail i expect to see two dead marines."
no more federal payroll mail was stolen and these incidents is the reason why may mail carriers carry weapons today
this is the only military unit that was created specifically to go after american citizens in a military sense..much like the preatorians they also guard all HIGH level prisoners' and guard the top brass in the field.
very similar in many ways
@@InvictaHistory also many of the marines that get selected to this unit went to expensive military prep schools as youngsters in a effort to get selected.
now i think people can go in this as a job without having to be selected and specifically 8152s are "final barrier defense"
The emperor was also known as Optimus Primus.
A video on the Evocati would be cool !
I second this!
The elite evocati
I thought praetorians were tough until I seen what legion xxi could do.
The Praetorian Guard was bad for the RE.Over time they subverted the Empire making and unmaking emperors at will.
History repeats itself. Janissaries, Knights & Nobles, etc
+Hat21 not quite the same thing but i can see why
Also Mamluks
Just like every elite ever.Even the samurai while being isolated on that island they still went down that road.
+Black Baron Very true, although when new wars would happen in Japan, the Samurai would get their act together, up until the Meji Restoration, although many would end up becoming officers in the Japanese Army, which is kinda a remarkable evolution, that other elite groups did not really do. Really, the Samurai had several rises and declines, which make them rather interesting in that regard.
Janissaries and Mamlukes are actually a near perfect repeating of the shit that went down with the Praetorians.
By the height of the Ottoman Empire, the Janissaries, just like the Praetorians, we're actively intervening in Ottoman political affairs by killing Sultans and appointing their own choices or taking sides in succession disputes.
Really, it's a cautionary tale. Never create an elite, unaccountable military outfit unless you have something else to counterbalance it.
Power does not corrupt that is merely an excuse the corrupt people in power give. In reality power attracts the corruptible.
Power and money merely reveal ones true character.
A distinction without a difference. We're all corruptible, and even more so the ones who think they're not. Power realizes that corruptibility into corruption, in everyone. Power corrupts.
The only powerful people who aren't significantly corrupted are the ones who are aware of this, inspect themselves for corruption, and address it when they find it.
Oh... Do you think 'corruption' = 'quid pro quo'? It doesn't. Any and all abuse of power is corruption, as is any degradation of personal virtue.
- If you get a large corner office with a promotion, and can't stomach the idea of going back to a cramped office without a view? Congratulations! You're corrupted.
- Get lazy after you hired a housekeeper? Congratulations! You're corrupted.
- Stopped memorizing things after you got a smart phone? Congratulations! You're corrupted.
Power corrupts, in all its forms: High office, wealth, fame, influence, respect, strength, beauty, intelligence, and more.
Power corrupts, Absolute power corrupts absolutely !
@@erikjarandson5458 Thank you. We should remember that it is not all or nothing. Every bit of change can lead to corruption, and only way to mitigate it is to be constantly vigilant and even then expect to fail. Same idea with "road to hell is paved with good intentions"
I love the Praetorian guard. For me it's mainly because of what they symbolically represent in history. Especially how more and more the Roman empire's true power lay with swordsmen and generals, which I'd argue is ultimately a big part of the reason the empire fell. Like the fact that the emperors paid them off has always been very interesting to me, as is the fact that they basically crowned Claudius. I wish you could do an entire episode (maybe even of half an hour or something) about this increasing political role alone.
Yes! Please continue these!
Betrayrion Guard
HotZetiGer You win the award for the worst TH-cam comment I've ever seen.
This comment is so retarded
@@jeffnutz21banana4 no u
Exactly....
no he is right , in Greece we call riot police praetorians because they are the puppets of politicians
So basically they are like the grenadier guards in modern times. They both guard the Royal family but also see active service.
+Choodel Larker weeeeeeell if the guard could murder the king/queen and auction off the throne and use the new king or queen as a puppet then sure
+MrAwsomenoob right but the grenadiers have participated in civil war.
If the regiment’s of the guards regular Swacked the king/queen.
I had always wondered what the Praetorian Guard was and after watching this tutorial I learned a lot. Thanks for sharing this .
10:03 the battle map and animations look really good, i cant wait until you do some major wars/battles with this series
it is refreshing to find a TH-cam who uses multiply, well respected books, to acquire his information instead of using the internet, and Wiki 24/7, and end up getting 80% of the things he says wrong. so 1000/1000 to you and the hard work you put into these videos. Keep up the good Work!
Love these great documentaries keep em up!
War Elephants! Please do one on war elephants!
Ghandis weapons before nukes
Sort of... dont be so optimistic about war elepahnts, they actually proved very ineffective in most scenarios in the battlefield, and worst, sometimes even became counter-productive when they panicked and made an stampede against their own forces, killing, disorganizing and scarying their own men.
When used improperly, or in the wrong situation, they failed. But keep in mind Antiochus the First's battle with the Galatians. 40,000 Gauls vs a much smaller Selucid army with 16 elephants. The elephants won the battle. They were glass cannons, true, but more of a fragile nuke. Devastating when used properly, pathetic when not.
Sebastian Ja You don't have to think they're amazing weapons of destruction to be enthusiastic, I know they are generally not great for warfare, but I'm also enthusiastic about them, because they're fucking war elephants, the only thing more badass would be war bears
pollar or grizzly? .. or the dreaded hybrid O.o!!!
This is a much better content. This type of stuff i will watch all day. So much better than 3 minute WH tidbit videos.
i wanna know more of the Varangian guard of the medieval empire
+Michael Persson facebook.com/Varangian-guardGates-of-Miklagard-466594886784751/?ref=hl
The varangians were significantly more loyal and reliable than praetorians even though they served a foreign emperor. The Scandinavians were were a bit like the goths they were known for their loyal service
@@svenalans2707 its always good to use men from other countries because they will have no alliegences, just like the germanic guard to the roman emperors
@@balticbvll2987 Yet their loyalty ran as far as you payed them and quite the healthy sum.
During the 1204 they deserted the Emperor just because they couldnt pay them.
@@mojewjewjew4420 yeah, that is true
Great vid! Love these history specials but please don't stop doing the massive battles series either, I think you've achieved a near perfect content balance on your channel and love the way things are currently going! More uploads are always appreciated though ;)
So the Praetorians arent all that elite anyway? More of spoiled Legionaries?
+Mackenzie Braden you could say that
Mackenzie Braden Elite spoiled legionares.
Invicta 100% the Rhine or Danube legionaries were far more elite since they actually saw near continuous service in an active warzone.
There were also long periods when Praetorians served very well in their primary role and also at the battlefield as a real elite .Since Septimius Severus guard was mostly composed from legionaries who served on the Danube and who actually saw a real combat duty.It is known that 1st century Praetorians were laughing to legionaries calling them "barbarians" because by that point absolute majority of Legionary soldiers was composed from provincial recruits not at Italian peninsula like in previous centuries.Legionaries of that very same time on the other hand scorned with Praetorians thinking they were no real soldiers,had easy service and were lazy.But live of a common Pretorian even if serving outside of wars was not so easy as frontier Legionaries imagined it although they had many benfits and much bigger pay.
Often times, their attempts to go toe to toe with battle hardened Roman Legions tended not to go their way. Just ask the Praetorians who tried to fight Septimius Severus
A few emperors spent a lot of time and money keeping their guards happy. Sometimes it worked, other times not so much. The Praetorians could be king makers or some times the emperor's executioner.
I really like this series. It's great to have a focused history of such famous units of history.
I'm glad that your conclusion wasn't the overused "it was a little bit (or it was) all of the above". I give points for changing it up and saying "it was not really any of them". Bravo good sir! 👍🤘
YES! More antiquity videos.... Role on even more
+ThePrestd any suggestions for topics?
THFE Productions It might not be a very practical suggestion but a video listing all Republic/early Imperial legions and their accomplishments would be cool i.e. how they got their name, their standard, major battles. Or maybe a series of videos about Rome's expansion into Germania and Gaul
+THFE Productions As long as it covers wars,strategy&tactics,units backgrounds to tell us how was the life of a different types soliders back then,I am all ears.
+ThePrestd If you're keen on that time period and topic, one of the books referenced at the end of the video is precisely about that :)
"Legions of Rome" by Stephen Dando-Collins. It's an about 500 page thick book describing each individual legion with it's standard, shield pattern and colouring, notable commanders and battle participation. The latter part of the book also describes every major campaign from the early reign of Augustus, up until the formation of the Byzantine Empire (I think, haven't finished it yet).
Might be hard to acquire, but well worth the effort.
Hope this helps :)
+THFE Productions Theban Sacred Band
Nice closing there, quite poetic.
Anyways, nice vid, here you go, a suscribe.
When are you going to continue your evolution of Rome series?
+The Learned Soldier in due time
THFE Productions it's been 11 months. I DEMAND AN ANSWER
truisticprince 15
3
despite the video's age, it still holds up
love how the channel improves over time
The whole "power" dynamic is really similar to the Ottoman Janissaries. Originally the Sultan/Khans guard, they grew so large and powerful they could pressure Sultans even dethroned some of them etc to keep their power.
They also had a massive rivalry with the Sipahi elite Ottoman/Turkic forces.
"Horsemen never mutiny. "
Awesome, I just finished reading "Legions of Rome"
Once Warhammer comes out please don't stop uploading Rome II videos!
I actually own the Legions of Rome book by Stephen Dando-Collins. Bought it about a year ago. xD
+The Centurion How is it? I saw it at a book store the other day.
Dictator Caesar It's really interesting. It gives plentiful information on certain Legions, equipment, fortifications, among many other things. :)
Ah, excellent. I'll purchase a copy tomorrow.
@@Harrypotterxx2 how did you find the book to be?
i swear you are really great at these documentaries. Hope you make more.
Good on ya for citing your sources. Nice to see that for once.
i fucking love any antiquity videos you make it doesnt matter if you talk about immortals or preotorians i love em all
Something about these guys reminds me of a certain star wars character.
Yeah i know. I just can't put my finger on it...
Princess Leia. That's who. Also the Ewoks, but not as much.
The jabba's palace gaurds?
this should be taught in schools. excellent documentary
This is very well made u get an A star mate
OMG, this channel is amazing. Better visuals than most documentaries!
Another brilliant piece of work!
if Octavian disbanded the guard before he die the empire can last more than he can imagine
Can you make a video of the pretorian Guard densus? he Was the only one to defend his emperor when every over Else turned their back
Huh.. can you please tell me more
0:14
Nice cameo. That show was a masterpiece.
Another one of these videos would be awesome, maybe one for each total war period?
+Hamsaphina I'll be talking about this more in a video later but my plan is indeed to broaden the time frame we cover
+THFE Productions When Warhammer comes out, you should do a parody video about empire state troopers. It'd could be more humorous since it's fictional while diving into the lore of the unit.
+Lafayette “ChristmasSpacePresent” Roberson way ahead of you on this one
Bravo! That was awesome. A comprehensive overview. The graphics etc are sublime. Love this channel.
THIS IS AWESOME DO MORE MAN DO MORE
I don't usually comment on videos but when I do, it means it was f**king amazing. keep up the good work.
Order breaks down when those intended to protect the state actually run the state by bumping off unpopular leaders and installing their own. That might work well for the small elite running the show, but usually doesn't garner much public support. During the last decades of the Roman Empire, emperors came and went so quickly that the title effectively became a death trap if one chose not to hand over the reigns to the Praetorians. It was almost like the Sword of Damoclese looming over the heads of the late emperors.
These just get better and better.
I like these informative videos. I am not a gamer, so I dont watch the other videos. I hope you will have more of these videos.
It’s incredible how many people have made youtube careers out of the Total War series.
I enjoyed this lesson immensely! It was great and thank you for such awesome content
The Best Way to Put it in a Modern Context. The Legio Praetoria was a Combination of Elite Veterans, who became Honor Guards and served a role similar to the US. National Guard, but with more Prestige.
They also functioned much like the Royal Guards of the British Crown, and yet they also had training in Espionage and Counterterrorism, similar to our intelligence agencies, but in antiquated times.
The Legio Praetoria was a Prestigious, and Honorable Role for a Roman of Great Power and service. They were loyal to Rome and did so with a high regard for their people, leading to their participation in Public and Imperial affairs.
So, absolute power corrupts absolutely and with great power comes great responsibility. Especially if you are a praetorian guard. Had they not sided against Constantine, they might have continued on for some time.
That would have been essentially betraying everything they stood for. Remember that Constantine was the guy who replaced roman soldiers by german mercenaries and forced christanity on the population that did not want it. There was absolutely no other way for them as to oppose him.
@@lucasb9693 yes, Constantine legalised Christianity but didn't ban Paganism. That was Theodosius, who wasn't so great in my opinion.
Total War did such a great job with these graphics! so nice! thumbs up
When is the next evolution of roman legions?
Yeah I really liked the first episode.
This is one of them.
I think what makes the Praetorian Guard so special is their physical proximity to the Emperor/Rome. Juvenal was right in asking, "Who will watch the watchers?"
Very nicely done. Now I'd like to see abour Royal Spartans or something :P I'll subscribe for this awesome video
He's unlikely to make a vid on the Royal Spartans, since they didn't exist historically. For a time, the kings of Sparta maintained a bodyguard called the "Hippeis" ("horsemen", though they weren't actually mounted) of 300 men. The Royal Spartans you see in R2TW were put in there for purposes of badassness. They never existed as such.
+Ufthak1 Hippies? Ok, So they were vegans with shaggy hair and were badass too?
:D
You're right about the hair, though they reportedly ate meat whenever it was available, and often ate blood soup (a disgusting black broth made of blood).
"Hippeis" comes from "hippos" (horse) - as in hippopotamos = hippos (horse) + potamos (river), so literally "river horse".
Awesome video! I prefer this one over the first Roman one you did. Your voice is much more natural in this one. Can't wait to see the next ones!
Congrats to 100k Subs! You absolutely deserve it!
Maybe for the next part, you could cover the Crisis of the Third Century? It's a rather forgotten period by most that really deserves some light shed on it so people can understand that there was a ton of stuff that happened between Marcus Aurelius/Commodus and Diocletian.
For the part where you said that some would even rule as Emperor, aside from Macrinus, were there any other Praetorians who rose from the rank of Prefect to the Imperial throne? I don't quite recall whether or not there was, but there may have been one other (possibly, if I'm not just thinking of Sejanus, who essentially wielded so much power at the height of his power that Tiberius pretty much just was there to rubber stamp what Sejanus decreed). It's also interesting to note how Septimius Severus' decision to recruit only his Praetorian guard from talented soldiers across the empire stripped the frontier garrisons of some of the most capable officers and soldiers available to the empire. This decision had devastating consequences for his successors, who really struggled to fight Rome's enemies, especially as civil war continued to rage on.
The closest comparison in the American Military would be the 3rd Infantry Division. They are tasked with the security of Washington DC, the Capital Building, the White House, and most famously, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They are highly skilled and held to above normal standards. Their uniforms are held to extreme standards. While high scores in training alone could get you into the 3rd Infantry division alone, to receive any of the more respected roles such as Tomb Sentinel, it is an unofficial expectation that the soldier have at least 1 combat deployment and be well seasoned. Most in the 3rd did not start there and moved from other divisions. And since the 3rd is rarely mobilized away from the capital, you would struggle to gain actual combat experience while on their roster. While they are predominantly ceremonial, their weapons are real and loaded and they are among the best trained troops not in a special forces unit.
Has the 3rd ever assassinated a president? Or auctioned the position?
@@arx3516 depends on if you think Oswald worked alone or not.
Holy fuck, now that's a proper documentary. Nicely done dude, very nice, I hope H channel pays attention and they hire you !
You know even our days in democratic Europe there is still interior troops that is primary function to be as riot police, but they are also trained as regular police and/or (depends from country) as regular military, that in need they can support swat operations or some raids against smugglers or illegal dealers, those interior troops usually physical requirements is higher than regular military or police units but it do not reach swat or any other military SOF unit requirements...
Another excellent video! Thanks for listing the sources.
"security 'often' comes at the price of freedom."
false
security ALWAYS comes at the price of freedom
possibly one of your best videos yet
+Pine89SOH they get better every time : )
0:39 - A Praetor was not a single office - it was a magistracy with control over a particular province, city, or region. It simply confers upon someone the right to command troops, as the line between military and state in Ancient Rome was rather blurred.
+ThoseTolerableNoobs in the beginning I specifically mention the post of praetor early in Rome's history before there were regions and provinces to be given control of. Later on though your definition would be more accurate
+THFE Productions Ah, so you did, my apologies. Where did you source the info that the Praetor office came before the Consul? I had assumed that Praetor was just a generic term for a person with imperium to command troops. I find Rome really fascinating, so I'd be interested in learning more about how it developed politically.
+ThoseTolerableNoobs That came from the "Legions of Rome" book by Stephen Dando-Collins on pg 191. However for an overview of the Roman political life of the early monarchy/republic I would recommend "The Rise of Rome" by Anthony Everitt
Noobs - A lot of the modern books are good, but why not go back and read the ancient writers yourself ? I promise you they are NOT boring. Livy's "The History of Rome" is a good start. Julius Caesar's "The Gallic Wars" is another excellent book, and action packed. Think of it this way - crappy books are not still in publication 2,000 yrs later ! Personally, I find that the fact I can read a book written by Julius Caesar himself absolutely fascinating. It's just a suggestion for you, by why not read the very books used as sources for these modern books ? Reading both ancient and modern should give you a much more exciting learning experience. There are so many great Roman books (histories and other literature) still in publication to this day that you are almost cheating yourself by not reading them. See how the hard facts were put into play when they were real life. Like you, I also find Rome fascinating, so I hope that you'll take this suggestion seriously. Good Luck !
@@TedBronson1918 Because most - if not all - surviving Roman literature are very biased. Especially Livy and Julius, but also Historians such as Tacitus and Suetonius.
Bravo, Oakley! So well done! My mind craves this kind of insight. 2000 years later, I constantly and neurotically ponder the kinds of things your videos explain. Long time fan, bro. Keep up the good work!
2:05 Holy christ the animation... lmao! Everyone has sword drawn for no reason, and people are making 10 foot leaps onto the beach in full armor without breaking their ankles on the landing. xD
Everything about these videos is superb.
Their funniest claim for fame is when the Pratorian Guard auctioned off the Empire between some Senator ... lol
Everyone was happy when Constantine abolished the praetorian guard.
Cue the dabbing Emperors
Could you do the spartan hop lite and phalanx as I'm currently doing it in university and It would really be interesting for everyone and help me out ☺
I assume you've already read Persian Fire?
If you study ancient history at university level and need TH-cam videos to 'help you out' rather than consulting text books and primary and secondary historical sources, then I have bad news for you ...
Robert Fabbri's novel series Vespasian told me everything about Sejanus. and the Year of the Four Emperors period. Loved this era of Roman Imperial history
kind of like the Janissaries.
This is interesting, from what ive studied the praetorian guard were really an actual force until Titus became emperor and as you covered the leader essentially took a strangle hold on Rome. But before then, there really wasn't a thing that could be called the praetorian guard
It was ok. I didn’t have a pension plan or anything when I served Octavian. We ate well but were moved around depending on the leaders of our day. Politicians will never change. If you wanted to change out your uniform you had to have your wife or daughter help. Good luck getting any help with the armory. That being said, we were treated pretty well overall. Compared to other duties at the time.
Really like this kind of historical content
Thumbs up
I prefer Historia civillis's vids, but this was alright.
its weird how i prefer the moving squares compared to the Total war B-roll.
Heart Fire I enjoy both a lot.
Jackson Fortune Moving squares are bar
Both are good, they usually cover different subjects.
You should do a series like this like pick apart the different units of the Roman Empire and even the Greeks
can you do more on other roman units?
+Molebbie1991 definitely, any suggestions?
+THFE Productions How about the Sacred Band of Thebes, or any Greek City for example?
+THFE Productions Centurions!
+THFE Productions the urban cohorts?
+THFE Productions socii extraordinarii, i mean they are rare
The lowest point of the Guard's existence will always be the selling of the throne to the highest bidder
Personally, I'd say that the Praetorians were like an "elite militia"
Rome's private elite SWAT team, exclusive only to the mayor, and few others.
Dark Legate Tier 69 building required.
+rainius byzantinus_ (RainTheRobloxian) In Domitian's Dacian War, the Praetorians did not make a good impression, they were defeated (85 A.D.) and they abandoned their Vexillum.
Awesome vid I recently got Rome 2 because of your channel.
Security ALWAYS comes at the price of freedom.
I disagree with that emphasized always.
Security provides you the options to do stuff like speak freely without being murdered, leaving your house without being robbed, living your life without being enslaved by someone stronger.
So to an extent, security provides you some of those freedoms you otherwise wouldn't have.
Conto but who is giving you that Security?! The government, in reality, you have no security, and the freedom is only a mere blind. I suggest you listen to Ronald Regan’s speech of 1964.
@@jmayday2653 Imagine this scenario: One day, a guy walks into your house. He is strong, he is armed and he catches you unprepared. He drags you into his house, and into his basement where he has a workshop. He makes you craft wooden products there all they long. You can't escape and if you resist he beats you up and doesn't give you the very cheap dinner you'd otherwise get. Others may have figured out what happened, but no one really does anything because they are scared of him. Your freedom is next to null.
Now imagine the second scenario: When someone tries something like that, the government launches an investigation. They normally find the guy, they're strong enough that they don't have to be scared of him so they arrest him in put him in prison. It's so obvious that would happen to anyone that would attempt it that pretty much no one ever does. In short, they provide you with security from bullies like him.
So in the second scenario the government interference traded the bully's freedom to hold you a slave for all of your freedoms to live your life normally.
And no my question: which of the two scenarios has a freer society?
Because I stand firmly on the position that the second one is freer. That this particular security has a greater net benefit of freedom than not having it.
great vid. , a Vid. on the Evocati would be cool as well...
The Preatorians are kind of like the clone shock Troopers in star wars...
PRAETORIE DELENDA EST!
Aurelian no!
Excellent move using Rome 2 cinematics!
They seem to be similar to the SS in the Nazi regime tbh
+Lone Wolf Gaming but compared to the ss, the praetorians had more power over their regime. I don't think the ss ever even have the thought of taking over nazi germany
Seth Delmar yeah thats true.
I love all your videos, but just want to say I really really look forward to your history vids, there're just so in depth and not at all boring to watch, learned most of my history from you. Love the content.
:)
+J. Honeyball Glad to hear it! Any recommendations for what units to cover next?
+THFE Productions it would be verry ineresting to learn something for the troops of eastern roman empire or byzantines. except varangian guard there is not a lot of info around. How the army changed when the empire changed.
+THFE Productions Oh god you replied...
If would say legionaries, I know abit common and what other may have said but I always think of them as the backbone whenever I hear of them.
Another option I could suggest is the bodyguards which Flavius Belisarius created during the reign of Justinian (I think), however I cannot remember the name.
But whatever you do next I know I will be ecstatic to watch it :).
I hate it when my phone attempts to correct my writing, now I look like an idiot
Sorry for the grammatical errors