Caesar CXXXVII Posted November 20, 2008 Report Share Posted November 20, 2008 "The German bodyguards, Corporis Custodes, numbering between 100-500 men were recruited by Augustus who seemed to use them as a private militia. They were disbanded after the Varus disaster and re instated before 14AD. It was Caligula who militarised them completely..." O.K What was the correlation between the Praetorians and the Corporis Custodes ? Where the c. 300 german bodyguards were when Chaerea stabed the mad god ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ASCLEPIADES Posted November 24, 2008 Report Share Posted November 24, 2008 (edited) "The German bodyguards, Corporis Custodes, numbering between 100-500 men were recruited by Augustus who seemed to use them as a private militia. They were disbanded after the Varus disaster and re instated before 14AD. It was Caligula who militarised them completely..." O.K What was the correlation between the Praetorians and the Corporis Custodes ? Where the c. 300 german bodyguards were when Chaerea stabed the mad god ? No correlation at all. The Praetorian cohorts came at least from the middle Republic. During the Civil Wars their loyalty was never completely assured, so foreign mercenaries were regarded as more reliable. Augustus actually had two units, one of Hispanians (Caligurritani) and other of Germans (Germani Corporis Custodes: Suetonius, Vita Divus Augustus cp.XLIX). Even the general Statilius Taurus (Salvidienus Rufus successor) had his own Germani Corporis Custodes, accorfing to epigraphic evidence. They were a de facto private paramilitary force, aside from the regular army. They acted as infantry in the palace and as cavalry in the field. They seem to have been predominantly Batavians. Caius (aka Caligula) actually gave some "thracian" gladiators the command of the guard (Suetonius, Vita Caius, cp. LV) . As his namesake (CJ Caesar) Caius got overconfident, so Cassius Chaerea and the other conspirators were able to surround him within a covered passage, far from the German guard, which subsequently killed many conspirators and bystanders (ibid. cp LVIII). Aggripina Minor had his own German guard until Nero deprived her for offending him (ibid Vita Nerocp. XXXIV). They abandoned Nero in the face of Galba's uprising (ibid cp. XLVIII). The German cohort was finally disbanded by Galba and send back to their native country withoutany reward, alleging that they may favoured Cn. Dolabella, another imperial pretender (ibid Vita Galba, cp XII). Edited November 24, 2008 by ASCLEPIADES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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