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→Military role of the Praetorian Guards
The Praetorians because of their proximity to the absolute ruler of the known world knew that his power depended on deference and the unthinking obedience of the population. The Imperial Bodyguard, under Prefects such as Sejanus, recognized that ultimately power depended on brute force and that they had a monopoly on violence in Rome. As a result, the Imperial Guard played a considerable role in the history of the Empire. They had the ability, which the Senate did not have of making and unmaking the absolute ruler of the Roman world. The guards only deposed Emperors who were weak or during times of crisis. For the majority of their existence, strong rulers controlled the elite bodyguard. There are long periods in the 2nd century, for example, when the bodyguard is not mentioned in the sources, because they were tightly controlled by rulers, such as Hadrian.<ref>Bingham, p 178</ref>
====Military role Was the Praetorian Guard part of the Praetorian GuardsRoman Military? ====The Imperial guard was a formation of the army, and Emperors often deployed them in the field. The Praetorian cohorts often accompanied Emperors on the campaign, where they protected their sovereign. For example, they accompanied Trajan on his campaign in Dacia, and this is memorialized on the Arch of Trajan in Rome. It was not uncommon for the Imperial Bodyguard to take part in the battle and they were regarded as an elite unit, who was often used when the outcome of a battle was uncertain. On one occasion , they accompanied Germanicus as he quelled a great mutiny among the legions on the Rhine, who were threatening the new Emperor Tiberius. They helped Germanicus to persuade the legionnaires to return to their camps and restore discipline.<ref> Tacitus, x, v </ref> For many Emperors, they were seen as the last line of defense against a mutinous army or the legions of a rival.
====Security and other roles in Rome====
