Barracks | Praetorian Camp | Praetorium
As you enter the gates of this great camp, you notice several members of the Praetorian Guard in parade dress getting ready for a display. You are impressed by the massive walls of the camp (over 15 feet high) and the number of armed soldiers stationed on the edge of the city.
photo by Hansjörg Klein
You remember that Augustus established the Praetorian Guard in 27 BCE but dispersed the cohorts throughout Italy. His successor, Tiberius, had this camp built in 23 CE so that all nine cohorts could be permanently garrisoned here. These elite troops protect the emperor and members of the imperial family and serve as part of the police force keeping order in the city. Praetorians also join the army in the field whenever the emperor himself goes on campaign.
Although you have never served in the army, you know that the structure of this camp follows the model used by Roman army in the field: a rectangular, walled fort with rounded corners, crossed by two roads. At the center is located the praetorium, the headquarters of the commanding officer, in this case one or two Praetorian Prefects. The camp is quite large, measuring 481 x 415 yards, and opens onto a plain used for the training of the soldiers and public displays, such as the one soon to take place here.
Barracks