▁Guard ▁was ▁ultimately ▁dissol ved ▁by ▁Emperor ▁Const antine ▁I ▁in ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century . ▁They ▁were ▁distinct ▁from ▁the ▁Imperial ▁German ▁Body guard ▁which ▁provided ▁close ▁personal ▁protection ▁for ▁the ▁early ▁Western ▁Roman ▁em per ors . ▁ ▁They ▁benef ited ▁from ▁several ▁advantages ▁due ▁their ▁close ▁proxim ity ▁with ▁the ▁em peror : ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁were ▁the ▁only ▁ones ▁admitted ▁while ▁bearing ▁arms ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁sacred ▁Rome ▁– ▁the ▁P omer ium . ▁ ▁Their ▁mand atory ▁service ▁was ▁shorter ▁in ▁duration , ▁for ▁instance ▁: ▁ 1 2 ▁years ▁with ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁instead ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁years ▁in ▁the ▁leg ions ▁starting ▁year ▁ 1 3 ▁BC , ▁then ▁carried ▁to , ▁respectively , ▁ 1 6 ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁in ▁year ▁ 5 ▁BC ▁according ▁to ▁T ac it us . ▁ ▁Their ▁pay ▁was ▁higher ▁than ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁leg ion ary . ▁Under ▁N ero , ▁the ▁pay ▁of ▁a ▁Pra et or ian ▁was ▁three ▁and ▁a ▁half ▁times ▁that ▁of ▁a ▁leg ion ary , ▁augment ed ▁by ▁prime ▁add itions ▁of ▁don ativ um , ▁granted ▁by ▁each ▁new ▁em peror . ▁This ▁additional ▁pay ▁was ▁the ▁equivalent ▁of ▁several ▁years ▁of ▁pay , ▁and ▁was ▁often ▁repeated ▁at ▁important ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁or ▁events ▁that ▁touched ▁the ▁imperial ▁family : ▁birth days , ▁birth s ▁and ▁mar ri ages . ▁Major ▁mon et ary ▁distributions ▁or ▁food