: ▁coh ort es ▁pra et oria e ) ▁was ▁an ▁el ite ▁unit ▁of ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Roman ▁army ▁whose ▁members ▁served ▁as ▁personal ▁body gu ards ▁and ▁intelligence ▁for ▁the ▁Roman ▁em per ors . ▁During ▁the ▁era ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic , ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁small ▁esc ort ▁force ▁for ▁high - ran king ▁officials ▁such ▁as ▁sen ators ▁or ▁provincial ▁govern ors ▁like ▁pro cur ators , ▁and ▁also ▁serving ▁as ▁body gu ards ▁for ▁high - ran king ▁officers ▁within ▁the ▁Roman ▁leg ions . ▁With ▁the ▁republic ' s ▁transition ▁into ▁the ▁Roman ▁Empire , ▁however , ▁the ▁first ▁em peror , ▁August us , ▁founded ▁the ▁Guard ▁as ▁his ▁personal ▁security ▁detail . ▁Although ▁they ▁continued ▁to ▁serve ▁in ▁this ▁capacity ▁for ▁roughly ▁three ▁centuries , ▁the ▁Guard ▁became ▁notable ▁for ▁its ▁intr igue ▁and ▁inter ference ▁in ▁Roman ▁politics , ▁to ▁the ▁point ▁of ▁over throw ing ▁em per ors ▁and ▁proc laim ing ▁their ▁success ors . ▁In ▁ 3 1 2 , ▁the ▁Guard ▁was ▁dis band ed ▁by ▁Const antine ▁the ▁Great , ▁ ▁as ▁he ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁destruction ▁of ▁their ▁bar ra cks ▁at ▁the ▁Cast ra ▁Pra et oria . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁ ▁Pra et ori ans ▁origin ated ▁as ▁gu ards ▁of ▁Roman ▁gener als ▁during ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic . ▁They ▁are ▁first ▁recorded ▁as ▁body gu ards ▁of ▁the ▁Sci pio ▁family ▁around ▁ 2 7 5 ▁BC .