▁various ▁leg ions . ▁The ▁new ▁em peror ▁was ▁always ▁proc laimed ▁by ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁before ▁being ▁rat ified ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁and ▁the ▁leg ions ▁station ed ▁in ▁the ▁various ▁provinces . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Se jan us , ▁who ▁was ▁sacrific ed ▁for ▁the ▁don ative ▁( imper ial ▁gift ) ▁promised ▁by ▁T iber ius , ▁the ▁Gu ards ▁began ▁to ▁play ▁an ▁increasing ly ▁am bit ious ▁and ▁blo ody ▁game ▁in ▁the ▁Empire . ▁For ▁the ▁right ▁price , ▁or ▁at ▁will , ▁they ▁assass in ated ▁em per ors , ▁bul lied ▁their ▁own ▁pre fect s , ▁or ▁turned ▁on ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁Rome . ▁In ▁ 4 1 , ▁Cal ig ula ▁was ▁killed ▁by ▁consp ir ators ▁from ▁the ▁sen atorial ▁class ▁and ▁from ▁the ▁Guard , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁daughter . ▁The ▁Pra et ori ans ▁placed ▁his ▁uncle ▁Claud ius ▁on ▁the ▁throne , ▁d aring ▁the ▁Senate ▁to ▁opp ose ▁their ▁decision . ▁In ▁ 6 9 , ▁the ▁Year ▁of ▁the ▁Four ▁Em per ors , ▁after ▁the ▁em peror ▁Gal ba ▁failed ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁don ative ▁for ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans , ▁they ▁transferred ▁their ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁O th o ▁and ▁assass in ated ▁the ▁em peror . ▁O th o ▁acqu ies ced ▁in ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ' ▁dem ands ▁and ▁granted ▁them ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁appoint ▁their ▁own ▁pre fect s , ▁ens uring ▁their