. ▁▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁ 2 3 8 , ▁under ▁Max imin us ▁Th ra x , ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁was ▁employed ▁on ▁active ▁service . ▁Def ended ▁by ▁only ▁a ▁small ▁resid ual ▁g arrison , ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁camp ▁was ▁attacked ▁by ▁a ▁civil ian ▁crowd ▁acting ▁in ▁support ▁of ▁sen ators ▁in ▁revol t ▁against ▁the ▁G ord ian ▁em per ors . ▁The ▁failure ▁of ▁Max imin us ▁Th ra x ▁to ▁win ▁the ▁civil ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁cont enders ▁G ord ian ▁I ▁and ▁G ord ian ▁II ▁led ▁to ▁his ▁death ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁troops , ▁including ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans . ▁The ▁sen atorial ▁candidates ▁for ▁the ▁throne , ▁P up ien us ▁and ▁Bal bin us , ▁re called ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁to ▁Rome , ▁only ▁to ▁find ▁themselves ▁under ▁attack ▁by ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans . ▁Both ▁were ▁killed ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 9 ▁ 2 3 8 ▁and ▁G ord ian ▁III ▁triumph ed . ▁ ▁After ▁ 2 3 8 , ▁literary ▁and ▁ep ig raph ic ▁sources ▁dry ▁up , ▁and ▁information ▁on ▁the ▁Pra et or ian ▁Guard ▁becomes ▁rare . ▁In ▁ 2 4 9 , ▁the ▁Pra et ori ans ▁assass in ated ▁Philipp us ▁II , ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁em peror ▁Philip ▁the ▁Arab . ▁In ▁ 2 7 2 , ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of