Praetorian prefect

Praetorian prefect (Latin: praefectus praetorio, Greek: ἔπαρχος/ὕπαρχος τῶν πραιτωρίων) was the title of a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief aides. Under Constantine I, the office was much reduced in power and transformed into a purely civilian administrative post, while under his successors, territorially-defined praetorian prefectures emerged as the highest-level administrative division of the Empire. The prefects again functioned as the chief ministers of the state, with many laws addressed to them by name. In this role, praetorian prefects continued to be appointed until the reign of Heraclius in the 7th century AD, when wide-ranging reforms reduced its power and converted it to a mere overseer of provincial administration. The last traces of the prefecture disappeared in the Byzantine Empire by the 840s.

The term praefectus praetorio was often abbreviated in inscriptions as 'PR PR' or 'PPO'.

History

Commander of the Praetorian Guard

Under the empire the praetorians or imperial guards were commanded by one, two, or even three praefects (praefecti praetorio), who were chosen by the emperor from among the equites and held office at his pleasure. From the time of Alexander Severus the post was open to senators also, and if an equestrian was appointed he was at the same time raised to the senate. Down to the time of Constantine, who deprived the office of its military character, the prefecture of the guards was regularly held by tried soldiers, often by men who had fought their way up from the ranks. In course of time the command seems to have been enlarged so as to include all the troops in Italy except the corps commanded by the city praefect (cohortes urbanae).

The special position of the praetorians made them a power in their own right in the Roman state, and their prefect, praefectus praetorio, soon became one of the more powerful men in this society. The emperors tried to flatter and control the praetorians, but they staged many coups d'état and contributed to a rapid rate of turnover in the imperial succession. The praetorians thus came to destabilize the Roman state, contrary to their purpose. The praetorian prefect became a major administrative figure in the later empire, when the post combined in one individual the duties of an imperial chief of staff with direct command over the guard also. Diocletian greatly reduced the power of these prefects as part of his sweeping reform of the empire's administrative and military structures.

Transformation to administrator

Further information: Praetorian prefecture

The insignia of the praetorian prefect of Illyricum, as depicted in the Notitia Dignitatum: the ivory inkwell and pen case (theca), the codicil of appointment to the office on a blue cloth-covered table, and the state carriage.

In addition to his military functions, the praetorian prefect came to acquire jurisdiction over criminal affairs, which he exercised not as the delegate but as the representative of the emperor. It was decreed by Constantine 331 that from the sentence of the praetorian praefect there should be no appeal. A similar jurisdiction in civil cases was acquired by him not later than the time of Septimius Severus. Hence a knowledge of law became a qualification for the post, which under Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, but especially from the time of Severus, was held by the first jurists of the age, (e.g. Papinian, Ulpian, Paullus) and John the Cappadocian, while the military qualification fell more and more into the background.

The tetrarchy reform of Diocletian (c. 296) multiplied the office, there was a praetorian prefect as chief of staff (military and administrative)—rather than commander of the guard—for each of two Augusti, but not for the two Caesars. Each praetorian prefect oversaw one of the four quarters created by Diocletian, which became regional praetorian prefectures for the young sons of Constantine ca 330 A.D. From 395 there two imperial courts, at Rome (later Ravenna) and Constantinople, but the four prefectures remained as the highest level of administrative division, in charge of several so-called dioceses (groups of Roman provinces), each of which was headed by a Vicarius.

Under Constantine I, the institution of the magister militum deprived the praetorian prefecture altogether of its military character but left it the highest civil office of the empire.

Germanic era

The office was among the many maintained after the Western Roman Empire had succumbed to the Germanic invasion in Italy, notably at the royal court of the Ostrogothic king Theoderic the Great, who as a nominal subject of Constantinople retained the Roman-era administration intact.

List of known prefects of the Praetorian Guard

The following is a list of all known prefects of the Praetorian Guard, from the establishment of the post in 2 BC by Augustus until the abolishment of the Guard in 314. The list is presumed to be incomplete due to lack of sources documenting the exact number of persons who held the post, what their names were and what the length of their tenure was. Likewise, the Praetorians were sometimes commanded by a single prefect, as was the case with for example Sejanus or Burrus, but more often, the emperor appointed two commanders, who shared joint leadership. Overlapping terms on the list indicate dual command.

Julio-Claudian dynasty (2 BC – AD 68)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Publius Salvius Aper	2 BC – ??	Augustus
Quintus Ostorius Scapula	2 BC – ??	Augustus
Publius Varius Ligur	?? – ??	Augustus
Lucius Seius Strabo	?? – 15	Augustus, Tiberius
Lucius Aelius Sejanus	14 – 31	Tiberius
Quintus Naevius Sutorius Macro	31 – 38	Tiberius, Caligula
Marcus Arrecinus Clemens	38 – 41	Caligula
Lucius Arruntius Stella	38 – 41	Caligula
Rufrius Pollio	41 – 43	Claudius
Catonius Justus	41 – 43	Claudius
Rufrius Crispinus	43 – 50	Claudius
Lucius Lusius Geta	47 – 50	Claudius
Sextus Afranius Burrus	50 – 62	Claudius, Nero
Lucius Faenius Rufus	62 – 65	Nero
Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus	62 – 68	Nero
Gaius Nymphidius Sabinus	65 – 68	Nero

Year of the Four Emperors (AD 68 – 69)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Cornelius Laco	68 – 69	Galba
Plotius Firmus	69 – 69	Otho
Licinius Proculus	69 – 69	Otho
Publius Sabinus	69 – 69	Vitellius
Alfenius Varus	69 – 69	Vitellius
Junius Priscus	69 – 69	Vitellius

Flavian dynasty (AD 69 – 96)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Arrius Varus	69 – 70	Vespasian
Marcus Arrecinus Clemens	70 – 71	Vespasian
Tiberius Julius Alexander	69 – ??	Vespasian
Titus Flavius Vespasianus	71 – 79	Vespasian
Lucius Julius Ursus	81 – 83	Domitian
Cornelius Fuscus	81 – 86	Domitian
Lucius Laberius Maximus	83 – 84	Domitian
Casperius Aelianus	84 – 94	Domitian
Titus Flavius Norbanus	94 – 96	Domitian
Titus Petronius Secundus	94 – 96	Domitian

Five Good Emperors to Didius Julianus (AD 96 – 193)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Casperius Aelianus	96 – 98	Nerva
Sextus Attius Suburanus	98 – 101	Trajan
Tiberius Claudius Livianus	101 – 112	Trajan
Publius Acilius Attianus	112 – 119	Trajan, Hadrian
Servius Sulpicius Similis	112 – 119	Trajan, Hadrian
Gaius Septicius Clarus	119 – 121	Hadrian
Quintus Marcius Turbo	119 – ??	Hadrian
Marcus Petronius Mamertinus	139 – 143	Hadrian, Antoninus Pius
Marcus Gavius Maximus	136 – 156	Hadrian, Antoninus Pius
Gaius Tattius Maximus	156 – 159	Antoninus Pius
Fabius Cornelius Repentinus	159 – ??	Antoninus Pius
Furius Victorinus	160 – 168	Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
Macrinius Vindex	?? – ??	Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Bassaeus Rufus	168 – 177	Marcus Aurelius
Publius Tarrutenius Paternus	by 179 – 182?	Marcus Aurelius, Commodus
Sextus Tigidius Perennis	180 – 185	Commodus
Marcius Quartus	185 – 185	Commodus
Titus Longaeus Rufus	185 – by 187	Commodus
Publius Atilius Aebutianus	c. 185 – c. 187	Commodus
Marcus Aurelius Cleander	c. 187 – 189?	Commodus
Lucius Julius Vehilius Gratus Julianus	188 – c. 189	Commodus
Regillus	c. 189 – c. 189	Commodus
Motilenus	c. 190 – c. 190	Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus
Quintus Aemilius Laetus	192 – 193	Commodus, Pertinax, Didius Julianus
Titus Flavius Genialis	193 – 193	Didius Julianus
Tullius Crispinus	193 – 193	Didius Julianus

Severan dynasty (AD 193 – 235)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Flavius Juvenalis	193 – by 200	Didius Julianus, Septimius Severus
Decimus Veturius Macrinus	193 – by 200	Didius Julianus, Septimius Severus
Gaius Fulvius Plautianus	197? – 205	Septimius Severus
Quintus Aemilius Saturninus	200 – 200	Septimius Severus
Marcus Aurelius Julianus	c. 200/205	Septimius Severus, Caracalla
Marcus Flavius Drusianus	c. 204/204	Septimius Severus, Caracalla
Aemilius Papinianus	205 – 211	Septimius Severus, Caracalla
Quintus Maecius Laetus	205 – 215?	Septimius Severus, Caracalla
Valerius Patruinus	211? – 212	Caracalla
Gnaeus Marcius Rustius Rufinus	c. 212 – c. 217	Caracalla
Marcus Oclatinius Adventus	215? – 217	Caracalla
Marcus Opellius Macrinus	212? – 217	Caracalla
Ulpius Julianus	217? – 218	Macrinus
Julianus Nestor	217? – 218	Macrinus
Julius Basilianus	218 – 218	Elagabalus
Publius Valerius Comazon	218 – 221	Elagabalus
Flavius Antiochianus, praetorian prefect	221 – 222	Elagabalus
Flavianus	222 – ??	Alexander Severus
Geminius Chrestus	222 – ??	Alexander Severus
Gnaeus Domitius Annius Ulpianus	222 – 228	Alexander Severus
Lucius Domitius Honoratus	223/226 – ??	Alexander Severus
Marcus Aedinius Julianus	223? – by 238	Alexander Severus
Marcus Attius Cornelianus	c. 230 – c. 230	Alexander Severus
Julius Paulus	228 – 235	Alexander Severus

Crisis of the Third Century (AD 235 – 285)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Vitalianus	?? – 238	Maximinus Thrax
Annullinus	?? – 238	Maximinus Thrax
Pinarius Valens	238 – 238	Pupienus; Balbinus
Domitius	by. 240 – ??	Gordian III
Gaius Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesitheus	241 – 243	Gordian III
Gaius Julius Priscus	242 – after 246	Gordian III; Philip the Arab
Marcus Julius Philippus	243 – 244	Gordian III
Maecius Gordianus	244 – 244	Gordian III
Quintus Herennius Potens	249? – 251	Decius?
Successianus	c. 257 – 260	Valerian
Silvanus	?? – c. 260	Gallienus
Callistus Ballista	260 – 261	Macrianus, Quietus
Lucius Petronius Taurus Volusianus	c. 260 – c. 267	Gallienus
Marcus Aurelius Heraclianus	by 268 – ??	Gallienus
Julius Placidianus	c. 270 – c. 275	Aurelian
Marcus Annius Florianus	275? – 276	Tacitus
Marcus Aurelius Carus	?? – 282	Probus
Lucius Flavius Aper	282? – 284	Numerian
Marcus Aurelius Sabinus Julianus	c. 283? – c. 284	Carinus
Titus Claudius Aurelius Aristobulus	284 – 285	Carinus; Diocletian

Tetrarchy to Constantine I (AD 285 – 324)

Prefect	Tenure	Emperor served
Afranius Hannibalianus	285/297	Diocletian
Julius Asclepiodotus	285/297	Diocletian; Constantius Chlorus
Constantius Chlorus	?? – ??	Diocletian
Gaius Caeionius Rufius Volusianus	?? – ??	Maxentius
Publius Cornelius Anullinus	?? – ??	Maxentius
Ruricius Pompeianus	?? – 312	Maxentius
Julius Julianus	315 – 324	Licinius
Junius Annius Bassus	318 – 331	Constantine I

See also

For praetorian prefects after the reformation of the office by emperor Constantine I, see:

• Praetorian prefecture of Italy
• Praetorian prefecture of Gaul
• Praetorian prefecture of the East
• Praetorian prefecture of Illyricum

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: