Hat 8067 Imperial Roman Praetorian Cavalry

The Praetorian Guard (Latin: cohortes praetorianae) appeared already in the Roman republic as a very small unit, constituting the personal protection of the most important officials. During the reign of Octavian Augustus, at the turn of the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD, the Guard became a permanent unit, serving as the personal protection of subsequent Roman emperors. The Praetorians were stationed in the city of Rome, where they had their own camp north of Quirinale Hill. The Guard also included cavalry units, which reflected the relations prevailing in the Roman legions. Only a soldier who had previously served about 5 years in the infantry could join the cavalry of the Praetorian Guard. This cavalry was divided into turmy, consisting of 30 men, which were divided into 3 units of 10 cavalrymen. Initially, one cohort of the Praetorian Guard was assigned three such turmas (i.e. 90 cavalrymen), in the 2nd century AD, already five turns, and after 200 AD, often ten turns, or 300 cavalrymen. Interestingly, the equipment and armament of the Praetorian Guard cavalry was very similar to the standard equipment of a Roman cavalryman.