Scholae Palatinae: The Palace Guards of the Later Roman Empire

Few students of the Later Roman Empire could claim, if they were honest, that they fully understood all the nice distinctions between the various corps of palace guards — the 'protectores', the 'domestici', the 'protectores domestici', 'scholae', 'candidati', 'excubitores', 'scribones', etc. With characteristic lucidity and brevity A. H. M. Jones introduced order into the chaos in most people's minds in Ch. xvii of his 'Later Roman Empire' (1964). While seldom differing from Jones in matters of substance, Frank has provided a careful and thorough account of the character, recruitment, and function of these bodies. His general thesis is that their role was not so much a 'military academy for the training of officers' (as often assumed) as 'to serve the Emperor personally, not only to guard him and to assist in court ceremonies but also to serve as agents of imperial control in the provinces and in army headquarters. Preface ix Table of Abbreviations xi Introduction 1 Part 1: Origins of the scholae Chapter I. Imperial Palaces 7 II. Imperial Headquarters Troops 17 Part 2: Development of the scholae III. Formation and Organization 47 IV. Recruitment 59 V. 'Protectores et domestici' 81 VI. Duties 99 VII. Elite Units 127 VIII. Imperial Ceremonies 147 Part 3: Historical role of the scholae IX. 'Scholares' and the Military Elite (A.D. 361-540) 167 X. Reform in the East (A.D. 457-565) 201 Conclusion 221 Bibliography 233 General Index 249