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''Protector Augusti Nostri'' (''lit'' 'Protector of Our Augustus') was a title given to individual officers of the Roman Army as a mark of their devotion to and approval by the Emperor himself. The term first appears with this meaning in the joint-reign of Valerian and Gallienus. L. Petronius Taurus Volusianus was the first recorded Protector appointed by Gallienus. ==Imperial Guards of Gallienus== It is indeed the case that the use of the title ''protector'' in the sense of a 'bodyguard of a Great Man' long preceded the appointment of Volusianus. In addition, the title was not only bestowed by Emperors.〔Mihailov, citing E. Birley, mentions two examples of men with this title, one appointed by a Praetorian Prefect and the other by a senatorial ''legatus''. .〕 However, it does seem to be the case that Gallienus was the originator of the particular body of men, the ''Protectores Augusti Nostri'', with which this page is concerned. It seems that, when it was first bestowed, this title signified an honour conferred on rather than a function carried out by the recipient. It seems to have been granted to officers who had distinguished themselves serving directly under Gallienus in his wars against barbarian invaders of the Balkan and German provinces and Italy and would-be usurpers in those regions such as Ingenuus and were marked out for accelerated promotion under his patronage. No doubt its utility as an instrument for adding lustre to newly equestrianised military career structure soon became apparent. The first recipients were Tribunes of the Praetorian Cohorts - such as Volusianus - or equestrian commanders of legions such as Publius Aelius Aelianus. So far as is known it was never bestowed on any officer of senatorial rank - senators were effectively excluded from service in the army soon after the first ''protectores'' appeared. Towards the end of Gallienus's reign centurions too were given this title. By this time it was used exclusively to distinguish officers who had served in units associated with Gallienus's Imperial Field Army, the ''comitatus''〔See M. Christol: 'La carrière de Traianus Mucianus et l'origine des ''protectores'': Chiron 7, 1977, pp 393 ''ff''.〕 Collectively, therefor, the first Protectors were a guild or an order rather than a defined military unit serving a military purpose. There is reference to a ''Princeps Protectorum'', but it is likely that this officer's functions related to ceremonial than to leadership in battle.〔One of the first known holders of this office was Traianus Mucianus - see Mihailov ''op.cit.''. As far as can be determined he had no substantive office when he held the title and Christol (''op.cit.'') infers that his was a purely nominal posting while he waited for promotion to the rank of ''primus pilus''.〕 Holding commissioned rank in a unit attached to the ''comitatus'' seems to have been the ''sine qua non'' of admission to the order. These were men noticed by the Emperor likely to receive accelerated promotion in his service. The purpose of the ''Protectores'' at this time seems to have been two-fold: (i)to encourage a personal loyalty to the ''Augusti'' (particularly Gallienus: there is no reason to suppose that Valerian had any real interest in this innovation) among the most energetic and charismatic officers of the Imperial Field Army and thus combat the spirit of military dissent that was tearing the Empire apart at this time; (ii) to promote ambition among the officer ''cadres'' of provincial garrisons - which would, of course, serve the same purpose. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Protectores Augusti Nostri」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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