Embossed Brass Praetorian Guard Greaves – Deepeeka

The Praetorian Guard were the cohorts of elite soldiers that essentially were the private army of the Emperor. They were among the relatively few armed troops allowed within the confines of Rome, though their fortress was outside the walls. They were recruited from among the best Legionaries and their pay and benefits reflected their elite status. Many would later serve as Centurions in the Legions. The Praetorian Guard grew in power and some of its more ambitious officers learned to use their power and proximity to the Emperor to enact their own favorable terms, conditions or to even alter the course of the Empire itself. The Guard even brazenly auctioned off the Imperial throne after murdering Emperor Pertinax who had attempted to reform the Guard with stricter military discipline, for they had grown lax and comfortable in their palace positions. – Didus Julianus bought the position with his vast fortune, but his meagre 66 day reign was ended by powerful generals who, with the blessing of the Senate, refused to acknowledge his authority.

Regardless of their later chequered history, the Praetorian Guard in its heyday were the best of the best. They marched and fought with Emperors on campaign and were a line of defense for the inner regions of the Roman Empire.

These Praetorian greaves from Deepeeka are made from brass. The shin plate and knee plate are separate, though they are hinged together for articulated movement. They are richly embossed with a Guardsman and Serpents upon one greave and Hercules upon another. Both have the eagle of Rome embossed upon the knee. The interior of the greaves have a black finish. Leather cord is knotted to the back rings, allowing for the greaves to be laced to the leg.