Hi guys,
I've been trying to figure out what colour the uniform of the Praetorian Guard in Ancient Rome was. Some sources suggest they wore white, whilst others that they wore a sort of off-purple colour in deference to their status as Imperial bodyguards.
I had a thought that the colour may be different between the earlier period of the army, when Praetorians were the bodyguards of an army general, and later when the praetorians became the bodyguards of the emperor himself.
Any clarification is much appreciated. Many thanks!
According to Boris Rankov's book The Praetorian Guard, they wore white civilian togas. This would actually have made them stand out because by the 1st century it was a highly formal garment (togas are unwieldy; they were not common everyday wear for the Romans, contrary to popular belief). He mentions red tunics could be considered "parade dress" and were supposed to give an archaic look, but it is far more likely that the Praetorian guard was equipped just like most other soldiers.
So, from what I can tell from Rankov's book, they wore white, except for sometimes when they wore red. Not sure if that really helps.