Tales of Royal Guards Trivia Quiz

Answer: Persian Empire

Beginning with the Achaemenid Empire, which was founded by Cyrus the Great, the Immortals comprised not only the elite infantry unit, but also the king's bodyguards. Named the Immortals by the famous historian Herodotus, because when one fell sick, was wounded, or killed in battle, he was immediately replaced, the number was always kept at 10,000. Equipped with shields, swords, a bow and arrows, daggers, and short spears, the Immortals were instrumental in bringing forth victories for the Persian conquest of Egypt (Cambyses II), the invasion of India (Darius I), and were even present at the Battle of Thermopylae (Xerxes), the site of the terrible Greek loss.

It is unknown what Persian name for the contingent was used.

Answer: Roman Empire

With beginnings during the Roman Republic, the "Cohors Prætoria" originally surrounded military generals when protection was needed. Both Octavian and Marc Anthony were known to have employed their use at the end of the Republic; as the first Roman Emperor, Octavian continued the practice, establishing the first Praetorian Guard in 27 BC.

Not only did the Praetorian serve as the bodyguard for the emperor, they also formed an elite cavalry and infantry unit, and performed duties as a secret police that was feared and hated by members of the Senate, as well as the common people.

The number in the group depended on need; in 23 BC Tacitus wrote that there were nine cohorts (4,500) of men stationed in Rome and the surrounding area. Constantine the Great disbanded the group in 312.

Answer: Spain

The Walloon Guards date back to 1702, when Spain controlled the Low Countries. A group of 4,000 of the tallest and strongest from infantry regiments were sent to Spain, where they were organized along the same lines as the Spanish Guard. Entrusted with guarding the royal family, they also assisted in maintaining law and order in Spain.

Originally comprised of Flemish, the Brabantians and Walloons, the Walloon Guard did accept other foreign soldiers, and also fought in the regular army as elite infantry and cavalry units, distinguishing themselves in the Wars of the Polish and Austrian Successions, as well as the Peninsular War.

The group was disbanded in 1820, and replaced by a new guard that consisted of Spanish recruits.

Answer: Poland

Called the "Gwardia Piesza Koronna" in Poland, the Royal Foot Guard was established in 1650 by John II Casimir and given the responsibility of protecting the Polish monarch and his family. Salaries for the group were paid out of the government treasury, and the regiment was led by foreign mercenaries, as well as military commanders. Over time the group became not only as the best trained infantry and cavalry unit in the Polish Army, but also the largest.

In 1792 members of the Royal Foot Gauard were either dismissed or relocated into their own corps - the 15th Regiment.

Answer: Holy See

The Palatine Guard was established in 1850 by Pope Pius IX to guard him when he was either in St. Peter's Square or received visitors into his palace. Really more of an honor guard, the Palatine Guard was made up of volunteers who did not receive any pay except for a clothing allowance for the uniform they were expected to wear. Perhaps their most important task was during WWII, when the Germans occupied Rome; during the occupation, the Palatine Guard was seen patrolling papal buildings, walls, and courtyards.

This was no small task, and many times there were clashes with both German and Italian police who were looking for those given asylum within the walls; by the time Rome was liberated in 1944 the Palatine Guard had grown to 2,000 men.

The group was disbanded in 1970.

Answer: Kingdom of Italy

Part of what eventually became Italy's Carabinieri, which served as both a police and military force, members of the Corazzieri, also called the "Cuirassiers' Regiment", were required to be at least 190 cm, or 6 feet 2.8 inches! Formed in the 16th century, the group was established when the Duke of Savoy provided for a group of fifty men to become the "Guard of Honour of the Prince".

By the 1600s the group expanded to include approximately 400 men; since then the corps has had different names and functions, however, in 1992 the old name, "Reggimento Corazzieri", was given to the people who guard the president of Italy.

Answer: Mongol Empire

Meaning "blessed or favored", the Kheshig was divided into two different units: the day and night guard. This was necessary because of the nature of the group; nomadic horsemen camped in tents, which were very difficult to protect, especially at night. Unlike other royal guards, the Kheshig did not go into battle; they were, however, considered to be the highest ranking military officers in the Mongol Empire. Established by Genghis Khan in 1203, the 70 day guards and 80 night guards were originally sworn personal followers.

Interestingly, Kublai Khan's Kheshig had 12,000 bodyguards; the leaders of the group were descended from the first four generals of Ghengis Khan.

Answer: Byzantine Empire

Originally from Rus, Swedish Vikings who established kingdoms in Kiev and Novgorod, the Varangian Guard served the Byzantine Emperor from the 10-14th centuries. Formed as the result of a 874 treaty between the Rus and Byzantine Empire, the Guard was formally organized by Basil II in 988. Armed with swords, bows and arrows, and their "pelekys", a type of daneaxe on a pole, the Varangian Guard was more than a mere bodyguard; they fought wherever and whenever necessary, even patrolling the street in Constantinople and serving as jailers.

The number of men in the group fluctuated according to need, however, it was typical for the group to number 450-4500 men. After the attack on Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, the power of the Byzantine Emperor began to wane; and after 1204 there is no record of the group's existence.

Answer: Macedonian Empire

Probably the most famous Somatophylakes were the body guards of Philip II and Alexander III, also known as "the Great". The group, taken from Macedonian nobles, also commanded the military; typically there were seven bodyguards that were part of a larger group called the King's Companions, which is considered by historians to be the best cavalry of the ancient world.

Many times the Somatophylakes were also trusted envoys of the king. Of course, Hephaestion, the close friend of Alexander the Great, was one of his trusted seven; in the later years of Alexander's reign, Ptolemy I, the general who won part of the empire after years of civil war following his death, was also on the list.

Answer: Prussia

Established in 1740 by Frederick the Great, the Garde du Corps protected the King of Prussia. After the unification of Germany in 1871, their responsibility extended to the new Kaiser. Originally viewed as a unit that trained cavalry officers, induction into the group must have been especially difficult. One of the members, Friedrich von der Trenck, wrote about the challenges given to the group, and also complained about the expense of belonging to the group, especially the cost of having some of his armor silver-plated, as was required.

After the unification of Germany, the group became the 1st Guards Cavalry Division in the German Army. However, the Prussian Army continued to maintain almost total control of the armies of the other German states; in times of peace the units from Bavaria, Württemberg and Saxony maintained their own identities. Of course, the Treaty of Versailles limited the size of the German military, and the group, along with many others, was disbanded in 1919-20.