itted to an audience with the emperor.
In addition to its civilian employees, the palace had its special armed
guard. These household troops were the scholarians, organized by
Constantine I when he disbanded the praetorian guards who had upheld the
cause of Maxentius.

II. THE MILITARY ORGANIZATION

*General characteristics.* The chief characteristics of the military
organization of the late empire were the complete separation of civil and
military authority except in the person of the emperor, the sharp
distinction between the mobile forces and the frontier garrisons, and the
ever-increasing predominance of the barbarian element, not merely in the
rank and file of the soldiers, but also among the officers of highest
rank.

*The limitanei.* The troops composing the frontier garrisons were called
_limitanei_, or borderers; also, when stationed along a river frontier,
_riparienses_. They were the successors of the garrison army of the
principate and were distributed among small fortified posts (_castella_).
To each of these garrisons there was assigned for purposes of cultivation
a tract of land free from municipal authority. These lands were exempt
from taxation, and, although they were not alienable, the right to occupy
them passed from father to son with the obligation to military service.
Thus the _limitanei_ were practically a border militia. Their numbers were
materially increased by Diocletian but reduced again by Constantine I who
transferred their best units to the field army. The _limitanei_ ranked
below the field troops; their physical standards were lower, and their
rewards at the end of their term of service inferior.

*The palatini and comitatenses.* To remedy the greatest weakness in the
army of the principate, namely, its lack of mobility, Diocletian formed a
permanent field force to accompany the emperor on his campaigns, for it
was his intention that the emperors should personally lead their armies.
Since the field troops thus formed the _comitatus_, or escort, of the
emperor they received the name of _comitatenses_. Later certain units of
the _comitatenses_ were called _palatini_, or palace troops, a purely
honorary distinction. The _palatini_ and _comitatenses_ were stationed at
strategic points well within the frontiers.

*Numbers.* In both the garrison and field armies the old legion was broken
up into smaller detachments, to each of which the name legion was given.
T