It is not so easy to determine what Paul meant by the whole imperial guard (praitorion). The word may indicate the house of a governor, the imperial palace, or even the whole of the emperor’s court. But it may also refer to a detachment of soldiers. Those who believe Paul to have been imprisoned in Rome when he wrote his letter to the Philippians tend to associate the word praetorium
with the court or palace of Emperor Nero,1 or with the emperor’s Praetorian Guard.2,3,4 Others think of this word as a locality in Rome where the emperor’s guards were housed or the headquarters of a general.5 However, it makes more sense to think of Caesarea here. Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem (Acts 21:1–40) and was imprisoned in Caesarea for a long time (Acts 23:1 – 24:27). This seemed to be the end of his apostolic career. But despite his prolonged imprisonment, many still heard his message.6
13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.