Les soldats de la garde impériale à l’époque théodosienne: le témoignage des sources religieuses

After an historical survey of the transformations which affected the Palace Guards during the ivth century, this article confronts the official denominations of the Palatine scholae (scutarii, armaturae, gentiles) with those which were in use by the Fathers (doryphoroi, hypaspistai or aspidèphoroi, hoplitai). The ecclesiastical authors mainly gave importance to the sumptuous character of the guards accoutrements and their parading function which, after the reign of Theodosius Ist, tended to completely supersede their fighting abilities and role.