janissaries
Ottoman elite infantry
Janissaries were elite infantry soldiers of the Ottoman Empire, originally recruited from Christian boys taken as tribute and converted to Islam.
The term now appears mainly in historical contexts discussing Ottoman military power from the 14th to 19th centuries.
Figuratively, janissaries can describe any fiercely loyal soldiers or enforcers: The governor surrounded himself with political janissaries. (Capitalized Janissaries emphasizes the historical corps.)
Of elite Roman soldiers
- guardWatchful defensive attention
- privilegedHaving special advantages
- powerfulHaving great strength
- influentialHaving considerable effect
feared · respected · bodyguard · political power · enforcers
praetorian
Of elite Roman soldiers
- guardWatchful defensive attention
- privilegedHaving special advantages
- powerfulHaving great strength
influential · feared · respected · bodyguard · political power · enforcers
- guards and soldiersbodyguards, sentries, watchmen, sentinels, gatekeepers
- warrior culturesamurai, knights, warrior, gladiators, berserkers
- warriorsfighter, knight, footsoldier, barbarian, samurai
- turkeyIstanbul, Ankara, turkey breast, turkey leg, Anatolia
- Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire, sultans, grand vizier, Constantinople, Suleiman
- Balkan HistoryBalkans, Serbia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Montenegro
janissariescavalry
Mounted military force
horsemen · heavy cavalry · mounted troops · mounted warriors · knights
janissariesmercenaries
Soldiers paid to fight
sellswords · soldiers of fortune · privateers · Hessians · volunteer soldiers