The Celeres were a personal armed guard of 300-500 men maintained by Romulus

Romulus

- People:* Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome* Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor* Valerius Romulus , deified son of the Roman emperor Maxentius* Romulus , son of the Western Roman emperor Anthemius...

, the mythical founder of ancient Rome

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

. The Celeres were associated with Celer

Celer

According to Ovid's description of the founding of Rome by Romulus , Celer was the name of an otherwise unknown foreman, appointed by Romulus to oversee the building of Rome's first walls...

, the lieutenant of Romulus responsible for Remus' slaying in some stories. Livy

Livy

Titus Livius — known as Livy in English — was a Roman historian who wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, "Chapters from the Foundation of the City," covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome well before the traditional foundation in 753 BC...

 mentions that they served in peacetime and in war, unlike the short terms of service in most ancient armies (including Rome's). It is unknown whether they were infantry or cavalry; Dionysius

Dionysius of Halicarnassus

Dionysius of Halicarnassus was a Greek historian and teacher of rhetoric, who flourished during the reign of Caesar Augustus. His literary style was Attistic — imitating Classical Attic Greek in its prime.-Life:...

 claims the former, while Livy and other sources argue that the Celeres were a cavalry unit. The latter seems more plausible given that celeres means literally "the swift".

Pronunciation: Kell-air-ays or Chel-air-ays,
Celeres is also known to mean paladin

Paladin

The paladins, sometimes known as the Twelve Peers, were the foremost warriors of Charlemagne's court, according to the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. They first appear in the early chansons de geste such as The Song of Roland, where they represent Christian martial valor against the...

.
any knightly or heroic champion, any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.