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| '''''Augustus''''' (plural '''''Augusti''''') is ] for "majestic" or "venerable". It is chiefly significant as a title first awarded to Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus (better known as ] |
'''''Augustus''''' (plural '''''Augusti''''') is ] for "majestic" or "venerable". It is chiefly significant as a title first awarded to Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus (better known as ]) on ], ]. (Augustus Caesar's career is discussed at his biographical article.) | ||
| Because of the enormous prestige accumulated by Augustus by the time of his death in ], ''Augustus'' subsequently became the principal rank associated with the ]s; a designated successor to an emperor adopted the title ''Caesar'' (later ''Nobilissimus Caesar'', "Most Noble Caesar"), or would occasionally be awarded the title ''Princeps Iuventutis'' ("Prince of Youth"), and adopted the titles "'']''" and ''Augustus'' upon accession to the full imperial dignity, under the form ''Imperator Caesar NN. Augustus'' (later inserting ''Pius Felix'' and ''Invictus'' between the name and ''Augustus''); a wife or mother of the emperor could be invested with the title ''Augusta''. | Because of the enormous prestige accumulated by Augustus by the time of his death in ], ''Augustus'' subsequently became the principal rank associated with the ]s; a designated successor to an emperor adopted the title ''Caesar'' (later ''Nobilissimus Caesar'', "Most Noble Caesar"), or would occasionally be awarded the title ''Princeps Iuventutis'' ("Prince of Youth"), and adopted the titles "'']''" and ''Augustus'' upon accession to the full imperial dignity, under the form ''Imperator Caesar NN. Augustus'' (later inserting ''Pius Felix'' and ''Invictus'' between the name and ''Augustus''); a wife or mother of the emperor could be invested with the title ''Augusta''. | ||
Revision as of 12:43, 21 January 2004
Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for "majestic" or "venerable". It is chiefly significant as a title first awarded to Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus (better known as Augustus Caesar) on January 16, 27 BC. (Augustus Caesar's career is discussed at his biographical article.)
Because of the enormous prestige accumulated by Augustus by the time of his death in AD 14, Augustus subsequently became the principal rank associated with the Roman Emperors; a designated successor to an emperor adopted the title Caesar (later Nobilissimus Caesar, "Most Noble Caesar"), or would occasionally be awarded the title Princeps Iuventutis ("Prince of Youth"), and adopted the titles "Imperator" and Augustus upon accession to the full imperial dignity, under the form Imperator Caesar NN. Augustus (later inserting Pius Felix and Invictus between the name and Augustus); a wife or mother of the emperor could be invested with the title Augusta.
In this sense, "Augustus" is broadly comparable to "Emperor", though a modern reader should be careful not to project onto the ancients a modern, monarchical understanding of "emperor"; there was no constitutional office associated with the imperial dignity. The emperor's personal authority (dignitas) and influence (auctoritas) derived from his position as princeps senatus, and his legal authority derived from his consulari imperium and tribunicia potestas; it is more accurate to describe the emperor as "princeps senatus et pontifex maximus consulari imperio et tribuniciae potestate" (loosely, "Leader of the House and Chief Priest with Consular Imperium and Tribunician Power").
In many ways, Augustus is comparable to the British dignity of prince; it is a personal title, dignity, or attribute rather than a title of nobility such as duke or king. The emperor was most commonly referred to as princeps (basileys, "king", in Greek). Later, under the Tetrarchy, the rank of Augustus referred to the senior emperor, while Caesar referred to the junior sub-emperor. The three principle titles of the emperors -- Imperator, Caesar, and Augustus -- were rendered as autokratôr, kaisar, and augustos (or sebastos) in Greek. The Greek title continued to be used in the Byzantine Empire until its extinction in 1453.
The Latin title of the so-called "Holy Roman Emperors" was usually "Imperator Augustus" ("August Emperor"), which conveys the modern understanding of "emperor" rather than the original Roman sense (i.e., the "first citizen" of the Republic).
As a note of historical interest, the first modern use of the original sense of "emperor" was in the French Republic (République française). Napoléon Bonaparte, who was already First Consul of the French Republic (Premier Consul de la République française) for life, was crowned "Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français) in 1804; despite being ruled by an emperor, it continued to be the French Republic until 1808, when it was renamed the French Empire (Empire français).