Roman Emperor

"Roman Emperor" is the title historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. In ancient Rome there was no actual title of "Roman Emperor", and there was never a single office corresponding to it. Rather, the title "Roman Emperor" is a convenient shorthand for a complicated collection of offices and powers.

Titles and Positions

Although these are the commonest offices, titles, and positions, one should note that not all Roman Emperors used them, nor were all of them used at the same time. The consular and censorial offices especially were not an integral part of the Imperial dignity, and were usually held by persons other than the reigning Emperor.

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• Augustus (also "Augoustos" or "Sebastos"), "Majestic" or "Venerable"; an honorific cognomen exclusive to the emperor
• Autokratôr, "Autocrat" (lit. "Self-ruler"); Greek title equivalent to imperator i.e. Commander-in-Chief
• Basileus, Greek title meaning king, popularly used in the east to refer to the emperor; a formal title of the Roman emperor beginning with Heraclius
• Caesar (also "Kaisar" or "Nobilissimus Caesar"), "Caesar" or "Most Noble Caesar"; an honorific name later used to identify an Emperor-designate
• Censor, a Republican office with a five year term and one coequal officeholder
• Consul, the highest magistracy of the Roman republic with a one year term and one coequal officeholder
• Dominus, "Lord" or "Master"; an honorific title popular in the Empire's middle history
• Imperator, "Commander" or "Commander-in-Chief"; a victory title taken on accession to the purple and after a major military victory; the praenomen of most Roman emperors
• Imperium maius, "greater imperium"; absolute power to a degree greater than any other, including power of enacting capital punishment
• Invictus, "Unconquered"; an honorific title
• Pater Patriae, "Father of the Fatherland"; an honorific title
• Pius Felix, "Pious and Blessed" (lit. "Dutiful and Happy"); an honorific title
• Pontifex Maximus, "Supreme Pontiff" or "Chief Priest" (lit. "Greatest Bridgemaker"); a title and office of Republican origin - could not be used by "Catholic" Emperors, while by that time only the pope had a claim on the title of highest religious authority.
• Princeps, "First Citizen" or "Leading Citizen"; an honorific title denoting the status of the emperor as first among equals
• Princeps Iuventatis, "Prince of Youth"; an honorific title awarded to a presumptive Emperor-designate
• Princeps Senatus, "First Man of the Senate" a Republican office with a five year term
• Tribunicia potestas, "tribunician power"; the powers of a tribune of the people including sacrosanctity and the veto

Powers

When Augustus established the Princeps, he turned down supreme authority in exchange for a collection of various powers and offices. As holding Princeps Senatus, the Emperor declared the opening and closure of each Senate session, declared the Senate's agenda, imposed rules and regulation for the Senate to follow, and met with foreign ambassators in the name of the Senate. Pontifex Maximus made the Emperor the chief administrator of religious affairs, granting him the power to conducted all religious ceremonies, consecrated temples, controlled the Roman calendar (adding or removing days as needed), appointed the Vestal Virgins and some Flamens, lead the Collegium Pontificum, and summarized the dogma of the Roman religion.

Related Topics:
Princeps Senatus - Pontifex Maximus - Vestal Virgin - Flamen - Collegium Pontificum - Dogma - Roman religion

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While these powers granted the Emperor a great deal of personal pride and influence, they did not include legal authority. In 23 BC, Augustus gave the Emperorship its legal power. The first being Tribunicia Potestas, or the power of the Tribune without actually holding the office. This gave the Emperor the ability of personal inviolability (sacrosanctity) and the ability to pardon any civilian for any act, criminal or non. By holding the powers of the Tribune, the Emperor could enact capital punishment without a trial to anyone who interfered with the performance of his duties. The Emperor's Tribunship granted him the right to convene the Senate at his will and lay proposals before it, as well as the ability to veto any act or proposal by any magistrate, including the Tribune of the Plebs. Also, as holder of the Tribune's power, the Emperor would convoke the Council of the People, lay legislation before it, and served as the council's President. But his Tribunship only granted him power within Rome itself. He would need another power to veto the act of governors and that of the Consul's while in the provinces.

Related Topics:
23 BC - Tribunicia Potestas - Pardon - Veto - Tribune of the Plebs - Council of the People

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To solve this problem, Augustus managed to given the emperorship the right to hold two types of imperium. The first being Consular Imperium while he was in Rome, and Imperium Maius outside of Rome. While inside the walls of Rome, the reigning Consuls and the Emperor held equal authority, each being able to veto each other's proposals and acts, with the Emperor hold all of the Consul's powers. But outside of Rome, the Emperor outranked the Consuls and could veto them without the same effects on himself. Imperium Maius also granted the Emperor authority over all the provincal governors, making him the ultimate authority in provincial matters and gave him the supreme commander of all of Rome's legions. With Imperium Maius, the Emperor was also granted the power to appoint governors to Imperial provinces without the interference of the Senate. Also, the Imperium Maius granted the Emperor to veto the governors of the provinces and even the reigning Consul while in the provinces.

Related Topics:
Imperium - Consular Imperium - Veto - Provincal - Governor - Legion - Imperial provinces

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