Princeps
Princeps was a Latin term used by the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar, also known as Octavian, to describe his role as a dictator of the Roman Empire in a way which sounded less threatening to the culture of Rome. Augustus was, in fact, the dictator; but he chose the term Princeps to describe himself in the disarming term meaning "first citizen", or more exactly "first in time or order"[1] as if he was an ordinary citizen, but a primary one. Augustus had watched the mistake of the former Roman dictator Julius Caesar who had flirted with calling himself a king and, as a result, was assassinated by a group of Roman senators. The term is derived from the words "Princeps Senatus". In terms of etymology, the term "princeps" is related to the word prince.
References
- ↑ Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short. A Latin Dictionary, Internet website, 2010-04-02. Retrieved on 2010-04-02. “first in time or order (syn. primus).—Lit., in gen.: “ut quisque in fugā postremus, ita periculo princeps erat,””