Pater Patriae (pluralPatres Patriae) was anhonorific title inancient Rome. InLatin, it means "father of the country", or more literally, "father of thefatherland".
The title was granted by theRoman Senate. During theRoman Republic, it was given only two times: toCamillus andCicero. Under theRoman Empire, it was exclusively granted to theRoman emperor, usually after many years of successful rule. Not all emperors were offered the title, while others were offered it but refused to accept. A total of 23 emperors received the title.
During theearly modern andlate modern periods, the same Latin title was granted to several national leaders by their subjects or parliaments. More recently, the equivalent title has beenfather of the nation, translated into the national language.
The honor of being calledpater patriae was conferred by theRoman Senate. It was first awarded to Roman generalMarcus Furius Camillus in 386 BC, for his role in liberating the city after theGallic sack of Rome. It reflected the popular view that Camillus was effectively a second founder of the city, afterRomulus, who was retrospectively considered to bepater patriae.
Three centuries later, it was awarded to the orator and statesmanMarcus Tullius Cicero, for his part in the suppression of theCatilinarian conspiracy in 63 BC. A similar title, Parens Patriae, of similar but lesser connotation, was awarded toJulius Caesar, who had becomede facto ruler of Rome asperpetual dictator. Caesar had packed the Senate with his own supporters, who voted him the title in 45 BC for having endedthe civil wars that he had started himself.[1]TheRoman Republic was replaced by theRoman Empire in 27 BC, and thereafter the title was exclusively held by the emperor. The first emperor,Augustus, was not awarded the title until 2 BC, after several decades of peaceful rule. The title was therefore not considered necessary for the legitimacy of succeeding emperors. Nor did it convey any legal powers. As such, it did not become a regular part of the imperial honors that were routinely conferred on a new emperor.[i]
The title could be declined. According to the historianSuetonius, Augustus' successorTiberius was offered this title, but refused it as premature and inappropriate.[2] The following emperor,Caligula, did accept the title, as did his successorClaudius. The next emperor,Nero, declined when it was offered by the Senate during the first year of his reign, on the basis that he was too young for such a title. The Senate offered it again the following year, which Nero accepted.
It thereafter became usual for the Senate to convey the title on emperors only after many years of successful rule. As a result, many emperors with short reigns never received the title. In some cases (such asNerva) it was granted rapidly, if the new emperor was particularly esteemed by the senators when they acceded. As a sign of humility, several emperors deferred their use of the title for some time even after it was conferred by the Senate. For example,Hadrian deferred it for eleven years.[3]
The title fell out of use in the fourth century AD, during theChristianisation of the empire. The last emperor known to have used the title wasJulian, who was also the last pagan emperor.
| Year | Holder | Reference or notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC | 753 | Romulus | Legendary founder of Rome |
| 386 | Marcus Furius Camillus | for liberating the city after theGallic sack of Rome | |
| 63 | Marcus Tullius Cicero | for suppressing theCatilinarian conspiracy | |
| 45 | Gaius Julius Caesar | for ending his civil wars | |
| 2 | Augustus | ||
| AD | 37 | Caligula | |
| 42 | Claudius | ||
| 55 | Nero | ||
| 70 | Vespasian | ||
| 79 | Titus | ||
| 81 | Domitian | ||
| 96 | Nerva | ||
| 98 | Trajan | ||
| 128 | Hadrian | ||
| 139 | Antoninus Pius | ||
| 166 | Marcus Aurelius andLucius Verus | ||
| 177 | Commodus | ||
| 193 | Septimius Severus | ||
| 199 | Caracalla | ||
| 217 | Macrinus | ||
| 218 | Elagabalus | ||
| 238 | Gordian III | ||
| 276 | Probus | ||
| 284 | Diocletian | ||
| 286 | Maximian | ||
| 307 | Constantine I | ||
| 361 | Julian | [ii] | |
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The Latin honorific was later used for several national leaders during theearly modern period andlate modern period. It was awarded by national parliaments or loyal subjects to:George Washington, the firstPresident of the United States; KingGustav I of Sweden; the Dutch StadtholderWilliam of Orange;Pedro II, the last Emperor of Brazil; and the four leaders ofItalian unification:Camillo Cavour,Giuseppe Garibaldi,Giuseppe Mazzini andKing Victor Emmanuel II.
The Latin title has since fallen into disuse, being replaced by the titlefather of the nation translated into each the relevant national language.
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