Princeps (plural:Principes) is aLatin word meaning "first in time or order; the first, foremost,[1] chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first person".[2] As a title,Princeps originated in theRoman Republic wherein the leading member of the Senate was designatedprinceps senatus.[3] It is primarily associated with the Roman emperors as an unofficial title first adopted byAugustus (r. 27 BC – AD 14) in 27 BC. Its use in this context continued until the regime ofDiocletian (r. 284–305) at the end of the third century. He preferred the title ofdominus, meaning "lord" or "master".[4] As a result, the Roman Empire from Augustus to Diocletian is termed the "principate" (principatus), and from Diocletian on the "dominate" (dominatus). Other historians define the reign of Augustus toSeverus Alexander (r. 222–235) as the Principate, and the period afterwards as the "Autocracy".[5]
centurio(n) in command of a unit or administrative office.
Princeps ordinarius vexillationis: centurion in command of avexillatio (detachment).
Princeps peregrinorum ("commander of the foreigners"): centurion in charge of troops in thecastra peregrina (military base at Rome for personnel seconded from the provincial armies)
Princeps prior: Centurion commanding amanipulus (unit of two centuries) ofprincipes (legionary heavy infantry).
Princeps posterior: deputy to the Princeps prior
Princeps praetorii: centurion attached to headquarters.
Princeps was also used as the second part of various other military titles, such asDecurio princeps, Signifer princeps (among the standard-bearers). See also Principalis (as inOptio principalis): NCO.
"First Citizen" redirects here. For the novel by Thomas Thurston Thomas, seeFirst Citizen (novel).
Princeps civitatis ("First Citizen") was an official title of aRoman emperor, as the title determining the leader inAncient Rome at the beginning of theRoman Empire. It created theprincipate Roman imperial system.[6]
This usage of "Princeps" derived from the position ofPrinceps senatus, the "first among equals" of theSenate. Theprinceps senatus (pluralprincipes senatus) was the first member by precedence of the Roman Senate, and his opinion would usually be asked first in senatorial debates.[3]
It was first given as a special title toCaesar Augustus in 27 BC,[7] who saw that use of the titlesrex (king) ordictator would create resentment amongst senators and other influential men, who had earlier demonstrated their disapproval by supporting the assassination ofJulius Caesar. While Augustus had political and military supremacy, he needed the assistance of his fellow Romans to manage the Empire. In hisRes Gestae, Augustus claimsauctoritas for the princeps (himself).[6]
The EmperorDiocletian (284–305), the father of theTetrarchy, was the first to stop referring to himself as "princeps" altogether, calling himself "dominus" (lord, master),[citation needed] thus dropping the pretense that emperor was not truly a monarchical office. The period when the emperors who called themselves princeps ruled—from Augustus to Diocletian—is called "thePrincipate".[3]
Ancient Rome knew another kind of "princely" principes too, like "princeps iuventutis" ("the first amongst the young"), which in the early empire was frequently bestowed on eligible successors to the emperor, especially from his family. It was first given to Augustus' maternal grandsonsGaius andLucius.[9][page needed]
"Princeps" is the root and Latin rendering of modern words as the English title and generic termprince (see that article, also for various equivalents in other languages), as the Byzantine version of Roman law was the basis for the legal terminology developed in feudal (and later absolutist) Europe.[3]
TheStar Trek[10] episode "Bread and Circuses" takes place on Magna Roma, an alternate Earth where the Roman Empire never fell. In this episode, the leader of Magna Roman society (Merikus, played byWilliam Smithers) is referred to as First Citizen of his empire.[11]
In theFoundation series byIsaac Asimov, First Citizen is the title taken by theMule and his successors in their position as leader of the Union of Worlds. Asimov had previously used the title "First Citizen of the State" for Korell's authoritarian ruler Commdor in the originalFoundation novel.[12]
Princeps is the name of a dog that Brother Priad meets in theWarhammer 40,000 bookBrothers of the Snake.
Princeps is the title for the captain of a Titan, a massive humanoid war machine in the tabletop wargameWarhammer 40,000.
In the book seriesCodex Alera byJim Butcher, Princeps is the title given to the crown prince of the empire of Alera. It is also used in the title of the fifth book in the series,Princeps' Fury.
^Stern, H. (1 January 1954). "Remarks on the "Adoratio" under Diocletian".Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes.17 (1–2):184–189.doi:10.2307/750138.
^Sinnigen, William G.; Boak, Arthur Edward Romilly (1977).A history of Rome to A.D. 565 (6th ed.). New York: Macmillan [u.a.]ISBN978-0-02-410800-5.
