About the Roman Democracy
Written on 12:19 AM by 6i
Of 'emporer' and 'kaiser'. Retrieved17th Jan 2009 from http://pasttense.nl/2006/12/05/of-emperor-and-kaiser/
The history of the title ‘emperor’ lies in the power of the Roman consul. What we today call a prime minister is somewhat comparable to a consul. In the Roman republic there were always two consuls, so one could keep the other in check. After all, if nothing else Romans detested tyranny#{a tyrant is one ruler with too much power, not necessarily an evil dictator like we understand the term today.}.
A consul’s most important power was imperium, or the right to command armies, uphold law and rule over citizens. Imperium could be limited to a certain region_—say, Gaul—and it could be overruled by equal or higher authority—say, that of the other consul.
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A consul could, in times of crisis, be declared dictator by senate, which would give him more or less absolute power for a limited amount of time. Julius Caesar was, quite exceptionally, named dictator for life in 45 BC after the republic had suffered under civil war for many years. Although Caesar was not the first to be dictator without limits#{conservative general Sulla had been named dictator for an unspecified amount of time, but he voluntarily stepped down when he felt he finished his job} he was the first to live up to it—he was murdered in 44 BC by conservative senators.
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