''Princeps'' (plural: ''Principes'') is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

word meaning "first in time or order; the first, foremost, chief, the most eminent, distinguished, or noble; the first person". As a title, ''Princeps'' originated in the

Roman Republic The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...

wherein the leading member of the Senate was designated ''princeps senatus''. It is primarily associated with the Roman emperors as an unofficial title first adopted by

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

() in 27 BC. Its use in this context continued until the regime of

Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...

(r. 284 – 305 AD) at the end of the third century. He preferred the title of ''dominus'', meaning "lord" or "master". As a result, the Roman Empire from Augustus to Diocletian is termed the "

principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...

" (''principatus''). Other historians define the reign of Augustus to

Severus Alexander Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain c ...

(r. 222 – 235) as the Principate, and the period afterwards as the "Autocracy". The

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

title "Prince" is a derivative of princeps, as is the title

Principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

.Encyclopædia Britannica – Princeps
/ref>

Roman military

* See

Principes ''Principes'' (: ''princeps'') were Spear, spearmen, and later Swordsmanship, swordsmen, in the Roman army of the mid-Republic, armies of the early Roman Republic. They were men in the prime of their lives who were fairly wealthy, and could affo ...

(legionary heavy infantry soldier) * centurio(n) in command of a unit or administrative office. * ''Princeps ordinarius vexillationis'': centurion in command of a ''

vexillatio A ''vexillatio'' (: ''vexillationes'') was a detachment of a Roman legion formed as a temporary task force created by the Roman army of the Principate. It was named from the standard carried by legionary detachments, the ''vexillum'' (: ''vexill ...

'' (detachment). * ''Princeps peregrinorum'' ("commander of the foreigners"): centurion in charge of troops in the ''castra peregrina'' (military base at Rome for personnel seconded from the provincial armies) * ''Princeps prior'': Centurion commanding a ''manipulus'' (unit of two centuries) of ''principes'' (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 as ''

Decurio ''Decurio'' was an official title in Ancient Rome, used in various connections: * Decurion (administrative), a member of the senatorial order in the Italian towns under the administration of Rome, and later in provincial towns organized on the Ita ...

princeps'', Signifer princeps (among the standard-bearers). See also Principalis (as in ''

Optio In a Roman army an (, from , 'to choose', so-called because superior officers chose the ; : ) held a rank in a (century) similar to that of an executive officer. The main function of an was as an , the second-in-command of a century, alth ...

principalis''): NCO.

Roman administration

''Princeps'' is also the (official) short version of Princeps officii, the chief of an officium (the office staff of a Roman dignitary).

Roman Emperor

''Princeps civitatis'' ("First Citizen") was an official title of a Roman

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, as the title determining the leader in

Ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...

at the beginning of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. It created the

Roman imperial system.Grant, p. 62 This usage of "''Princeps''" derived from the position of ''

Princeps senatus The ''princeps senatus'' ( ''principes senatus''), in English the leader of the senate, was the first member by precedence on the membership rolls of the Roman Senate. Although officially out of the ''cursus honorum'' and possessing no ''imperium ...

'', the "

first among equals is a Latin phrase meaning first among equals. It is typically used as an honorary title for someone who is formally equal to other members of their group but is accorded unofficial respect, traditionally owing to their seniority in office. H ...

" of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. The ''princeps senatus'' (plural ''principes senatus'') was the first member by precedence of the Roman Senate, and his opinion would usually be asked first in senatorial debates. It was first given as a special title to

Caesar Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

in 27 BC, who saw that use of the titles ''rex'' (king) or

dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...

would create resentment amongst senators and other influential men, who had earlier demonstrated their disapproval by supporting the assassination of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...

. While Augustus had political and military supremacy, he needed the assistance of his fellow Romans to manage the Empire. In his ''

Res Gestae ''Res gestae'' (Latin: "things done") is a term found in substantive and procedural American jurisprudence and English law. In American substantive law, it refers to the period of a felony from start-to-end. In American procedural law, it refe ...

'', Augustus claims

auctoritas is a Latin word that is the origin of the English word "authority". While historically its use in English was restricted to discussions of the political history of Rome, the beginning of Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenological philosophy ...

for the princeps (himself). Various official titles were associated with the Roman Emperor. These titles included ''

imperator The title of ''imperator'' ( ) originally meant the rough equivalent of ''commander'' under the Roman Republic. Later, it became a part of the titulature of the Roman Emperors as their praenomen. The Roman emperors generally based their autho ...

'',

Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war. He ...

, and later dominus (lord) and

basileus ''Basileus'' () is a Greek term and title that has signified various types of monarchs throughout history. In the English language, English-speaking world, it is perhaps most widely understood to mean , referring to either a or an . The title ...

(the Greek word for "

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title that can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to ...

"). The word

is derived from the Roman title "imperator", which was a very high, but not exclusive, military title until Augustus began to use it as his

praenomen The praenomen (; plural: praenomina) was a first name chosen by the parents of a Ancient Rome, Roman child. It was first bestowed on the ''dies lustricus'' (day of lustration), the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the ...

. The Emperor

(284–305), the father of the

Tetrarchy The Tetrarchy was the system instituted by Roman emperor Diocletian in 293 AD to govern the ancient Roman Empire by dividing it between two emperors, the ''augusti'', and their junior colleagues and designated successors, the ''caesares''. I ...

, was the first to stop referring to himself as "princeps" altogether, calling himself "dominus" (lord, master), thus dropping the pretense that emperor was not truly a monarchical office. The period when the emperors that called themselves princeps ruled—from Augustus to Diocletian—is called "the

Principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...

". 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 grandsons

Gaius Gaius, sometimes spelled Caius, was a common Latin praenomen; see Gaius (praenomen). People * Gaius (biblical figure) (1st century AD) *Gaius (jurist) (), Roman jurist * Gaius Acilius * Gaius Antonius * Gaius Antonius Hybrida * Gaius Asinius Gal ...

and

Lucius Lucius is a masculine given name derived from Lucius (Latin ; ), abbreviated L., one of the small group of common Latin forenames () found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius probably derives from Latin word ( gen. ), meaning "light" (<

.Suetonius

Nobiliary legacy

"''Princeps''" is the root and Latin rendering of modern words as the English title and generic term ''

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

'' (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.

Non-Roman meaning

Princeps has been used in various scientific names, including the following: * ''Princeps'', a former genus of swallowtail butterflies now treated as a subgenus of ''

Papilio ''Papilio'' is a genus in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae, as well as the only representative of the tribe Papilionini. The word ''papilio'' is Latin for butterfly. It includes the common yellow swallowtail ('' Papilio machaon'') ...

'' * '' Accipiter princeps'', the New Britain goshawk * '' Actenoides princeps'', the scaly-breasted kingfisher * ''Cattleya walkeriana'' var. ''princeps'', a synonym for ''Cattleya walkeriana'', an orchid species * '' Emberiza flaviventris princeps'', a subspecies of golden-breasted bunting found in Angola and Namibia * '' Grallaria guatimalensis princeps'', a subspecies of scaled antpitta found in Costa Rica and Panama * '' Heterohyrax brucei princeps'', a subspecies of yellow-spotted rock hyrax * '' Melionyx princeps'', the long-bearded melidectes * '' Morphnarchus princeps'', the barred hawk *'' Triplofusus princeps'', a tropical

sea snail Sea snails are slow-moving marine (ocean), marine gastropod Mollusca, molluscs, usually with visible external shells, such as whelk or abalone. They share the Taxonomic classification, taxonomic class Gastropoda with slugs, which are distinguishe ...

. * '' Passerculus sandwichensis princeps'', the Ipswich sparrow (a subspecies of Savannah sparrow) * '' Ploceus princeps'', the Príncipe weaver * '' Psittacus timneh princeps'', the Príncipe subspecies of Timneh parrot

Fiction

*The ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' episode "

Bread and Circuses "Bread and circuses" (or "bread and games"; from Latin: ''panem et circenses'') is a metonymic phrase referring to superficial appeasement. It is attributed to Juvenal (''Satires'', Satire X), a Roman poet active in the late first and early seco ...

" 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 by

William Smithers William Smithers (born July 10, 1927) is an American actor, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Jeremy Wendell in the television series ''Dallas''. He appeared in the series in 1981 and from 1984 to 1989. Early life and career Smith ...

) is referred to as First Citizen of his empire. *In the

Foundation series The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction novel series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories and novellas in 1942–1950, and subsequently in three novels in 1951–1953, for nearly thirty ye ...

Isaac Asimov Isaac Asimov ( ; – April 6, 1992) was an Russian-born American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the "Big Three" science fiction writers, along with Robert A. H ...

, First Citizen is the title taken by the

Mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

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 original Foundation novel. *Princeps is the name of a dog that Brother Priad meets in the ''

Warhammer 40,000 ''Warhammer 40,000'' is a miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is the most popular miniature wargame in the world, and is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. The first edition of the rulebook was published in September 1987 ...

'' book ''Brothers of the Snake''. *Princeps is the title for the captain of a Titan, a massive humanoid war machine in the tabletop wargame ''

''. *In the book series ''

Codex Alera Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', '' Codex Alera'', and '' Cinder Spires'' book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, Missouri, in 1971. ...

'' by

Jim Butcher Jim Butcher (born October 26, 1971) is an American author., He has written the contemporary Fantasy literature, fantasy ''The Dresden Files'', ''Codex Alera'', and ''Cinder Spires'' book series. Personal life Butcher was born in Independence, M ...

, 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. *In the '' Star Trek: Infinity's Prism'' book '' Seeds of Dissent'' by

James Swallow James Swallow is a British author. A BAFTA nominee and a ''New York Times'', '' Sunday Times'' and Amazon #1 best-seller, he is the author of several original books and tie-in novels, as well as short fiction, numerous audio dramas and video ...

, "Princeps" is the title for "Commander"

Julian Bashir Julian Subatoi Bashir, MD is a fictional character from the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', portrayed by Alexander Siddig. Bashir is the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of space station Deep Space Nine and the USS ''Defiant''. ...

of the warship ''Defiance'', which exists in an alternate universe from the more familiar 24th Century envisioned in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. *In the book '' The Three-Body Problem'' by

Cixin Liu Liu Cixin (, pronounced ; born 23 June 1963) is a Chinese computer engineer and science fiction writer. In English translations of his works, his name is given as Cixin Liu. He is sometimes called "''Da'' Liu" ("Big Liu") by his fellow sc ...

, "Princeps" is the title of the leader of the Trisolaran civilization. *In the book ''

The Magic Mountain ''The Magic Mountain'' (, ) is a novel by Thomas Mann. It was first published in Germany in November 1924. Since then, it has gone through numerous editions and been translated into many languages. It is widely considered a seminal work of 20t ...

'' by

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

, "Princeps Scholasticorum" is the title Settembrini uses to introduce Naphta. *In the actual-play series '' Dimension 20: A Starstruck Oddysey'' by Dropout, Princeps Zortch is a non-binary member of Rubian V's royalty.

Roman military

Roman administration

Roman Emperor

Nobiliary legacy

Non-Roman meaning

Fiction

See also

References

Further reading