Caesar

E38669

Caesar was the title given to junior co-emperors in the Roman Empire, particularly formalized as the subordinate rank within Diocletian’s Tetrarchic system.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Caesar canonical 62

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Roman imperial office
imperial title
abolishedAsSystem after collapse of Tetrarchy
associatedWith division of imperial power
imperial succession
byzantineRank high court dignity
category Imperial Roman offices
Roman titles
continuedIn Byzantine Empire
developedFrom honorific use of the name Caesar for emperors
etymology derived from the cognomen of Gaius Julius Caesar
formalizedInSystem Diocletian's Tetrarchy
surface form: Tetrarchy
formalizedUnder Diocletian
grantedBy reigning Augustus
greekForm Καῖσαρ (Kaisar)
heldBy Constans
surface form: Constans I

Roman emperor Constantine the Great
surface form: Constantine the Great

Constantius Chlorus
Constantius II
Crispus
Galerius
Gratian
Julian the Apostate
Licinius II
Maximian
surface form: Maximian Daia

Valens
influencedTitle Czar
Kaiser
Tsar
introducedAsFormalRank late 3rd century
languageOfOrigin Latin
laterFunction honorary junior title for princes
latinForm Caesar self-linksurface differs
numberOfAugustiInTetrarchy 2
numberOfCaesaresInTetrarchy 2
positionInTetrarchy junior co-emperor
precededBy use of Caesar as family name
rankWithin Roman imperial hierarchy
relativeRank above ordinary provincial governors
below Augustus
role designated imperial successor
military commander
provincial administrator
selectionCriterion loyal military commander
potential heir
subordinateTo Augustus
surface form: Augustus (imperial title)
timePeriod Dominate
surface form: Dominate period

Late Antiquity
surface form: Late Roman Empire
usedAs component of full imperial titulature
usedBy Roman emperors
usedIn Roman Empire

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (62)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.