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''Augustus'' (plural '''''augusti''''') is Latin for "majestic" or "venerable". The feminine form is ''''' Augusta '''''. The Greek equivalent is Sebastos , or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) ''augustos''. It is most associated with the first Princeps of the Roman state, Emperor Augustus ; it subsequently came to be considered one of the titles of what we now call the Roman Emperors. After the fall of the empire the word was not uncommon as a name for men of aristocratic birth in Europe, especially in the lands of the Holy Roman Empire . ORIGIN AND NATURE Although the use of the '' Cognomen '' "Augustus" as part of one's name is generally understood to identify the Emperor Augustus , this is somewhat misleading; "Augustus" was the most significant name associated with the Emperor, but it did not actually represent any sort of constitutional office until the 3rd century under Diocletian. The Imperial dignity was not an ordinary office, but rather an extraordinary concentration of ordinary powers in the hands of one man; "Augustus" was the name that unambiguously identified that man.
As '' Princeps Senatus '' (lit., "prince of the senate", "first man of the senate") he was the leader of the house in the Senate, presiding over the meetings and bringing forth motions before the body, equivalent to a modern day Prime Minister or American Speaker Of The House ; as '' Pontifex Maximus '' (lit. "high priest") he was the chief priest of the Roman state religion; as bearing Consul ar '' Imperium '' he had Authority equal to the official chief executive (and Eponym ous) magistrates within Rome and as bearing ''imperium maius'' he had authority greater than theirs outside Rome (because of this, he outranked all provincial governors and was also supreme commander of all Roman Legion s); as bearing '' Tribunicia Potestas '' ("tribunician power") he had personal inviolability (''sacrosanctitas'') and the right to Veto any act or proposal by any magistrate within Rome, acting as the chief officer for the general legislative body of the people. This concentration of powers became the ideal model, as presented by the surviving histories, by which all subsequent Emperors were to ruled Rome in theory (in practice this systematic and sophisticated theory gradually lost any resemblance to reality and completely collapsed in the III and IV Centuries , when the Emperors became rather more reminiscent of oriental despots than "first among equals").
In this usage, by signifying the complete assumption of all Imperial powers, "''Augustus''" is roughly analogous to " Emperor ", though a modern reader should be careful not to project onto the ancients a modern, monarchical understanding of what an emperor is. As noted, there was no constitutional office associated with the imperial dignity; the Emperor's personal authority (''dignitas'') and influence ('' Auctoritas '') derived from his position as ''princeps senatus'', and his legal authority derived from his ''consulari imperium'' and ''tribunicia potestas''; in Roman constitutional theory, one might consider "''augustus''" as being shorthand for "''princeps senatus et pontifex maximus consulari imperio et tribuniciae potestate''" (loosely, "Leader of the House and Chief Priest with Consular ''Imperium'' and Tribunician Power"). "Augustus" in and of itself signified that the individual in question had both the ''dignitas'' and ''auctoritas'' to hold these informal positions. In many ways, "''augustus''" is comparable to the British dignity of Prince ; it is a personal title, dignity, or attribute rather than a title of nobility such as Duke or king. The Emperor was most commonly referred to as ''princeps'', though as time passed ''imperator'' or ''Caesar'' became more common terms. WOMEN OF THE IMPERIAL DYNASTY See Also: Augusta (honorific) Originally, the title Augusta was only exceptionally bestowed on women of the Imperial dynasties: for these women it meant a fortification of their worldly power, and a status near to divinity. There was no qualification with higher prestige. The first woman to receive it was Livia Drusilla , by the last will of her husband Emperor Augustus (14 AD). Hence she was known as Julia Augusta . As much as Augustus was the model for all further Augusti, Julia Augusta was the model for all further ''Augustae'' (plural of Augusta). A model that included scheming for a son to become successor to the throne, and falling in disgrace under the new Emperor if the scheming had been successful. Agrippina Minor , becoming "Augusta" under her last husband Claudius , would oblige to the model, being sent to death by her son Nero , a few years after he had become Emperor. If ''Augustus'' as honorific could be compared to the title of ''Prince'' in moderner societies, then ''Augusta'' would not so much be ''Princess'' than rather something more exceptional like '''' too. Further, the "akin to divinity" does not really translate in any of these moderner titles or understood honorifics. IN THE DIVIDED ROMAN EMPIRE Later, under the Tetrarchy , the rank of "''augustus''" referred to the two senior Emperors (in East and West), while "''caesar''" referred to the junior sub-Emperors. The aforementioned three principal titles of the emperors -- "''imperator''", "''caesar''", and "''augustus''" -- were rendered as '' Autokratôr '', ''kaisar'', and ''augustos'' (or ''sebastos'') in Greek. The Greek title continued to be used in the Byzantine Empire until its extinction in 1453 , although "''sebastos''" lost its Imperial exclusivity: persons who were not the Emperor could receive titles formed from "''sebastos''", and "''autokratôr''" became the exclusive title of the Emperor. LEGACY The Latin title of the Holy Roman Emperor s was usually "''Imperator Augustus''", which conveys the modern understanding of "emperor" rather than the original Roman sense (i.e., the "first citizen" of the Republic). Ironically, although the German word for "emperor" is "''Kaiser''", a clear derivative of "''caesar''", that was the only one of the three principal titles of the Latin- and Greek-speaking Roman Emperors that was not regularly used in Latin by the German-speaking Holy Roman Emperors. SEE ALSO
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