# Why has the word "Caesar" come to mean "Roman Emperor" ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127 "2011-01-10T19:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/21 "2011-01-11T21:46:00Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > His official title is Bishop of Rome, or Pontifex Maximus (chief bridge builder- a Roman title given spiritual dimensions as a papal title). Pontifex Maximus was a spiritual title long before the Popes. It was the chief priest of Rome as far back as 200 BC. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/22 "2011-01-11T21:48:34Z")
> [@Billdo](#): > > Don’t forget about Shakespeare. When the only bit of Roman history most people know is “Et tu, Brute”, from a time when Caesar was the big cheese, it’s pretty easy to think of the Caesar as always being the big cheese, even though there were some pretty significant centuries of Roman history after that. There also of course the New Testament [quotation](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2022:21;&version=NIV;WHNU;): > [@](#): > > Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s. According to [BibleGateway.com](http://BibleGateway.com) the Greek word that is used is: καισαρος Is that the direct translation of Caesar ? The “Caesar” in question though is Tiberius so would have been a descendant (at least by adoption, via Augustus) of Julius Caesar, and part of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/23 "2011-01-11T22:08:22Z")
_ **Non Plus Ultra** _ was, according to Greek mythology, written on the Pillars of Hercules (Gibraltar) as a warning. It means ‘nothing further beyond’. Obviously the words ‘plus’ and ‘ultra’ have a different meaning in modern English. Just like any number of other words. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/24 "2011-01-11T22:22:35Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > According to [BibleGateway.com](http://BibleGateway.com) the Greek word that is used is: καισαρος Is that the direct translation of Caesar? Transliterated from the greek alphabet to latin alphabet it is KAISAROS. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/25 "2011-01-11T23:36:54Z")
Nothing to add, except to share the trivia that in classic Latin, “caesar” was pronounced the same way we pronounce “kaiser”. And “v"s were pronounced like “w”'s, so when Julius Caesar said 'I came, I saw, I conquered” it sounded like Wenny, Widdy, Winky. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/26 "2011-01-12T00:51:02Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > There also of course the New Testament [quotation](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2022:21;&version=NIV;WHNU;): > > According to [BibleGateway.com](http://BibleGateway.com) the Greek word that is used is: καισαρος Is that the direct translation of Caesar ? > > The “Caesar” in question though is Tiberius so would have been a descendant (at least by adoption, via Augustus) of Julius Caesar, and part of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Jesus had asked “Whose face is on this coin?” and so he was probably using it as a proper name. Worked either way though. It was probably one of his most controversial statements when you consider the context of the times (Roman occupied Israelites being told “give the Romans what they ask for”). Today he could ask about a dollar bill and say “Give to Washington what is Washington’s” and it would work, Washington now being synonymous with seat of government. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/27 "2011-01-12T01:23:15Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > And “v"s were pronounced like “w”'s, so when Julius Caesar said 'I came, I saw, I conquered” it sounded like Wenny, Widdy, Winky. He was just ragging on his opponents - calling them “Weeny, Weedy, Weaky” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/28 "2011-01-12T02:53:49Z")
I always assumed Caesar was referring to his enforcer, Vincenzo Vittorio DaVicci, aka “Vinnie the Clam”, “Vito the Hook”, and, on his business card, “Vinnie V. DaVicci, Dry Cleaning Equipment Wholesaler, Astoria”. ---
**Author:** ![qazwart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/5fc32e/32.png) [@qazwart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/qazwart)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/29 "2011-01-12T04:40:32Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > And the Dutch word “keizer” gesundheit! (You knew that was coming) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/30 "2011-01-12T23:03:05Z")
Quoth **Simplicio** : > [@](#): > > IIRC, an Imperator was originally the regional military commander for legions in a particular province. My understanding that the title of Imperator under the Republic was not formally granted, but was given to a military leader by informal popular consensus of the troops under his command. If you won lots of battles, kept the pay coming, and were otherwise good to your men, they’d respect you by calling you “imperator”. Quoth **Sampiro** : > [@](#): > > Today he could ask about a dollar bill and say “Give to Washington what is Washington’s” and it would work, Washington now being synonymous with seat of government. You know why it’s so hard to get a letter to Washington? Because he died in 1799. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/31 "2011-01-13T12:40:30Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > It would be interesting to know if in French, Italian and Spanish they use Caesar and Roman Emperor interchangably. In Spain we usually say only Emperador - the “de Roma” is given by the context. It would be very strange to refer to Nero or Constantine as “el césar”. Augustus is the only one whom I remember hearing as César Augusto, and it’s mostly in the context of explaining his relationship with the town of Saragossa (Caesaraugusta). ---
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/32 "2011-01-13T12:54:48Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Quoth **Simplicio** :My understanding that the title of Imperator under the Republic was not formally granted, but was given to a military leader by informal popular consensus of the troops under his command. If you won lots of battles, kept the pay coming, and were otherwise good to your men, they’d respect you by calling you “imperator”. Yes. As a commander, you typically needed your troops to acclaim you as imperator in order to be eligible for a triumph. By the end of the Republic, this could occasionally be done by bribery alone. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/33 "2011-01-15T11:46:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ve heard that Kaiser and Czar also descend from the term Caesar. And possibly Shah. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/34 "2011-01-15T18:08:00Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > And possibly Shah. Nope. Shah preceded Caesar ( Julius Caesar ) by several centuries. At least - we know it was used by the Achaemenids, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that they didn’t invent the word. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/35 "2011-01-15T19:33:58Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > In Spain we usually say only Emperador - the “de Roma” is given by the context. It would be very strange to refer to Nero or Constantine as “el césar”. I’d say the same thing for French: the Roman Emperor is called “empereur” or “empereur romain” if more precision is needed; never “César” which is only used to refer to the family name. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2011, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127/36 "2011-01-18T18:21:51Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Nope. Shah preceded Caesar ( Julius Caesar ) by several centuries. At least - we know it was used by the Achaemenids, but it is not outside the realm of possibility that they didn’t invent the word. Thanks, ignorance fought! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-has-the-word-caesar-come-to-mean-roman-emperor/567127.md?page=1)