They occasionally were given the honorific Princeps iuventutis ('First among the Youth') and were also addressed as Nobilissimus Caesar ('Most Noble Caesar'). Heir-apparents added 'Caesar' to their names, placing it right after their cognomen. The imperial formula thus became ' Imperator Caesar Augustus' for emperors. Antoninus, born 'Titus Aurelius Fulvus Boionius Antoninus', became 'Titus Aelius Caesar Antoninus' after his adoption but ruled as 'Imperator Caesar Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Augustus (Pius)'. The imperial formula was finally standardised during the reign of Antoninus Pius. It usually came right before the cognomen ( Vespasian, Titus, Domitian, Trajan, Hadrian) a few placed it right after it ( Galba, Otho, Nerva). The placement of the name 'Caesar' varied among the early emperors. Nevertheless, 'Caesar' had become such an integral part of the imperial dignity that its place was immediately restored by Vespasian (Titus Flavius Vespasianus), who ended the civil war and established the Flavian dynasty in AD 69, ruling under the name 'Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus'.

Otho was then defeated by Aulus Vitellius, who became 'Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Imperator Augustus', adopting the victory title 'Germanicus' instead of 'Caesar'. His reign did not last long, however, and he was soon killed on orders of Marcus Salvius Otho, who became 'Imperator Marcus Otho Caesar Augustus'. Galba helped solidify 'Caesar' as the title of the designated heir by giving it to his own adopted heir, Piso Licinianus. The first emperor to assume the position and name simultaneously without any real claim was Servius Sulpicius Galba, who took the imperial throne under the name 'Servius Galba Caesar Augustus' following the death of Nero in AD 68. ( December 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Claudius, in turn, adopted his stepson and grand-nephew Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, giving him the name 'Caesar' in addition to his own nomen, 'Claudius', His stepson thus became ' Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus'. The fourth Emperor, Claudius (called 'Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus'), was the first to assume the name 'Caesar' without having been adopted by the previous emperor however, he was at least a member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, being the maternal great-nephew of Augustus on his mother's side, the nephew of Tiberius, and the uncle of Caligula (also called 'Gaius Julius Caesar'). The precedent was thus then set: the Emperor, styled as 'Augustus', designated his successor by adopting him and giving him the name 'Caesar'. Upon his own ascension to the throne, he styled himself as 'Tiberius Caesar Augustus'. He had previously dropped all his names except for 'Caesar', which he treated as a nomen, and had adopted the victory title imperator ('commander') as a new praenomen.Īs a matter of course, Augustus' own adopted son and successor, Tiberius, followed his (step)father's example and bore the name 'Caesar' following his adoption on 26 June 4 AD, restyling himself as 'Tiberius Julius Caesar'. In 27 BC, Octavius was given the honorific Augustus by the Senate, adopting the name of 'Imperator Caesar Augustus'. Eventually, distrust and jealousy between the triumvirs led to a lengthy civil war which ultimately ended with Octavius gaining control of the entire Roman world in 30 BC. He usually styled himself simply as 'Gaius Caesar' to emphasize his relationship with Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar's death did not lead to the restoration of the Republic, and instead led to the rise of the Second Triumvirate, which was made up of three generals, including Julius' adopted son Gaius Octavius.įollowing Roman naming conventions, Octavius adopted the name of his adoptive father, thus also becoming 'Gaius Julius Caesar', though he was often called 'Octavianus' to avoid confusion. After he seized control of the Roman Republic following his war against the Senate, he adopted the title of dictator perpetuo ('dictator in perpetuity'), a title he only held for about a month before he was assassinated in 44 BC. Sextus' great-grandson was the dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. The first known individual to bear the cognomen of 'Caesar' was Sextus Julius Caesar, who is likewise believed to be the common ancestor of all subsequent Julii Caesares. The change from being a familial name to a title adopted by the Roman emperors can be traced to AD 68, following the fall of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, a Roman dictator.

Caesares in Greek: Καῖσαρ Kaîsar) is a title of imperial character.

Julius cesar last words