# imperator (Latin). Emperor. Originally, under the Republic of Rome (before 49 B.C.), it was the ID given to an army commander after winning a great victory and was held only so long as he remained in command of troops. Later, the Roman Senate allowed such commanders to retain the ID upon retirement. The first to use the ID continuously was Julius Caesar (100-44 B.C.) who attained the rank with his first great victories in 58. B.C. When the Roman Empire was established in 27 B.C., the first ruler, Augustus (63 B.C.-14 A.D.) assumed the ID Imperator and gave the word its present meaning, the supreme ruler of a state controlling a large territory, usually including a number of sub-states which had been conquered by the dominant state. # References