PRINCEPS
The following are the definitions of
'Princeps' from the authoritative
Oxford
Latin Dictionary (the first is the entry for the normal
adjective,
the second is the entry for the noun substantive. The Latin
examples are not
given, but can be seen by clicking on the actual page jpg image at the
bottom)
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princeps ~ipis, a [PRIMVS+-CEPS] FORMS: ~ipi (abl., cj.) PL.Mos.237
1
First in time, earliest.
2
Taking the front position, leading, first.
3
a First in numerical
series. b first in order
of logical precedence, most necessary.
4
Earliest existing, original.
5
First in authority, dignity, or reputation, most distinguished,
leading, chief.
b (of things) most notable or
honourable, chief; ~eps locus,
the chief position
princeps ~ipis, m., (f.). [prec.]
1
One who begins or originates, initiator, instigator, founder, proposer.
2
One who is pre-eminent in a particular sphere, master, expert.
3
A leading member, chief man (of a group, state, class, etc.).
b
(without gen.) a leading citizen
4
(as an official or complimentary title or applied to specific
positions):
a ~eps senatus, and sim., The
senator placed at the top of the list by the censors and
ranked as the senior member.
b (w. ciuitatis); (pl., in Roman
Republican politics) the body of consulares;
(also ~ipes alone).
c ~eps iuuentutis, a title conferred
on young members of the imperial family after
Augustus' reorganization of the iuuentus.
d (of other posts).
5
The person in charge, head; (also applied to animals) the leader (of a
flock, etc.).
6
(adopted by Augustus as a title to emphasize the non-military nature of
his rule
(cf. sense 3b), but later acquiring the
connotation of an autocratic ruler).
7
(mil.) a (pl.) One of the
three classes of legionary soldiers, formed of men in the
prime of life,
employed as the second line in order of battle.
b
(also ~eps primus) a
centurion ranking second among the six centurions of a cohort;
~eps posterior, the
fourth-ranking cneturion of a cohort.
c (designating mil. units; the
precise meaning is not known).
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