Emperium also gave the Roman King the right to
绝对主权也使罗马皇帝有权
command troops in battle or to interpret the law which
在战争中统治军队并对法律做出解释
commanded everyone. This was an awful lot of power
而这些法律控制着所有的人
for one person to have, even in ancient Rome and it
无上的权力集中在一个人手中,而这种
was not always used wisely. After the Romans
权利的应用并不总是十分明智的
traded their monarchy for a Republic in 509BC
公元前509年罗马共和国成立
the emperium was always held by at least 2 officials
之后绝对主权通常由至少两名
at one time. By the time of Christ Rome had become
官员掌控,当罗马帝国成为了
the greatest power in the known world. The term
世界上最强大的帝国之时,绝对主权
emperium had taken on an additional meaning.
一词又附加了另外一层意义
The term 'emperium romanum' now described
现在"罗马帝国"一词指的是
both Roman power and Roman space as applied to all
罗马和罗马的疆域,包括
of the lands where Rome herself held emperium.
处于罗马绝对主权管理之下的所有土地
Let me use it in a sentence; within the
我们来看一个句子,罗马帝国的面积
emperium romanum, a physical space roughly
达到了所有地中海国家面积的总和
resembling the Mediterranean world the
在罗马帝国,由罗马皇帝掌握的
emperium romanum, the power of the roman government
政府权力具有
as wielded by the emperor is supreme.
绝对的至高无上的地位
Rome had the right to command anybody to do
罗马有权命令任何人做任何罗马
whatever Rome wanted, or else. And here is where
想做的事情,也正是从这里衍生出了
we get our term empire. Land inhabited by people
英语中的"帝国"一词,在某片土地上
who may or not look like us, may or may not speak
生活着与我们长相不同
our language, may or may not like us very much but
语言不通的人们,但他们
they have to do what we say because we have
必须听我们的命令,因为我们对他们
emperium over them; emperator and emperor.
拥有绝对主权,下面是皇帝和罗马军队
The term emperor is derived from the Latin noun
最高统治者,皇帝一词是是从拉丁语的
emperator which is derived from the verb empero,
罗马军队最高统治者演变而来,其动词
meaning to command, but it's got a rather wider sense
词根的意思是"指挥,命令" 但后来
of meaning. To the Romans an emperator was not just
其意义扩大了,对罗马人来说,军队指挥官
a commander wielding emperium because a Roman
不仅仅是行使绝对权力的指挥官,因为
had to possess emperium in order to command an army.
一个罗马人必须掌握绝对权力才能领导军队
Instead the title emperator was reserved for a
而罗马军队统治者指的只能是
successful commander who had won a particularly
那些在某场战役中获得重大胜利的
important battle. After winning this battle the
指挥官,在赢得战争之后,他可以回到
emperator could return to Rome and apply to the senate
罗马,向议会申请举办凯旋式
for a triumph, a long parade through the streets of
他带领自己的军队在罗马的街道上游行
Rome full of cheering onlookers with his troops
道路两旁都是欢呼的人群
marching ahead of him singing dirty old war songs
他的军队走在他的前方,唱着战歌
and an opportunity to lay down his emperium,
借此机会,他在全罗马人面前以一种
his command right there in the Roman forum.
罗马的方式展现自己的绝对主权
This was the greatest thing a Roman could hope to
这是一个罗马人
accomplish with emperium. To rule the
能够获得的最高荣誉
emperium romanum effectively, the Roman Empire,
要有效地统治罗马帝国
Augustus Caesar had by the time of Christ started
奥古斯都,凯撒开创了一种
something called the principate. The principate was
帝国君主政体,也就是说
basically one man rule cloaked in the window dressing,
共和国的背后,由一个人
the fa?ade if you will, of the Republic.
独掌大权,统治着整个帝国
Augustus didn't dare call himself king or anything
奥古斯都并不称自己为国王或者皇帝
like that because he didn't want to become a
因为他不想像自己的叔叔尤利乌斯,凯撒
human pin cushion like his late uncle, Julius Caesar.
一样成为众矢之的
Instead Augustus settled for making the title
而奥古斯都将罗马军队最高统治者
Emperator a part of his legal name. From that time on
变为了自己名字的一部分,从那时起
whoever ran the emperium romanum,
罗马帝国的所有统治者
the Roman Empire, automatically held the term
都自动继承了罗马军队最高统治者的头衔
emperator but emperator still meant more than the
但这一称号却不止意味着
guy in charge of the empire. The term emperator
罗马帝国的统治者,它意味着
implied that the guy who was in charge of the empire
国家的元首并不只是一国之君
was also a skilled and accomplished military commander
还是一位骁勇善战的军事指挥官
just as with the modern term emperor.
就像当今的"皇帝"一词一样