(May 17, 2009 at 3:33 pm)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: Hmm interesting...although I thought when Christianity started (to use an example religion) it was EMPERORS not Kings that were the leaders? Roman emperors for example?

Although I guess even so there isn't really much of a practical difference?

Kings are the monarchs of a tribe or country. Emperors are the rulers of more than one country or territory annexed in conquest. Germany for example only had an emperor (Kaiser) after Prussia and Germany came under the rule of Wilhelm I.

At the beginning of Christianity in Rome there were no Roman kings there were only emperors I thought tho?

Just because - I've never heard of an ancient Roman king - only emperors!

And also my favourite game, Age of Empires - the first one with the expansion pack Rise of Rome, there are no kings, only emperors. It's in the 2nd game Age of Kings with the Dark age, feudal age and CASTLE age (followed by Imperial) - that there are kings....in the earlier game in Roman times (and before that with the greeks and minoans, etc) there are only emperors not kings...

Just never heard of an ancient Roman king. Which is when Christianity started yeah?

EvF

(May 17, 2009 at 5:48 pm)EvidenceVsFaith Wrote: At the beginning of Christianity in Rome there were no Roman kings there were only emperors I thought tho?

The Roman Kingdom (Latin: Regnum Romanum) was the monarchical government of the city of Rome and its territories. Ancient Rome as you know it was officially a republic . The later Roman Emperors are not emperors in the European sense, but a dictator that was given total rule by the senate to solve an immediate problem (usually a war). Officially to have rule over a limited time, but the first thing the emperor did was make himself ruler for life.

And don't forget Rome wasn't the only player in town. There were plenty kingdoms around.

Evf,

Quote:yes the places Emperors rule could still be called kingdoms. But I have heard the leaders THEMSELVES in ancient Rome be called 'Kings'.

I just mean that I never hear of ancient Roman Kings or any sort of Christian 'Kings' around at that time...they may have had KingDOMS but I've never heard them be referred to as 'Kings' - it always seems to be emperors?

If there WERE Roman KINGS around and Christian KINGS at the time (or called as such I mean anyway) - then that's news to me! They always were called emperors to my knowledge. Emperors rule many kingdoms maybe or one 'Empire' BUT - I've not heard of Ancient Roman 'Kings' - maybe they are less well known? Maybe I'm wrong?

Were there, for instance; ancient Roman KINGS as opposed to emperors? Maybe they just get less attention cos they have less power than an empeor so that's why I've never heard of it LOL.

Roman Kingdom 753 BC – 509 BC

Roman Republic 508 BC – 27 BC

Roman Empire 27 BC – AD 476

There was a Kingdom of Rome first, then a republic, then an Empire. Rome spans a lot more time than just during the foundation of Christianity. As for the question if there were Roman Kings, yes, Rome was named after one, Romulus. There is a lot of Mythology surrounding Romulus and Remus, but they are the founders and first kings of the kingdom of Rome. But there were many more Roman kings, like Tarquinius Priscus.

Before Caesar were there kings, taht what I've learned. Did they call them kings or did they had another word for it?

The Roman word for king is Rex, just like Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Cool at the 'Rex' bit.

Well yeah, I knew the ancient Romans spanned from a few hundred years BC to a few hundred years AD...

I just never heard of them being called 'Kings'. Only emperors. I've only ever heard of Roman Emperors - not kings. I didn't know of this. Thanks for the enlightening

EDIT: Unless I HAVE heard of it in the past but I just forgot what I learnt because the Roman EMPIRE and EMPERORS is a lot more memorable and obvious (at least to me) I think.

EvF

Cheers for the History lesson.

Quote:Just because - I've never heard of an ancient Roman king - only emperors!

Rome was a kingdom for over 200 years after it was founded in 753 BCE. THEN a republic for about 500 hundred years,THEN it had emperors from 23 BCE to 565 CE. The first was Octavian (called "Augustus") the adopted son of Julius Caesar ,who was NOT emperor. The last was Justinian 1

By tradition the first king of Rome was Romulus. The Seventh and final king or Rome was Tarquinius Superbus. He was expelled from Rome in 510 BCE.

I guess the 'Emperor' and 'Empire' part is perhaps simply the most well known or 'famous' of the three Roman periods you described! (Kingdom, Republic, Empire) (perhaps?)

Unless it's just me! Am I that much of an anomaly? Lol

EvF