EMPEROR (imperator), among the ancient Romans, signified a general of an army, who, for some extraordinary success, had been complimented with this appellation. Thus Augustus, having obtained no less than twenty famous victories, was as often saluted with the title emperor; and Titus was denominated emperor by his army after the reduction of Jerusalem. Subsequently it came to denominate an absolute monarch or supreme commander of an empire. In this sense Julius Cæsar was called emperor; the same title descended with the dignity to Octavianus Augustus, Tiberius, and Caligula; and afterwards it became elective. In strictness the title emperor does not, and cannot, add any thing to the rights of sovereignty; its effect is only to give precedence and pre-eminence above other sovereigns; and as such, it raises those invested with it to the summit of all human greatness. In the east, the title and quality of emperor are more frequent than in Europe; thus, the sovereign princes of China, Japan, Mogul, &c. are all emperors. In Europe, the first who bore the title was Charlemagne, upon whom it was conferred by Pope Leo III. though he had all the power before.