Roman antiquity, a title borne by all the emperors, from Julius Caesar to the destruction of the empire. It was also used as a title of distinction for the intended or presumptive heir of the empire, as King of the Romans is now used for that of the German empire. This title took its rise from the surname of the first emperor C. Julius Caesar, which, by a decree of the senate, all the succeeding emperors were to bear. Under his successor, the appellation of Augustus being appropriated to the emperors, in compliment to that prince, the title Caesar was given to the second person in the empire, though still it continued to be given to the first; and hence the difference betwixt Caesar used simply, and Caesar with the addition of Imperator Augustus.

The dignity of Caesar remained to the second of the empire, till Alexius Comnenus having elected Nicephorus Melissenus Caesar by contract; and it being necessary to confer some higher dignity on his own brother Isaacius, he created him Sebastocrator with the precedence over Melissenus; ordering, that in all acclamations, &c. Isaacius Sebastocrator should be named the second, and Melissenus Caesar the third.

Caesar, Sir Julius, a learned civilian, was descended by the female line from the duke de Cesarini in Italy; and was born near Tottenham in Middlesex, in the year 1557. He was educated at Oxford, and afterwards studied in the university of Paris, where, in the year 1581, he was created doctor of the civil law, and two years after was admitted to the same degree at Oxford, and also became doctor of the canon law. He was advanced to many honourable employments, and for the last 20 years of his life was master of the rolls. He was remarkable for his extensive bounty and charity to all persons of worth, so that he seemed to be the almoner-general of the nation. He died in 1639, in the 79th year of his age. It is very remarkable that the manuscripts of this lawyer were offered (by the executors of some of his descendants) to a cheesemonger for waste paper; but being timely inspected by Mr Samuel Paterson, this gentleman discovered their worth, and had the satisfaction to find his judgment confirmed by the profession, to whom they were sold in lots for upwards of 500l. in the year 1757.

Caesar Augusta, or Cesarea Augusta, in Ancient Geography, a Roman colony situated on the river Iberus in the Hither Spain, before called Saldaba, in the territories of the Edetani. Now commonly thought to be Saragosa.

Caesarea, the name of several ancient cities, particularly one on the coast of Phoenicia. It was very conveniently situated for trade; but had a very dangerous harbour, so that no ships could be safe in it when the wind was at south-west. Herod the Great, king of Judea, remedied this inconveniency at an immense expense and labour, making it one of the most convenient havens on that coast. He also beautified it with many buildings, and bestowed 12 years on the finishing and adorning it.

Caesarean operation. See Midwifery.

Caesarians, Caesienses, in Roman antiquity, were officers or ministers of the Roman emperors: They kept the account of the revenues of the emperors; and took possession, in their name, of such things as devolved or were confiscated to them.

Caesarodunum, in Ancient Geography, a town of the Turones in Celtic Gaul; now Tours, the capital of Touraine. See Tours.

Cæsaromagus, in Ancient Geography, a town of the Trinobantes in Britain; by some supposed to be Chelmsford, by others Brentford, and by others Purfleet.

Cæsena, in Ancient Geography, a town of Gallia Cispadana, situated on the rivers Isapis and Rubicon; now Cegena, which see.

Cæsia sylva, in Ancient Geography, a wood in Germany, part of the great Sylva Hercynia, situated partly in the duchy of Cleves, and partly in Westphalia, between Wesel and Keshfeld.

Cæsones, a denomination given to those cut out of their mothers wombs. Pliny ranks this as an auspicious kind of birth; the elder Scipio Africanus; and the first of the family of Caesars, were brought into the world in this way.

Cæstus, in antiquity, a large gauntlet made of raw hide, which the wrestlers made use of when they fought at the public games.—This was a kind of leathern strap, strengthened with lead or plates of iron, which encompassed the hand, the wrist, and a part of the arm, as well to defend these parts as to enforce their blows.

Cæstus, or Cæstum, was also a kind of girdle, made of wool, which the husband united for his spouse the first day of marriage, before they went to bed.

This relates to Venus's girdle, which Juno borrowed of her to entice Jupiter to love her. See Cestus.

Cæsura, in the ancient poetry, is when, in the scanning of a verse, a word is divided so, as one part seems cut off, and goes to a different foot from the rest: as,

Menti[ri nol]i, mun[quam men]dacio|prosunt.

where the syllables ri, li, quam, and men, are caesuras.

Cæsura, in the modern poetry, denotes a rest or pause towards the middle of an Alexandrian verse, by which the voice and pronunciation are aided, and the verse, as it were, divided into two hemistichs. See Pause.

Cæteris paribus, a Latin term in frequent use among mathematical and physical writers. The words literally signify, the rest (or other things) being alike or equal. Thus we say the heavier the bullet, cæteris paribus, the greater the range; i.e. by how much the bullet is heavier, if the length and diameter of the piece and strength of the powder be the same, by so much will the utmost range or distance of a piece of ordnance be the greater. Thus also, in a physical way, we say, the velocity and quantity circulating in a given time through any section of an artery, will, cæteris paribus, be according to its diameter, and nearness to or distance from the heart.

Cætobrix, in Ancient Geography, a town of Lusitania, near the mouth of the Tagus, on the east side; now extinct. It had its name from its fishery; and there are still extant fish ponds on the shore done with plaster of Paris, which illustrate the name of the ruined city.