imperator

Title given to a victorious general by his troops, during the time of the Roman Republic, and later the official title of the emperor.

Under the republic, when a general won a victory his troops would salute him imperator and the title was added after a general's name as a cognomen. Augustus established a principle according to which all honours of war earned by generals belonged to the princeps (head of state) under whom they served. The title was added before his name, thus becoming the praenomen imperatoris, the title preceding each emperor's name.