Domĭnus
A master, owner. The word was applied as a title of respect to a superior in rank or
station. Thus the head of a family was sometimes called
dominus by the
free members of his family as well as by his slaves. The title of
dominus
came to be ascribed to the emperor. The history of this use of the word, which corresponds
with changes in the character of the emperor, is briefly as follows: Augustus refused to be
called
dominus (
Suet. Aug.
53, with Peck's note), as did also Tiberius (
Suet.
Tib. 27); and Caligula was the first emperor who allowed himself to be
addressed by the title (
Victor.
Caes. 3). Domitian claimed the titles of
Deus et Dominus
(Dio Cass. lxii. 13). Trajan only wished to be called
princeps
(
Paneg. 2, 63, 88). Pliny in his letters always addresses Trajan as
dominus, but in doing so he does not intend to make use of an official title.
Dominus first appears on imperial monuments in the reign of Septimius Severus.
Aurelian first adopted the title
Deus et Dominus on his coins. Diocletian
allowed himself to be publicly addressed as
dominus. From the fourth
century the emperors freely ascribe the title to themselves. The reason why the earlier
emperors objected to being styled
dominus is to be found in the fact that
they still kept up a pretence of republican equality. Now the word
dominus to a Roman, like
δεσπότης to a Greek, means a
master in relation to slaves, or (politically) a tyrant, the possessor of arbitrary power
(Sall.
Iug. 85). Later, when the imperial power had become hedged about by
precedent and tradition, the emperor willingly accepted the title as his due.
The word
dominus, besides retaining its full force as a term of great
dignity, underwent a further development as a social title. In Suet.
Claud. 21,
it is applied by the emperor to his plebeian guests as an ordinary title of courtesy. In Mart.
vi. 88, it is equivalent to “Mister.” It is used by Ovid (
Am. iii. 7.11) as a term of affection. In the modern languages it has
developed through the Low Latin forms
domnus, domna, donnus,
dominicella into the Portuguese
dom, Span.
don,
doña, Fr.
dame, madame (mea domna), demoiselle, and
Old English
dan. See Peck's note to
Suet.
Aug. 53.
