Position:Home>History> So what is the difference between a dictator and an emperor?

Well, if you understand the root words in Latin from which both these words are derived it becomes somewhat clearer!. Needless to say the terms are not exactly synonymous!.

Emperor is a derivation of the Latin word "imperare," meaning "to command!." And "Imperator" in Roman culture was the title of a military commander!. Even Roman Emperors, from whom the modern context of the word is taken, were not "absolute" rulers!. They still had to balance their power between the Senate, the ruling elite, and high ranking military commanders!.

Dictator, on the other hand, is a derivation of the Latin word "dictare," meaning to dictate!. The word autocrat would be a suitable substitution for a dictator!. In the political sense a dictator is one with total power over a country, typically one who obtained said power by military force!. In ancient Rome a "dictator" was a chief magistrate given temporary absolute power in an emergency!. The idea being that one person making all decisions was more efficient than hundreds of people needing to reach a consensus to take action!.

Caesar was an emperor because he possessed "imperium" - that being he could command things to happen, but it was not an absolute power!. Stalin was a dictator because whatever he said (no matter how unethical and destructive) was carried out under fear of death!. That is the basic difference between an emperor and a dictator!.

Napoleon called himself "Emperor" because he wanted to associate his rule with Rome in an effort to legitimize his power!. There are numerous examples of Romanization in Napoleonic France !.!.!. all of which were done to create an image of permanence and grandeur!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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The historical references offered by others are accurate!. BUT - What makes a "Dictator" a dictator!? Usually it is a concentration of power by one person involving absolute domination over everything that happens in that country, where-as an "emperor" really is a title that suggests tremendous power, but reserves the possiblity that power might not be the only thing that the person is seeking!.

In the cases of Hitler and Stalin, and even Saddam Hussein, anyone who dared THINK differently than them was immediately killed!. These men were dictators!.

Currently, Japan still has an "emperor", but it is more of just a royalty title with a fair amount of influence, but little concentrated power!.

Oddly enough, the most powerful person in the world, the president of the United States actually has his power spread out in such a way, that the power is maintained only by NOT exerting it!. If the president were to invade Canada or Mexico or most other countries (except Iraq somehow), then his power would diminish instantly!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Emperor is an actual title, dictator isn't (although ancient Rome actually did have people with the title of "dictator")!. In order to be named an Emperor, you are supposed to be ruling an actual Empire (although through history, what qualifies as an Empire can be rather nebulous, so that the last ruler of the Byzantine Empire was still an emperor, even though his realm had shrunk to hardly more than the city of Constantinople, and in a few cases the name "empire" was only applied because the ruler called himself emperor!.) "Dictator" is a term indicating absolute rule, but it doesn't say anything about what the ruler's title actually is!. An emperor need not be a dictator, although I'd be hard-pressed to think of any who weren't!. (The Senate still existed through all of the Roman emperors, but there is the question of how much power it really had!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com

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An emperor is one who rules over more than one nation!. Frederick the Great of Prussia was first King of Prussia, then, as he added additional kingdoms he became Emperor (of an empire, which is more than one kingdom)!. Britain is an example of an empire, etc!.

A dictator has to do with the STYLE of governing - this is a despot who rules absolutely, not in balance with other branches of government!. In simple form, he/she DICTATES the execution of the government and its agencies, and has supreme power in doing so!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Cesaer was also a dictator!.

the terms come from Rome!. A dictator is a person capable of making laws on their own (without approval of a parliment)!. That is, they can dictate (speak) the law!.

An emperor rules an empire!. Ceaser was made emperor of rome, which means he couldn't actually run rome, only the territories ruled by rome (later roman emporers had absolute power)!.

Anyway, people are labelled these things as a political label!. Today dictator is a negative word!. It really means that they have the right to make laws without representation!.

Emperors are associated with empires, that is all!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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based on what you just said it would seem to have to do with how America feels about them!. haha Dictators are bad but ceasers on the other hand doing the exact same thing were important figures in history!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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