But we know,
that nobody on this account, would have addressed him as noble in those
days, either by speech or letter. The first Roman, who was ever honoured
with a legal title, as a title of distinction, was Octavius, upon whom
the senate, but a few years before the birth of Paul, had conferred the
name of Augustus. But no procurator of a province took this title.
Neither does it appear that the circumstance gave birth to inferior
titles to those in inferior offices in the government. And indeed on the
title "Augustus" it may be observed, that though it followed the
successors of Octavius, it was but sparingly used, being mostly used on
medals, monumental pillars, and in public acts of the state. Pliny, in
his letters to Trajan, though reputed an excellent prince, addressed him
as only sir or master, and he wrote many years after the death of Paul.
Athenagoras, in addressing his book, in times posterior to these, to the
emperors M. Aurelius Antoninus, and L. Aurelius Commodus, addresses
them only by the title of "great princes." In short titles were not in
use. They did not creep in, so as to be commonly used, till after the
statues of the emperors had begun to be worshipped by the military as a
legal and accustomary homage.
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