EMPIRE

(L,at. imperium.) Originally the territory or extent of land under the command and jurisdiction of an emperor. The dominions under the sway of ancient Rome were the first to which the term empire was applied: they consisted of two grand divisions, — the Empire of the East, or, as it was afterwards called, the Lower Empire; and the Empire of the West. The former admitted of various subdivisions in reference to the different dynasties to which it was subject; and the latter became, about the end of the 9th century, the German or Holy Roman Empire. In all these cases the sovereign or chief person in the empire was named the emperor. But the term empire has in several Instances been employed to designate a large extent of dominion, without reference to the title of the ruler or sovereign of a country: thus we hear of the empire of Persia, Hindostan, . The dominions of the Queen of England are invariably designated the British Empire; and the epithet "imperial" is officially prefixed to the parliament of the United Kingdom. The term empire was applied from 1804 to 1814 to the dominions of France, including all the countries then incorporated with it by the conquests of Napoleon. [s. 408]