The Empire of Context

A ≠ A = C

One Alexander founded Alexandria, another ruled Russia. Actually, several Alexander Tsars have ruled Russia. Every Tsar and every Kaiser is also a Caesar, etymologically, as well as — of course — are all the Roman Caesars. Except — of course — Caesar, who was not a Caesar. Unless you mean one of the ones with the name Caesar by Caesar. You might for instance be referring to Caesar’s son, Julius Caesar Octavianus — the Caesar Augustus that is, a Caesar, but born Gaius Octavius.

C ≠ C = A

It would matter what name you used if you referred to Gaius Octavius-Caesar Augustus—Julius Caesar Octavianus—and so forth—, as he, Caesar’s son, only became Caesar’s son upon the death of the childless Caesar, being adopted by Caesar posthumously. Not that it would matter to him, or Caesar, or any other Caesar, all Caesars now dead, but, well, anyhow, son is perhaps a somewhat ambiguous word in some contexts.

Father ≠ Father = Caesar

Gaius Julius Caesar Divi Filius — as Caesar’s adopted son was also called, after having been adopted by Caesar, if you can now say by Caesar if Caesar is dead? — thus saw the living Caesar in the flesh, but never saw his father in the flesh. At least not his Caesarian father, we have no reason to assume that little Gaius Octavius four years old when his first father, Gaius Octavius, died had not seen his father.

Grand Father?

Well, perhaps a little bit of reason. Little pre-Caesar Gaius lived with his paternal grandparents as a child. Perhaps someone knows, perhaps it is in books. Or on the Internet. Perhaps his paternal grandfather took upon himself to fulfill the rôle of father?

ABC ≠ ABC ≠ ABC

Incidentally, his mother — Atia —, was related to his father, that is his Caesar-father, the post-mortem father.

Atia, that is Atia Balba Caesonia and her sisters Atia Balba Caesonia and Atia Balba Caesonia were all daughters of Julia Caesaris, the Caesar-sister, that is, sister of the Caesar-Caesar that adopted the once little Gaius Octavius Caesar-to-be posthumously.

The More, the Merrier

The husband of Atia Balba Caesonia, Gaius Octavius, died, so she remarried, giving little Gaius Octavius a new father, stepfather Lucius Marcius Philippus, giving Gaius Octavius a minimum of three fathers. This father, by the way, was a descendent of one of the first kings of Rome. Probably not that unique a thing five hundred years post facto.

Anyhow. It would seem that father is at times also a slightly ambiguous term.

The Mother of the Mother

Julia Caesaris was like her brother the daughter of Gaius Julius Caesar, the father of Ides of March-Caesar, whose full name was, incidentally, Gaius Julius Caesar. Julia Caesaris and Julius Caesar also had one sister, Julia Ceasaris. These two sisters are sometimes confused with a daughter and a granddaughter, respectively, of the Augustus Caesar, as they were called Julia Major and Julia Minor, as were also Augustus’ daughter/granddaughter.

Caesar, the Sequel

Let us return to Augustus.

He was succeeded by his son Tiberius Caesar Divi Augusti filius Augustus. It would seem adoption was running in the family, for Tiberius, just as his father, was adopted into Caesar-hood. Tiberius first father was also never really his father, his mother marrying Augustus before Tiberius was born.

Julia the Elder, Tiberius wife, incidentally, was one of the Augustus-Julias sometimes confused with one of the Caesar-Julias.

At this point it would seem that the point that was to be made may have been made.

An Alexander is not just “A”. And there is no self-evident rule, definition or context that defines what is and what is not a relevant context. The context fulfills the same function as the “lexander” part of Alexander, it assists in focusing Alexander-wards, towards the right ‘A’.

If there is no way of knowing when A should mean a particular A, A is not defined. If A is not defined, we cannot claim it is identical with anything.