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Caput Mundi is a Latin phrase taken to mean "capital of the world." (literally: "head of the world,"1 see capital, capitol). It originates out of a classical European understanding of the known world: Southern Europe, North Africa, and Southwest Asia. Because of the enduring power of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, and the Roman Catholic Church, in this sphere, the city of Rome has been known for centuries as Caput Mundi.
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Rome
Rome's influence in the ancient world began to grow around the Second Century BC as the Republic expanded across Southern Europe and North Africa. For the next five centuries, Rome would govern much of the known world. The cultural influence of the local language of Rome (Latin) as well as Roman Art, Architecture, Religion and Philosophy was immense.
| “ | In the question of imperial history, there was not a cultural, political, or economic movement of the ancient world which Rome did not have her fingers in. | ” |
Translated from the Italian Wikipedia
Constantinople
Capital and largest city of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople was built as the second Rome by Emperor Constantine in 330 CE.
The Byzantine Empire lasted for over a thousand years with the center always at Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was centered in the capitals of Nicaea, Trebizond, and Arta. The city was seen as the "Capital of the World" because of its prime trading position in the center of the medieval world. Between 330 and 1453, one could see in Constantinople the faces of Ethiopians, Egyptians, Arabs, Franks, Italians, as well as the Chinese and Indians, who were a very rare sight in Europe for the timecitation needed. The city was also the center of half of the Christian world as the seat of the Patriarch of the Eastern Orthodox church. Thus as the world center for commerce, diplomacy, religion, education,citation needed it could well have been said that during the city's heyday, Constantinople was indeed the capital of the world.
London
Capital of the British Empire, London was seen as the heir apparent of Rome.
Though the empire has since passed, London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, and its influence in politics, education, entertainment, media, fashion and the arts all contribute to its status as a major global city.
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New York
New York City, the largest city in the United States, is sometimes referred to as a "Novum Caput Mundi" (Latin: "New Caput Mundi") or by the English phrase "Capital of the World". As well as being the largest urban area in the United States, the New York area is also the second largest on Earth, surpassed only by greater Tokyo, Japan.
Unlike Rome, which had direct political control throughout the Republic and later the Empire, New York City is not even the capital of New York State, nor the United States (though it did serve as US capital from 1789 to 1790.) It does, however, boast United Nations Headquarters.
In addition to the UN, many national and international private corporations have headquarters in New York City. The New York Stock Exchange also falls within city limits. The global cultural and economic influence of these entities is massive. For these reasons, the choices of New Yorkers exert a powerful, ongoing influence on people worldwide.
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- This page was last modified on 6 January 2009, at 20:46.
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