In many Slavic languages, the word "capital" comes from the Old Slavonic "table", which means the place where the prince was on a more or less permanent basis. In the Latin languages and languages of the states that were within the Roman Empire, the designation of the main city goes back to the Latin word caput, which translates as "head" or "title". In any case, the capital is, first of all, the center of the political life of the country.
Origin of the term
Since mankind has moved to a sedentary lifestyle in permanent settlements, some cities have become distinguished by their level of development. This state of affairs existed even in the pre-state era, as evidenced by excavations in the east of Turkey, where temple centers were discovered that are 12,000 years old, which, according to archaeologists, served as the center of culture extending three hundred kilometers around.
For later cultures, the capital is, first of all, the location of the ruler of the state or sovereign, under whose control a certain area was located. Already from Babylon, one of the important signs of the capital city is the state archive, which contained the most important state documents, such as the decisions of the ruler and descriptions of military campaigns.
Nomadic capitals
Many nomadic peoples for a long time had no idea of the capital as a constantly functioning administrative center, but even they had the main temple complexes and holy places, which served as a meeting point for representatives of the whole people in order to make important decisions.
The meaning of the word "capital" in the Roman Empire acquires a modern meaning. The Senate and rulers sat on a regular basis there, although in the time of the late empire it happened that rulers or pretenders to the supreme power never visited Rome, but constantly moved with troops.
Byzantine emperors also quite actively moved throughout the vast country, but at the same time carried with them the state archive. At the same time, Constantinople had an undeniable status of the main city, cultural, historical and economic center of the country, into which goods and values were brought from all over the immense empire. This was a vivid example of the case when the capital was also the largest city.
Feudal capitals
In later times of feudalism, the capital is, first of all, the residence of the ruling monarch. For example, each Germanic princedom had its own capital, which could consist of one castle in which the feudal lord lived.
For most modern states, the capital is a city with government offices, although there are exceptions. Many countries have laws defining the special status of a capital city.