Very often we hear various proverbs and sayings, but do not always fully understand their meaning. One thing is a superficial explanation of a statement, as it usually happens in everyday life. And quite another - that side of the meaning of what was said, which opens up to us when we begin to delve deeper into the historical meaning of words, their origin and what they could mean before.
For example, everyone knows the expression "God of God, Caesar Caesarean." Usually it is used when they want to emphasize that each thing should have its own place and it is not worth pretending to do not belong to you. Caesar is a historical concept, the meaning of which you will find below.
The biblical meaning of the proverb
The above statement is of biblical origin, as well as a large number of other expressions that we hear in everyday life. Thus, many say these words, not knowing who Caesar is. Not everyone knows that this statement is more likely to be domestic than philosophical. According to biblical texts, the Pharisees (in the teachings of the early Christians, this concept was tantamount to a hypocrite and a hypocrite), the opponents of Christ were asked whether it was necessary to pay tribute to the Caesars (Caesar is the Roman emperor) who ruled in Judea.
The hypocrisy of this question asked by them is perceived unambiguously. If Jesus said that you need to do this, it means that he wants to sell himself to Rome. And, in turn, if Christ replied that this was not a necessity, then he could be boldly declared hostile to official authority. Thus, Christ risked in the event of any response that the Pharisees expected to hear.
However, they did not take into account how the situation could turn around and how Jesus would get out of this situation. He took a Roman coin, which depicted Caesar Augustus (recall that Caesar is the emperor), and gave an answer to the Pharisees in a way that they could not have expected at all. Christ asked whose image is on such coins. The Pharisees replied that it was cesarean. In response to this phrase, according to legend, the famous expression was uttered. Christ said that Caesar must be given Caesar's, and God - to God.
Expression value
So, in that situation, Christ's response phrase meant that everything in the world has its place and purpose. And if on earth reigns the one whose title is Caesar, then there is also another world and a different sphere of life, where other priorities operate. Today we can interpret this phrase like the well-known expression "to each - his own." It is this meaning in the modern world that corresponds to this statement in Russian.
Who is Caesar?
You can turn to historical information to understand the meaning of this word. Its origin originates from the name that was given to Julius Caesar. Thus, the Latin letter C in another language or dialect adopted the sound as C or K. This fact is a natural assimilation, if you look at the situation from the point of view of linguistics.
If you look at the personality of Julius Caesar, you can understand why his name has become a household name. He became famous for having killed his internal enemies, and after a successful foreign policy that had a positive effect on the life of the Romans, he was given the title of emperor. In addition, it was Caesar who had the right to life-long dictatorship, and also the functions of the military, judicial and administrative authorities were concentrated in his hands. After achieving such success, the name acquired the character of a title. Caesar is not so much a name as a kind of name for rulers who had a similar rank and authority.
The influence of the word "Caesar" on history
There is an opinion that it is from Caesar that the name of the Russian tsars comes from. Before the reign of Ivan IV, who is better known as Grozny, the rulers in the Russian state referred to themselves as the “Grand Duke”. However, it was Ivan the Terrible who first began to call himself king.
This fact also has an explanation that fits into the concept. Ivan the Terrible concentrated in his person huge powers in Russia, like Caesar in Rome. This word influenced the concept of “Kaiser” (the title of monarch in Germany, which is equated with the emperor).