King of Kings

A Great King (Greek: ὁ μέγας βασιλεύς ho megas basileus or more frequently βασιλεύς without articles; Latin: " Rex Regum " ) is a king who commands several other kings.

Even the ruler of Akkad could entitle themselves as " great king " or " king of kings ", as well as the kings of the Hittites and Assyria ( Šarru Rabu šarru ). Even the rulers of small kingdoms, such as the late Hittite tabal or of Urartu, located great king called when they offered several other princes.

Among the Achaemenid the title was characteristic of the ruler of the Persian Empire. Later designated especially the Arsacids, the Parthian dynasty, as great kings, while under their successors, the new Persian Sassanids, again the title " King of Kings " ( Shahanshah ) was more usual; the title " Great King " was apparently used at this time usually for the heir to the throne. Nevertheless, it is common in the old historical research, to be designated the Sassanid rulers as " Great King ".

In the Roman Empire, the prince of Palmyra Odaenathus and his sons Herodianus and Vaballathus rex regum called. Later, Constantine the Great this item have given his nephew Hannibalianus ( which, however, appears on coins only as rex ). In both cases, the titulary may have been symbolically addressed to the eastern border of the Empire in Syria and Armenia against the territorial claims of the Sassanid king.

The Emperor of Ethiopia also bore the title of " King of Kings ", the name was Neguse Negest.

Muammar al - Gaddafi was proclaimed in 2008 by more than 200 African kings and traditional tribal rulers as King of Kings of Africa.