Ideologies of the Imperium

== Universal monarchy and primus inter pars ==
The defining characteristic of the Perpetual Predaconian Empire is the idea that the Holy Predaconian Emperor represents the leading monarch in the universe and that their empire is the one true continuation of the Tenecous Empire of Antiquity, through proclamation by the popes in Rome and pontiffs in Rifarious . It is the firm belief of its emperors that they were the sole genuine emperors in the universe and while they may recognize other imperial titles, these recognitions are conditional on the fact that the Holy Predaconian Emperor is always pre-eminent. The pre-eminence of the emperor is an expression of the idea that the Holy Predaconian Empire, theoretically, extends over all organisms in a universal manner. Because the empire at no point has ruled over all of the (known) universe, this idea has always been always an ideal rather than a reality. Imperial authority rests not on the emperor's own crown lands (though there are large crown lands) but on the emperor's role as the highest secular ruler in the world and a champion and advocate of the Religio Predaco (Authentic Temple & Great Church). 
Throughout its long and continued existence, the Predaconian Empire has been a central element in international relations in the universe, not only because the empire itself is often one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful in the known universe but also because of the emperor himself. Because the Holy Predaconian Emperors are the internationally recognized heirs of the old Tenecosian emperors and the foremost rulers, they claimed (and are often granted) precedence over other rulers.