POTESTAS, civil law. A Latin word which signifies power; authority;
domination; empire. It has several meaning. 1. It signifies imperium, or the
jurisdiction of magistrates. 2. The power of the father over his children,
patriapotestas. 3. The authority of masters over their slaves, which makes
it nearly synonymous with dominium. See Inst. 1, 9, et 12; Dig. 2, 1, 13, 1;
Id. 14, 1; Id. 14, 4, 1, 4.