This word comes from the Latin metropolitanus (metropolitanus episcopus: Aug. Ep. [Div.] 22.6); Gregory the Great usually uses the term metropolita. The Greek word is metropolites, which indicates a citizen of the metropolis. In ancient times, the metropolis was the mother-city in relation to its colonies. For example, Athens in relation to the Ionian colonies. It was also one’s mother-city, home city. In Roman tim…