DIVIDE ET IMPERA
Divide and rule. Originally a policy of the Roman Empire, to rule its subject people by dividing them into provinces. These provinces were the first dioceses of the Catholic Church. The term is used in ascetical theology to describe an effective method of acquiring self-mastery by concentrating on one virtue or one failing at a time.
All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.