Although Louis's letter does offer some evidence that he might have recognized the political situation as such; Louis is referred to as the "August Emperor of the Romans" and Basil is referred to as the "very glorious and pious emperor of New Rome", and he suggests that the "indivisible empire" is the empire of God and that "God has not granted this church to be steered either by me or you alone, but so that we should be bound to each other with such love that we cannot be divided, but should seem to exist as one".