Augustus and the Principate. The Transformation from Republic to Empire: The Unique Properties of the Principate.

Abstract

Augustus is generally known today as Ancient Rome's first emperor. Before his ascension, Ancient Rome had been a republic for over four and a half centuries and witnessed a period of expansion across the Ancient Mediterranean world. But the Republic did not turn into a hereditary monarchy overnight. How did a society in which the strife for kingship was the greatest of sins accept one man to be at its helm? The form of Augustus' regime is described by historians today as the 'Principate'. This essay seeks to analyze Augustus' Principate and see to what extent the Roman Republic that Augustus encountered had been transformed during his political career. Attention is made to the Late Republic and its constellation, Augustus' rise into Roman politics, his policies once he had defeated his major enemies, his title as 'father of his country' and ensuring the regime survived his person and ultimately to the terminology and analysis of the Principate as a regime. Through these means, it is shown that Augustus' Principate technically differed little from the Roman Republic, yet as a system was unique, revolutionary and proven strong enough to survive the reigns of Caligula and Nero.