| The Roman republic and the Roman empire – this | | | | republic to empire in Rome not as a simple change of |
| historical transition is discussed in volumes of | | | | political forms, but as a part of a wider sociopolitical |
| textbooks, determines course offerings at universities, | | | | revolution. |
| and is featured in the majority of time lines of western | | | | The essence of the changes which took place in the |
| and world culture. The facts of the transition from one | | | | Roman state at the turn of an old era, according to |
| system to another appear simple. At the end of the | | | | many researchers, consisted in the fact that the |
| first century B.C.E. the republic was destroyed in a | | | | oligarchy of Roman nobility was replaced by another |
| series of civil wars. Octavian, the adopted successor | | | | structure which included various groups of italian |
| of Julius Caesar, appeared to be a final victor in 30 | | | | population. Principate has resulted from the |
| B.C.E., changed his name to Augustus, and became the | | | | compromise between the revolutionary leader |
| first emperor. Octavian founded the imperial system, | | | | Octavian, and republican aristocracy, which had lost its |
| which passed successfully to his selected heir after his | | | | monopoly for the power during the civil wars of the |
| death in 14 C.E. | | | | first century B.C. |
| The time in power of Augustus inaugurated almost | | | | The compromise issued by constitutional agreement of |
| three centuries of comparatively passive and inert | | | | 23 BC, became a basis of political position of Augustus |
| administration, in which the central power pursued few | | | | which was expressed, besides the powers handed |
| policies and was basically content to respond to | | | | over to him by the senate and the people, in special |
| pressures and demands from below. | | | | influence of his personality (auctoritas Augusti), |
| The power of Augustus from the point of view of an | | | | possessing a huge force. |
| origin of its basic components, way of formation and | | | | The system created by August cannot be defined |
| the constitutional forms represented not a monarchy | | | | within the limits of any one of the existing state-legal |
| (especially in antique sense), but an extraordinary | | | | categories; the modern science can only give its |
| magistracy. The essence of principate was more | | | | all-round description. |
| despotic, than its external form: actually in the relations | | | | First, the power of August developed gradually, in the |
| with the senate, city councils and the people of Rome | | | | course of several years. Its occurrence was not the |
| Augustus acted as the monarch, and even as the | | | | result of any single political certificate. |
| monarch-god, being the son (divi filius) of officially | | | | Second, the legal bases of the power of August were |
| recognized deity (Julia Caesar). | | | | proconsular imperium and tribune power, expanded by |
| The major factors, transforming Augustus and his | | | | means of a number of special powers. |
| successors into monarchs in practice if not by name, | | | | Third, though August, by various political shifts |
| were: distribution of the concept of greatness | | | | succeeded in giving to his regime a visibility of |
| (majestas populi Romani) of the princeps and his | | | | legitimacy, his success on this way was not full and |
| family, the cult of the emperor and a dynastic | | | | definitive. To an organic part of political structure of the |
| character of the imperial power. By the end of his life | | | | Roman state principate has turned much later, and |
| and career Caesar's successor, wishing to seem a | | | | without the account of this circumstance it is |
| defender of the ancient constitution, was actually the | | | | impossible to understand the subsequent evolution of |
| governor of Roman empire, but saying that he has | | | | the regime. |
| created the monarchy, means simplifying a real picture. | | | | |
| Considering the power of Augustus as basically | | | | Millar, F. (2002). The Roman Republic and the Augustan |
| unlimited, many scientists, nevertheless, see it more as | | | | Revolution. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina |
| preparation of monarchic board of subsequent time, | | | | Press. |
| than a real monarchy. The researchers, dealing with a | | | | Severy, B. (2003). Augustus and the Family at the Birth |
| problem of principate, try to present the transition from | | | | of the Roman Empire. New York: Routledge. |