ABSTRACT
Octavian became sole master of the empire after his victory at Actium and the conquest of Egypt. As the Roman world remained in a state of confusion, he had to restore order and establish some form of government to guarantee permanent security. During the turbulent years after Caesar’s assassination, Octavian developed from an adroit politician into a political leader of the highest order. He saw that a return to the old republican system was out of the question as that system could no longer meet the organizational needs of the empire, nor guarantee the political stability required for the efficient administration and defence of the state. At the same time, he realized that an attempt to establish an absolute monarchy would offend republican sensitivities and might lead to further unrest. The Roman conception of the state was so entwined with the republican regime and its ruling class that political stability was virtually impossible without upholding the republican traditions. Based on this realistic appraisal of the situation, Octavian engaged in masterful manipulations to transform the Roman system of government into a system that was republican in form and semblance, but monarchical so far as actual executive power was concerned. He succeeded where Caesar had failed by concealing his essentially monarchic position, and appealing to respected precedents and traditional constitutional norms to make it appear that he was ‘restoring’ the Republic. Few of his informed contemporaries were fooled, and few cared. After so many years of anarchy and civil war, the Roman world was ready to accept stability under an enlightened ruler who professed to respect the political, social and economic sensibilities of the classes that mattered.1
