To Analyse Augustus' Principate From The Constitutional Point Of View

Principate was a transitional political system from republic to monarchy, established by Octavian on a given historical background. The system remained unchanged until 284 AD and has led to a new era in the history of Rome. The Principate system, more than 500 years has laid a solid foundation for the imperial system. Under Principate, the political organizations of the republic such as the Senate, Plebeian Assembly and the Magistracy led by the two consuls were preserved. However, this system is centered at a newly-emerged figure, the Princeps. As an official position, the Princeps differs from other conventional and unconventional positions, such as consuls, dictators, praefors, and the tribunus of the Republic, the Princeps held the dominant power of the country. There was no check and balance on its authority by other political organizations, official positions or the people, thus it far surpassed other official positions in terms of both status and influence, being the actual dominator of the empire. Compared with the real absolute monarchy, the power of Augustus's hand is not inferior to any one of the monarchy, the only difference between the two is the name different from the use of Principate of Augustus (first citizen) instead of the monarchy as the supreme power of their own title.The author agrees with the viewpoint held by the academic world that the absolute power the Princeps held was republic in appearance but autarchy in substance. However, how did Octavian convince the people to accept this autocratic republic? Was this republic appearance a too deceptive one to be suspected? How much and in what aspects has the Princeps accorded with the republic appearance? Does the legitimacy of the Princeps still hold under the republic constitution? This paper will deal with these questions.This paper is divided into five sections:The first part is introduction, firstly, it illustrates the significance of choice, points out that the principle power for analyzing the transition period for our understanding of the Roman political system and the development of the political system of Western Roman Empire. Secondly, the description of domestic and foreign study on Principate, analyzing the current domestic and foreign study on the nature of Principate, the relationship between Principate and senate, Principate's relation with the army have been devoted to research; However, from the Republican point of view of the constitutional power of the Principate, there are rare books; Therefore, from a constitutional point of view to research the Republican Principate power of Augustus in Rome in our country there are still areas of research necessary to carry out a thorough examination. Then, for this article, and key issues of research methods are described in this paper, mainly through the collection of a large number of literature materials, integrated different views of predecessors, then take full advantage of the results of previous studies, based on a combination of history, political science, knowledge of Law, for the principle power Augustus analyzed and put forward their views. In this paper, for accurate positioning of the principle politics, as well as Principate power will be placed under any constitutional legitimacy of the republic is the focus of the author in writing to consider.The second part of the Republican Principate to establish the context of the system, as the principle of the system is built on the basis of the Republican system, it is necessary for the establishment of the Republican Principate of the background for a comprehensive understanding. First of all, the Roman republic in the understanding of a constitutional government, the author of the constitutional composition of the Roman republic, the basis for the operation of the Roman Republic of the family made a simple description; Secondly, from the Roman republican system shaken the economic base of small-scale peasant economy, the simple The city-state system is not suitable for the management of a large country, the Republican changes in the military system pointed out the inevitable demise of the Republican system. At the same time, the analysis of the demise of the Republican system, based on the node at the time the reality of the environment, pointing out that military dictatorship has become the only option at that time, only to end its long civil war, the restoration of peace, surrounded by the tranquility at home and abroad. Finally, by Sula, Caesar pointed out that the establishment of military dictatorship to replace the republican system of military dictatorship is not only possible, but in practice is feasible.Heads of the third part of the system and its power system, first of all, in the formation of Principate power, the Head of State pointed out that power is built on the national army for the basis of the absolute master, but in the law, but by the upper house of the legitimate authorized and, hence, have a republican form of constitutional requirements; Secondly, the author was in accordance with the autocratic power of Octavian in chronological order, the principle power will be divided into three categories: the very power of the civil war, Republican of conventional power, and beyond Republican official powers as a comprehensive description of the heads of the legal basis of the power of evolution.The fourth part of the constitutional heads of power analysis is the focus of this article, it starts with the legitimacy of the power of the Princeps, by studying the sources, factors, legal basis and influence of its power,its relationship with the Senate and as well as its differences as opposed to other official positions of the republic. The author thus goes on to discuss that the power of the Princeps was based on the control of army (military might). Furthermore, some features of the official positions of the republic were integrated into its power and the appearance of legitimacy is gained through the authorization of the Senate, thus carring out the peaceful transition from republic to monarchy without weakening of its own power.