History glossary
Principate
the early Roman imperial system in which emperors held real power while preserving many republican forms.
- Category
- Political system
- Region
- Roman Empire
- Date range
- from 27 BCE
What it means
The Principate was the political system created by Augustus after the civil wars. The emperor presented himself as princeps, or first citizen, while controlling the army, key provinces, finances, and the machinery of government. It allowed Rome to look partly republican while operating as an imperial monarchy.
Related terms
Stories using this term
The Roman Empire
From Augustus to the fall of the Western Empire, Rome built a vast imperial system whose law, cities, armies and ideas shaped the ancient and medieval worlds.
The Roman Republic
From the expulsion of Rome’s kings to the rise of Augustus, the Roman Republic built a powerful mixed constitution, expanded across the Mediterranean, and ultimately collapsed into civil war and one-man rule.
