contrast to Cicero, he is the protagonist of
Caesarianism.

*Varro, 116-27 B. C.* Of great interest to later ages were the works of
the antiquarian and philologist, Marcus Terentius Varro, the most learned
Roman of his time. His great work on Roman religious and political
antiquities has been lost, but a part of his study _On the Latin Language_
is still extant, as well as his three books _On Rural Conditions_. The
latter give a good picture of agricultural conditions in Italy towards the
end of the republic.

*Jurisprudence.* To legal literature considerable contributions were made
both in the domain of applied law and of legal theory. We have already
noticed the appeal which the Stoic philosophy made to the best that was in
Roman character and many of the leading Roman jurists accepted its
principles. It was natural then that Roman legal philosophy should begin
under the influence of the Stoic doctrine of a universal divine law ruling
the world, this law being an emanation of right reason, i. e. the divine
power governing the universe. The most influential legal writers of the
period were Quintus Mucius Scaevola who compiled a systematic treatment of
the civil law in eighteen books, and Servius Sulpicius Rufus, the
contemporary of Cicero. Sulpicius was a most productive author, whose
works included _Commentaries_ on the XII Tables, and on the Praetor's
Edict, as well as studies on special aspects of Roman law.

PART III

THE PRINCIPATE OR EARLY EMPIRE: 27 B. C.-285 A. D.

[Illustration: The Roman Empire from 31 B. C. to 300 A. D.]

CHAPTER XVI

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PRINCIPATE: 27 B. C.-14 A. D.

I. THE PRINCEPS

*The settlement of 27 B. C.* During his sixth and seventh consulships, in
the years 28 and 27 B. C., Octavian surrendered the extraordinary powers
which he had exercised during the war against Antony and Cleopatra and, as
he later expressed it, placed the commonwealth at the disposal of the
Senate and the Roman people. But this step did not imply that the old
machinery of government was to be restored without modifications and
restrictions or that Octavian intended to abdicate his position as arbiter
of the fate of the Roman world. Nor would he have been justified in so
doing, for such a course of action would have led to a repetition of the
anarchy which f