cial title. But the reception of such wide powers
caused him to surpass all other Romans in dignity; hence he came to be
designated as the _princeps_, i. e. the first of the Roman citizens
(_princeps civium Romanorum_). From this arose the term principate to
designate the tenure of office of the princeps; a term which we now apply
also to the system of government that Augustus established for the Roman
Empire. The crowning honor of his career was received by Augustus in 2
A. D., when the senate, upon the motion of one who had fought under Brutus
at Philippi, conferred upon him the title of "Father of His Country"
(_pater patriae_), thus marking the reconciliation between the bulk of the
old aristocracy and the new regime.

*Renewal of the imperium.* His _imperium_, which lapsed in 18 B. C.,
Augustus caused to be reconferred upon himself for successive periods of
five or ten years, thus preserving the continuity of his power until his
death in 14 A. D.

II. THE SENATE, THE EQUESTRIANS AND THE PLEBS

*The three orders.* The social classification of the Romans into the
senatorial, equestrian and plebeian orders passed, with sharper
definitions, from the republic into the principate. For each class a
distinct field of opportunity and public service was opened; for senators,
the magistracies and the chief military posts; for the _equites_ a new
career in the civil and military service of the princeps, and for the
plebs service as privates and subaltern officers in the professional army.
However, these orders were by no means closed castes; the way lay open to
able and successful men for advancement from the lower to the higher
grades, and for the consequent infusion of fresh vitality into the ranks
of the latter.

*The Senate and the senatorial order.* The senatorial order was composed
of the members of the Senate and their families. Its distinctive emblem
was the broad purple stripe worn on the toga. Sons of senators assumed
this badge of the order by right of birth; equestrians, by grant of the
princeps. However, of the former those who failed to qualify for the
Senate were reduced to the rank of equestrians. The possession of property
valued at 1,000,000 sesterces ($50,000) was made a requirement for
admission to the Senate.

The prospective senator was obliged to fill one of the minor city
magistracies known as the board of twenty (_viginti-virate_), next to
serve as a legionary tribune and then,