t that, although when a young man confronted or allied with
rivals who sought his destruction he seized power by illegal means, after
the fate of the state was in his hands and he had reestablished an orderly
form of government, he conscientiously restricted himself to the use of
the powers which were legally conferred upon him. So ably did he
conciliate public opinion that the few conspiracies formed against his
life and power had no serious backing and constituted no real danger to
himself or his system. To have effected so important a change in the
constitution with so little friction is proof of a statesmanship of a high
order.

His principate marks the beginning of a new epoch in Roman history and
determined the course of the subsequent political development of the
empire. And the system he inaugurated finds its greatest justification in
the era of the _pax Romana_ which it ushered in.

*The weakness of his system.* Yet it must be admitted that this system
contained two innate weaknesses. Firstly, it was built up around the
personality of Augustus, who could trust himself not to abuse his great
power, and secondly, the princeps, as commander-in-chief of the Roman
army, was immeasurably more powerful than the second partner in the
administration, the Senate, and able to assert his will against all
opposition. Now, as has well been observed, the working of the principate
depended upon the cooeperation of the Senate and the self-restraint of the
emperors, consequently, when the former proved incapable and the latter
abused their power, the inevitable consequence was an autocracy. That
Augustus realized this himself towards the end of his life is highly
probable, yet as the one who brought order out of chaos and gave peace to
an exhausted world his name will always be one of the greatest in the
history of Rome or indeed of the human race.

CHAPTER XVII

THE JULIO-CLAUDIAN LINE AND THE FLAVIANS: 14-96 A. D.

I. TIBERIUS, 14-37 A. D.

*Tiberius princeps.* At the death of Augustus, Tiberius by right of his
_imperium_ assumed command of the army and through his tribunician
authority convoked the Senate to pay the last honors to Augustus and
decide upon his successor. Like Julius Caesar, Augustus was deified, and a
priestly college of Augustales, chosen from the senatorial order was
founded to maintain his worship in Rome. In accordance wit