principatus
Principatus is a modern scholarly term describing the constitutional framework of the early Roman Empire, spanning roughly from the accession of Augustus (27 BCE) to the late 3rd century, when reforms initiated the transition to the Dominate. The Romans themselves rarely used the term; they spoke of the princeps, imperium, and tribunicia potestas. In this system the emperor held supreme authority while preserving the outward forms of the Republic—such as the Senate, consuls, and popular assemblies—to confer legitimacy.
Core features include the concentration of power in one person—the princeps or "first among equals"—who wielded
The office often went to men who held key auxiliary powers, including control of the legions, the
The Principate began to unravel in the third century amid military upheavals and administrative strain. The