POLS 320 Chapter 5: Pols 320 - From Republic to Empire
28 Oct 2020
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Factional power struggles after caesar"s assassination results in the dissolution of the republic. Caesar"s adopted nephew and heir, octavian, takes effective control in 31 bce with the defeat of mark antony. His rule is formalized in 27 bce when he is proclaimed augustus and takes on the titles, imperator (= commander") and princeps (not prince" but first citizen") Roman citizens voting in a roman popular assembly legal fiction: lex regia, the roman people surrendered their powers to the emperor . Literally, the first man" or first citizen". But never called king" (rex) - to keep up appearances of a republic". What was the secret to rome"s success or greatness". Various historical explanations (e. g. culture, religion, marxist-materialist explanations, etc. A standard classical answer, however, looks to the internal structure of the roman constitution, its politics - specifically, in its mixed constitution". The republican" tradition of politics: the constitution of liberty must be a mixed constitution.
