In 27 BC a fiction of political normality was established in Rome and the Senate granted Octavian the title of Imperator Caesar Augustus. Octavian assured his power by maintaining a fragile balance between the republican appearance and the reality of a dynastic monarchy with constitutional aspect - what is known as the Principate - in that he shared his functions with the Senate, but the power of the <em>princeps</em> was complete. Formally, he never accepted absolute power although, in fact, he exercised it, securing his power with several important posts of the Republic and maintaining command over several legions. The constant wars and irreconcilable political fractures of the Roman aristocracy ended up destroying the Republic and leading to a new stage in the history of Rome: the Roman Empire.
