274 Outlines of European History officially the command of the army and the control of the leading frontier provinces. At the same time they conferred upon him the title of "Augustus ^' that is, " the august." He had many other important powers, and the chief name of his office was " Princeps," that is, " the First," meaning the first of the citizens. Another title given the head of the Roman Empire was an old word for director or commander, namely " Imperator," from which our word " Emperor" is derived.-^ Augustus,. as we may now call him, regarded his position as that of an official of the Roman Republic, to which he was appointed by the Senate representing the government of the Republic.- Indeed, his ap- pointment was not permanent, but for a term of years, aftei which he was reappointed. The Roman Empire which here emerges was thus under a dual government of the Senate and of the Princeps, whom we commonly call the Emperor. While Augustus devised no legally established method for electing his successors and continuing the office, there was little danger that the position of Emperor would lapse. This dual state in which Augustus endeavored to preserve the old Republic was not well balanced. The Princeps held too much power to remain a mere appointive official. His powers were more than once increased by the Senate during the life of Augustus ; not on his demand, for he always showed the Senate the most ceremonious respect, but because the Senate could not dispense with his assistance. Furthermore, the old powers of the Senate could not be main- tained reign after reign, when the Senate controlled no army. This was an obvious fact already discerned by Caesar, who made no pretext of preserving the mere appearance of senatorial power. The legions were behind the Princeps, and the so-called republican State created by Augustus tended to become a mili- tary monarchy, as we shall see. All the influences from the 1 The German and Russian words for Emperor, " Kaiser " and " Czar," are derived from " Caesar." 2 The citizens, or the Assembly, seem to have had no voice in the creation of the office of princeps and its powers, though some scholars think otherwise.
