In 43 BC, the young Octavian performed his first political masterstroke with the formation of the Second Triumvirate alongside Mark Antony and Lepidus. This united force laid waste to their enemies and solidified control over the Roman Republic. However, outbreaks of in-fighting and power struggles were inevitable; Octavian smartly exploited these, removing Lepidus from power in 36 BC and defeating Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.
With complete control over the Roman State, he initiated societal reform, implementing a fresh constitution to shape the Republic into a principate – the first phase of the Roman Empire. This drastic transformation was marked with Octavian becoming ‘Augustus’ in 27 BC, a title symbolising sacred authority. Pivotal initiatives, such as reformation of the legal system, the coinage, and the army, were examples of his tactful governance aimed at maintaining equilibrium between old republican values and new monarchical realities.
He masterfully preserved the illusion of a continued republic, but in reality, he held the majority of the power. His reign was marked with Pax Romana (Roman Peace), a period of comparative tranquility throughout the Empire lasting beyond his death in AD 14.
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