Contrary to a strictly top-down dictatorship, the Roman emperor functioned largely through a system of "petition and response".
: Augustus used tribunicia potestas (tribunician power) to veto legislation and control the Senate, and imperium maius to command all provincial governors and the Roman army.
The emperorship began with , who consolidated power by holding several Republican offices simultaneously rather than declaring himself a king.
: He styled himself Princeps ("First Citizen") to maintain a facade of Republicanism while exercising absolute authority.
Historical Report: The Emperor in the Roman World (31 BC–AD 337)
: A major portion of the emperor's time was spent hearing appeals and making verdicts, serving as the final legal authority of the Roman world.
