Marcus Agrippa and Augustus. Power, Imperium maius and the problem of succession in the context of tensions between republic and principate.

Abstract

During the process of defining the new Principate political regime, Augustus had the valuable and loyal support of Marcus Agrippa, a brilliant military commander and efficient public servant. The fact that traditional republican powers, such as imperium proconsulare and tribunicia potestas, were conferred on Augustus and Agrippa maintained the appearance of a Res publica restituta, when in actual fact there was an emerging autocracy in which Agrippa adopted the position of vice-regent..