Augustus founded the Roman Empire in 27 BC and became its first Emperor

The last of these facts about the first Roman Emperor is Augustus founded the Roman Empire in 27 BC and became its first Emperor. The Roman Senate bestowed the title of Augustus on Octavian on January 16, 27 BC (the illustrious one). At the same time, Augustus demonstrated that he had restored full power to the Roman Senate, restoring Rome to its former status as a republic. Augustus, on the other hand, was the Roman Empire's de facto authoritarian ruler. He had several powers granted to him by the Senate for life, including supreme military command. In comparison to Augustus's twenty legions, the Senate only had the authority of five or six. The Principate, which lasted from 27 BC to 284 AD, was the first phase of the Roman Empire. The emperors marked the Principate by sustaining the Roman Republic's idea of continuity.

His authoritarian administration was known as the principate because he was the princeps, or first citizen, in charge of the array of seemingly resurrected republican institutions that made his dictatorship attractive. He overhauled every element of Roman society and brought lasting peace and prosperity to the Greco-Roman world with boundless patience, skill, and efficiency.