What were the powers of Roman emperors?

When Augustus established the Princeps, he turned down supreme authority in exchange for a collection of various powers and offices, which in itself was a demonstration of hisauctoritas ("authority"). read more

Being pontifex maximus made the emperor the chief administrator of religious affairs, granting him the power to conduct all religious ceremonies, consecrate temples, control the Roman calendar (adding or removing days as needed), appoint the vestal virgins and some flamens, lead the Collegium Pontificum, and summarize the dogma of the Roman religion. read more

The emperor's legal authority derived from an extraordinary concentration of individual powers and offices that were extant in the Republic rather than from a new political office; emperors were regularly elected to the offices of consul and censor. read more

Together these official powers created invulnerability for the emperor, especially since these roles of power were kept for life. Otherwise, at least in the early principate the illusion of a republic was still intact with consuls and the like. read more