Augustus’ Rejection of the cura legum et morum maxima potestate and the Political Legacy of Cicero

In 19, 18 and 11 BCE, Augustus rejected the extraordinary position of a curator legum et morum maxima potestate. According to his own statement in R. gest. div. Aug. 6.1, he instead took care of the commonwealth’s pressing issues at the time through his tribunicia potestas, while allegedly being checked by his peers in power. This paper examines the extent to which the mentioned cura is comparable to the position of a rector rei publicae outlined by Cicero and how the dismissal of this position should be interpreted against the backdrop of the gradual establishment of the Principate under Augustus.