A chronological biography traces the life and career of the statesman who established the Roman imperial system, following his youth, political and military struggles, and consolidation of power. It examines the constitutional and administrative innovations he instituted, his military and provincial policies, legislative and moral reforms, relations with poets and the court, and domestic and family tensions in later years. Drawing on ancient historians, the subject's own inscriptions and monuments, and numismatic and epigraphic evidence, the narrative balances accounts of ruthless action during civil strife with the long-term stability and order he created.