Roman constitution

In an inscription known as the Res Gestae, Augustus described his position within the Roman constitution thus: “I stood before all in rank, but I had power no greater than those who were my colleagues in any magistracy.”

What did Augustus mean by this? When answering this question, you should consider the means by which the first emperor achieved his dominance over the Roman state. How did Augustus come to control the state? What was the importance of maintaining the fiction that Augustus had preserved the Roman Republic intact? How did Augustus employ Roman traditions and Roman political ideals to gain power?