How did Augustus increase the authority of selected Roman jurists?

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Roman law *Augustus from Prima Porta*, marble statue, c. 20 bce; in the Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

Augustus increased the authority of selected Roman jurists by empowering them to provide responsa—answers to legal questions—with the emperor’s own authority.1

By granting these specific legal advisers the right to issue opinions under his imperial mandate, Augustus significantly enhanced their prestige and influence within the Roman legal system. This practice allowed the emperor to exert greater control over the interpretation of the law, as these jurists effectively acted as extensions of his judicial power. While this initiative elevated the status of these learned lawyers, the practice eventually lapsed around 200 ce.1