Through out the period when Octavian (yet to be renamed Augustus) was gathering power he was assisted by two boyhood friends Agrippa and Maecenas. Agrippa was actually the general behind almost all of Octavian’s military victories and when Augustus became the priceps (first citizen) Agrippa had almost all the of the same powers as Augustus. They would each go to parts of the empire where they were needed and each had the authority to do whatever was needed.

(Book – Augustus: The Life of Rome’s First Emperor – Anthony Everitt)