How did the roman empire gain consolidate and maintain power

The Roman Empire was extremely successful and they were able to maintain, gain and consolidate their power mainly through EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION.  In fact the Romans are considered the inventors of paved roads. The roads were very practical when it came to moving the armies to conquer new lands. The network of roads were vital to achieve this task. The Roman army was able to advance 40 kilometers a day on average. The Roman Empire, Rome had conquered  many regions and there were people to be controlled and ruled over. The roads were also used to transport messages, officials, and tax revenue between the provinces.

Also, there were other factors that contribute to their success like CONTROL OF THE SEA, which Romans were able to obtain thanks to their naval power. This control of the sea allow them to increase economic wealth and military power which eventually  gave them and strategic advantage.

At the same time, there was the ROMAN REPUBLIC which was an important contributor to the Roman success. Many politicians and aristocrats had an insatiable appetite for glory and conquer so they could get more prestige among their peers and also more authority.

Finally, it was a combination of all of these factors and even some smaller ones that together contributed to the rise of the Roman Empire.

i believe we're not a republic so that is a hard question