Consules

Consules (singular consul) were the highest elected magistrates of the Roman Republic. Two consules were elected annually by the Centuriate Assembly, each holding imperium and sharing equal authority to prevent autocratic rule. Their term lasted one year, and after leaving office they could not be reelected for ten years. They commanded armies, presided over the Senate, directed the government in war and peace, and supervised the various assemblies and the proposals brought before them.

Lictors accompanied the consules as symbols of their authority, and they sat in the curule chair as a mark of high office. The consulship was a prestigious achievement that served as a stepping stone for many leading Romans, including Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Cicero. Although the two consules shared power, the office was designed to avoid the dangers of single leadership and to balance military and civil duties.

Over time, especially with the rise of the Roman Empire, the real political power of the consul diminished. In the imperial period the office persisted in name and ceremony, but emperors held the ultimate authority, and consuls often served for short periods or in a largely symbolic capacity.

In modern usage, consules is the Latin plural form of consul and appears in scholarly discussions of ancient Rome. In contemporary English, the usual term is consuls when referring to the Roman magistrates. More broadly, a consul in modern diplomacy is a government official who represents a country in a foreign city, protects its citizens, issues visas, and promotes trade, and is distinct from an ambassador.