One of Rome’s two annually elected chief magistrates, holding imperium and the highest regular civil authority.
Overview
The consuls were the leading ordinary magistrates of the Republic. Two were elected each year, and each possessed imperium. They convened the Senate and assemblies, proposed measures, conducted major ceremonies, and commanded Rome’s principal armies.
Why It Matters
Collegiality and annual tenure were meant to prevent permanent personal rule. Yet in the late Republic repeated consulships, extraordinary commands, and civil war weakened those restraints.
In Roman Practice
Each consul could obstruct the other, and both remained subject to religious, legal, and political expectations. After office, former consuls often governed provinces as proconsuls.