Roman consul

A Roman consul was the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic.

Each year, two consuls were elected together, to serve for a one-year term. Each consul was given veto power over his colleague and the officials would alternate each month.^[1]

The consuls were usually patricians, though after 367 BC plebs (common people; plebeians) could stand for election as consul.

Consuls had extensive power in peacetime (administrative, legislative and judicial), and in wartime often held the highest military command. They conducted some religious rites which could only be done by the highest state officials. Consuls also read auguries, an essential step before leading armies into the field.

1. ↑ Lintott, Andrew 1999. The Constitution of the Roman Republic. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-926108-3.