CONSUL (Lat., OL. conso/, probably from eo»sulcre, to consult; less plausibly from con-, with salire, to leap). The title given to the two chief magistrates established in lloinj on the expulsion of the kings in B.C. 509. So violent was the hatred of the monarchy that the Romans were unwilling to intrust the new Republic to a single executive, but gave the entire administration to two consuls. of equal rank and jurisdiction, that each might check. if need were. any tyranny on the part of the other. At first the entire power of the King. in State and Church, at Rome and abroad, was vested in the two consuls, and each was wholly responsible for the acts of both; hut gradually their powers were limited and many of their functions were given to other officials. They held office for one year only. and years were reckoned by their names. In the early days of the Republic, one consul was generally com mander-in-chief in the field, while the other re mained to administer affairs at Rome; but often both were forced to lead the armies in battle. They presided at meetings of the Senate, at elec tions, and at the chief public festivals. As a mark of their high office they wore a white toga with a purple band ( toga praetesta), sat in public in the 'curule chair' (sells curnlis), and were accompanied by twelve attendants (iictors) bear ing the fasces, or axe bound within a bundle of rods.
The consuls were elected at the Comitia Ceti turiata (see (.'omm.t). In the earlier period the date of the election and of the entering upon office was irregular and dependent on oremn stances; but if convenient the election took place generally in July, and atter B.C. 153 the consul ship began regularly on January 1. At first only patricians were eligible to the office. and a con sul could not be reelected. After a long struggle
of the plebeians for recognition. it was estab lished by the Leges Lieinice Scathe (see LICINIAN ROGATIONS), in B.C. 367, that one of the consuls must be a plebeian. In 342 both consulships were opened to the plebs by a popular vote, and it was ordained that ten years must elapse be fore a consul could be eligible for reelection; however. it was not. until 215 that two plebeian consuls were elected together. and one of these was quickly ousted. Not until B.C. 162 did the plebeians succeed in obtaining two effective con suls.
With the organization of the Empire by Au gustus. the consulship ceased to be of real im portance. In the division of functions between the Emperor and the senatorial body the consuls remained the head of the latter: but their nomi nation became a prerogative of the Emperor. and their election a farce. They still gave their names to the year. and the position was simply one of honor, so that we very often find several consuls named in succession in one year, the eponymous consuls holding office only for four, or even two. months, and then being replaced by others. The original pair were called con sules ordinarii, their substitutes consules suf feeti. Under the later Empire nothing but the name and honor of the consulship remained. The Emperor lionorius was made consul in the very year of his birth! Official dating by the name of the consuls came to an end in A.D. 537. Consult: 3f0111111SP11, /Min iSChe Staatsrceht, (Leipzig, 1887-88) Daremberg et. Saglio, Die tionnaire des antiqvites romaincs, vol. i. (Paris, 1892) ; Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Eneyelopthlie der classiseh en A Itcrtuntswissensehaft, vol. iv. (Stutt gart, 1839).