# List of Roman dictators

A list of all of the Roman dictators and magistri equitum known from ancient sources. In some cases the names or dates have been inferred by modern historians.

## Key to Latin terms and phrases

Roman dictators were usually appointed for a specific purpose, or causa, which limited the scope of their activities. The chief causae were rei gerundae (a general purpose, usually to lead an army in the field against a particular enemy), clavi figendi (an important religious rite involving the driving of a nail into the wall of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus), and comitiorum habendorum (the holding of the comitia to elect magistrates, when the consuls were unable to do so).
Other causae included ludorum faciendorum, holding the Ludi Romani (Roman games), an important religious festival; ferarium constituendarum (establishing a religious festival in response to serious prodigies); seditionis sedandae (quelling sedition); and in one remarkable case, senatus legendi (filling up the ranks of the Senate after the Battle of Cannae).
The causa given at the very end of the Republic for the dictatorships of Sulla and Caesar are completely novel, as the powers granted greatly exceeded those traditionally accorded a Roman dictator. By legibus faciendis et rei publicae constituendae causa, Sulla was empowered to rewrite the laws and revise the constitution of the Roman state; by dictator perpetuo rei publicae constituendae causa, Caesar was appointed dictator in perpetuity, and given the power to revise the constitution.
The various causae may not have been legally distinguished from one another prior to 368 BC, when Publius Manlius Capitolinus was appointed dictator seditionis sedandae et rei gerundae causa. The precise formula of each causa later reported by ancient historians may only date to Manlius' dictatorship, in which case the causae attributed to earlier dictators must be later additions.

### Other phrases

* abdicavit – abdicated, or resigned.
* mortuus est – died in office.
* non iniit – not inaugurated.
* occisus est – killed, slain.
* sine magistro equitum – without a magister equitum.
Roman numerals given following a name indicate that the dictator or magister equitum for that year previously held the same magistracy. The causae listed in the table are based largely on T. R. S. Broughton's The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, reporting those given in ancient sources. For cases in which no causa is given, rei gerundae may usually be inferred.

## List of dictators and magistri equitum
### 6th and 5th centuries BC

| Year BC | Year AUC | Dictator | Magister equitum | Notes |
| 501 | 253 | Titus Larcius Flavus | Spurius Cassius Vecellinus | rei gerundae causa |
| 496 | 255 | Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis | Titus Aebutius Helva | |
| 494 | 260 | Manius Valerius Volusus Maximus | Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus | |
| 463 | 291 | (Gaius Aemilius Mamercus) | unknown | clavi figendi causa |
| 458 | 296 | Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus | Lucius Tarquitius Flaccus | |
| 439 | 315 | Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus II | Gaius Servilius Ahala | |
| 437 | 317 | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus | Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus | |
| 435 | 319 | Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas | Postumus Aebutius Helva Cornicen | |
| 434 | 320 | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus II | Aulus Postumius Tubertus | |
| 431 | 323 | Aulus Postumius Tubertus | Lucius Julius Iullus | |
| 426 | 328 | Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus III | Aulus Cornelius Cossus | |
| 418 | 336 | Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas II | Gaius Servilius Axilla | |
| 408 | 346 | Publius Cornelius Rutilus Cossus | Gaius Servilius Ahala | |

### 4th century BC

| Year BC | Year AUC | Dictator | Magister equitum | Notes |
| 396 | 358 | Marcus Furius Camillus | Publius Cornelius Maluginensis | |
| 390 | 364 | Marcus Furius Camillus II | Lucius Valerius Potitus | |
| 389 | 365 | Marcus Furius Camillus III | Gaius Servilius Ahala | |
| 385 | 369 | Aulus Cornelius Cossus | Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus | |
| 380 | 374 | Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus | Aulus Sempronius Atratinus | |
| 368 | 386 | Marcus Furius Camillus IV | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus | rei gerundae causa |
| 368 | 386 | Publius Manlius Capitolinus | Gaius Licinius Calvus | seditionis sedandae et rei gerundae causa |
| 367 | 387 | Marcus Furius Camillus V | Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus | rei gerundae causa |
| 363 | 391 | Lucius Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus | Lucius Pinarius Natta | clavi figendi causa |
| 362 | 392 | Appius Claudius Crassus Regillensis | Publius Cornelius Scapula? Mucius Scaevola? | |
| 361 | 393 | Titus Quinctius Pennus Capitolinus Crispinus | Servius Cornelius Maluginensis | rei gerundae causa |
| 360 | 394 | Quintus Servilius Ahala | Titus Quinctius Pennus Capitolinus Crispinus | rei gerundae causa |
| 358 | 396 | Gaius Sulpicius Peticus | Marcus Valerius Poplicola | |
| 356 | 398 | Gaius Marcius Rutilus | Gaius Plautius Proculus | |
| 353 | 401 | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus | Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina | |
| 352 | 402 | Gaius Julius Iulus | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus | |
| 351 | 403 | Marcus Fabius Ambustus | Quintus Servilius Ahala | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 350 | 404 | Lucius Furius Camillus | Publius Cornelius Scipio | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 349 | 405 | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus II | Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina II | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 348 | 406 | (Gaius Claudius Crassinus Regillensis) | (Gaius Livius Denter) | comitiorum habendorum causa; names uncertain. |
| 345 | 409 | Lucius Furius Camillus II | Gnaeus Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus | |
| 344 | 410 | Publius Valerius Poplicola | Quintus Fabius Ambustus | ferarium constituendarum causa |
| 342 | 412 | Marcus Valerius Corvus | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas | |
| 340 | 414 | Lucius Papirius Crassus | Lucius Papirius Cursor | |
| 339 | 415 | Quintus Publilius Philo | Decimus Junius Brutus Scaeva | |
| 337 | 417 | Gaius Claudius Inregillensis | Gaius Claudius Hortator | abdicavit |
| 335 | 419 | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas | Quintus Publilius Philo | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 334 | 420 | Publius Cornelius Rufinus | Marcus Antonius | abdicavit; 333 the first of the "dictator years". |
| 332 | 422 | Marcus Papirius Crassus | Publius Valerius Poplicola | |
| 331 | 423 | Gnaeus Quinctilius Varus or Gnaeus Quinctius Capitolinus | Lucius Valerius Potitus | clavi figendi causa |
| 327 | 427 | Marcus Claudius Marcellus | Spurius Postumius Albinus | comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit |
| 325 | 429 | Lucius Papirius Cursor | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus | rei gerundae causa; 324 the second of the "dictator years". |
| 322 | 432 | Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina | Marcus Fabius Ambustus | rei gerundae (for a general purpose) or ludi faciendorum causa |
| 321 | 433 | Quintus Fabius Ambustus | Publius Aelius Paetus | comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit |
| 321 | 433 | Marcus Aemilius Papus | Lucius Valerius Flaccus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 320 | 434 | Gaius Maenius | Marcus Foslius Flaccinator | causa uncertain. |
| 320 | 434 | Lucius Cornelius Lentulus | Lucius Papirius Cursor II | |
| 320 | 434 | Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus III | Lucius Papirius Cursor III | |
| 316 | 438 | Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas II | Lucius Fulvius Curvus | rei gerundae causa |
| 315 | 439 | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus | Quintus Aulius Cerretanus Gaius Fabius Ambustus | rei gerundae causa |
| 314 | 440 | Gaius Maenius II | Marcus Foslius Flaccinator II | rei gerundae causa |
| 313 | 441 | Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus or Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus II | Marcus Foslius Flaccinator III or Marcus Poetelius Libo | rei gerundae (et clavi figendi?) causa |
| 312 | 442 | Gaius Sulpicius Longus | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus | rei gerundae causa |
| 310 | 444 | Lucius Papirius Cursor II | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus II | 309 the third of the "dictator years". |
| 306 | 448 | Publius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus | Publius Decius Mus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 302 | 452 | Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus | Marcus Titinius | |
| 302 | 452 | Marcus Valerius Maximus Corvus II | Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus? or Marcus Aemilius Paullus? | 301 the fourth and last of the "dictator years". |

### 3rd century BC

| Year BC | Year AUC | Dictator | Magister equitum | Notes |
| 287 | 467 | Quintus Hortensius mortuus est | not recorded | |
| 287 | 467 | Appius Claudius Caecus? | not recorded | dictator suffectus? |
| 285 | 469 | Marcus Aemilius Barbula? | not recorded | date uncertain. |
| 280 | 474 | Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus Maximus | not recorded | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 276 | 478 | Publius Cornelius Rufinus? | not recorded | date uncertain. |
| 263 | 491 | Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus | Quintus Marcius Philippus | clavi figendi causa |
| 257 | 497 | Quintus Ogulnius Gallus | Marcus Laetorius Plancianus | Latinarum feriarum causa |
| 249 | 505 | Marcus Claudius Glicia | | abdicavit |
| 249 | 505 | Aulus Atilius Calatinus | Lucius Caecilius Metellus | |
| 246 | 508 | Tiberius Coruncanius | Marcus Fulvius Flaccus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 231 | 523 | Gaius Duilius | Gaius Aurelius Cotta | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 224 | 530 | Lucius Caecilius Metellus | Numerius Fabius Buteo | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 221 | 533 | Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus | Gaius Flaminius | date uncertain. |
| 217 | 537 | Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus II | Marcus Minucius Rufus | Minucius given authority equal to the dictator's. |
| 217 | 537 | Lucius Veturius Philo | Marcus Pomponius Matho | comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit |
| 216 | 538 | Marcus Junius Pera | Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus | |
| 216 | 538 | Marcus Fabius Buteo | sine magistro equitum | senatus legendi causa |
| 213 | 541 | Gaius Claudius Centho | Quintus Fulvius Flaccus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 210 | 544 | Quintus Fulvius Flaccus | Publius Licinius Crassus Dives | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 208 | 546 | Titus Manlius Torquatus | Gaius Servilius Geminus | comitiorum habendorum et ludorum faciendorum causa |
| 207 | 547 | Marcus Livius Salinator | Quintus Caecilius Metellus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 205 | 549 | Quintus Caecilius Metellus | Lucius Veturius Philo | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 203 | 551 | Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus | Marcus Servilius Pulex Geminus | comitiorum habendorum causa |
| 202 | 552 | Gaius Servilius Geminus | Publius Aelius Paetus | comitiorum habendorum causa |

### 1st century BC

| Year BC | Year AUC | Dictator | Magister equitum | Notes |
| 82–79 | 672–675 | Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix | Lucius Valerius Flaccus | legibus faciendis et rei publicae constituendae causa |
| 49 | 705 | Gaius Julius Caesar | sine magistro equitum | rei gerundae causa |
| 48 | 706 | Gaius Julius Caesar II | Marcus Antonius | |
| 47–44 | 707–710 | Gaius Julius Caesar III | Marcus Aemilius Lepidus | |
| 44 | 710 | Gaius Julius Caesar IV occisus est | Marcus Aemilius Lepidus II Gaius Octavius Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus (non iniit) | dictator perpetuo rei publicae constituendae causa |