CONSUL, the chief magistrate of the Roman common-wealth, invested with the regal authority for the space of one year. They were two in number, called consuls, a consulendo, and annually chosen in the Campus Martius. The two first consuls were L. Junius Brutus and L. Tarquinius Collatinus, who were chosen in the year of Rome 244, immediately after the expulsion of the Tarquins. In the [7:7:292]first times of the republic, the two consuls were always chosen from patrician families or noblemen; but, in the year of Rome 388, the people obtained the privilege of electing one of the consuls from their own body, and sometimes both were plebeians. The first consul elected from among the plebeians was L. Sextius. It was required that every candidate for the consulship should be forty-three years of age, which was called legitimum tempus. He was always to appear at the election as a private man without retinue; atìd it was requisite, before he canvassed for the office, to have discharged the functions of quaestor, edile, and praetor. But these qualifications were sometimes disregarded. Valerius Corvinus was made consul in his twenty-third year, and Scipio in his twenty-fourth. Young Marius, Pompey, and Augustus, were also under the proper age when they were invested with the office; and Pompey had never been quaestor nor praetor. The power of the consuls was unbounded, and they knew no superior except the gods and the laws; but after the expiration of their office their conduct was minutely scrutinized by the people, and misbehaviour was often punished by the laws. The badge of their office was the proetexta, a robe fringed with purple, afterwards exchanged for the toga picta or palmata. They were preceded by twelve lictors carrying the fasces or bundles of sticks, in the middle of which appeared an axe. The axe, as be⅛g the characteristic rather of tyranny than of freedom, was removed from the fasces by Valerius Poplicola; but it was restored by bis successor. By turns monthly they were preceded by the lictors while at Rome, lest the appearance of two persons invested with the badges of royal authority should raise apprehensions in the multitude. While one appeared publicly in state, only a crier walked before the other, and the lictors followed behind without the fasces. Their authority was equal; yet the Valerian law gave the right of priority to the elder, and the Julian law to him who had most children; and he was generally called consul major or prior. As their power was absolute, they presided over the senate, and could convene and dismiss it at pleasure. The senators were their counsellors; and among the Romans the manner of reckoning their year was by the name of the consuls; hence, by Μ. Tull. Cicerone et L. Antonio Consulibus, for instance, the year of Rome 689 was always understood. This custom lasted from the year of Rome 244 till 1294, or the 541st year of the Christian era. In public assemblies the consuls sat in ivory chairs, and held in their hand an ivory wand called scipio eburneus, which had an eagle on its top as a sign of dignity and power. When they had drawn by lot the provinces over which they were to preside during their consulship, they went to the capitol to offer prayers to the gods, and entreat them to protect the republic; after which they departed from the city arrayed in their military dress, and preceded by the lictors. Sometimes the provinces were assigned them without drawing lots, by the will and appointment of the senators. At their departure they were provided by the state with whatever was requisite during their expedition. In their provinces they were both attended by the twelve lictors, and equally invested with regal authority. They were not permitted to return to Rome without the special command of the senate; and they always remained in the province till the arrival of their successor. At their return they harangued the people, and solemnly protested that they had done nothing against the laws or interest of their country, but had faithfully and diligently endeavoured to promote the greatness and welfare of the state. No man could be consul for two years successively; yet this institution was sometimes broken, and we find Marius, after the expiration of his office, re-elected consul during the Cimbrian war. The office of consul, so dignified during the times of the commonwealth, became a mere title under the emperors, and retained nothing of its authority but the useless ensigns of original dignity. Even the duration of the office, which was orginally annual, was reduced to two or three months by Julius Caesar; but they who were admitted on the first of January denominated the year, and were called ordinarii. Their successors during the year were distinguished by the name of suffecti. Tiberius and Claudius abridged the time of the consulship; and the Emperor Commodus made no less than twenty-five consuls in one year. Constantine the Great renewed the original institution, and permitted them to remain a whole year in office.