Consuls

By the third century the consuls had similar authority as the early kings except for the fact that they could only serve in office for one year. This would put a limit on the possibility of a dictatorship. In fact if one consul thought the other was getting too powerful he could veto the other consul's actions. We get our word "veto" from the Latin word which means "I forbid."

Two patrician officials known as the consuls (because they had to consult each other before acting), were the chief executive officers and ran the cities daily affairs. They were elected to serve in office for one year terms. Each consul could veto (Latin word meaning "to forbid") the others decisions. The consuls maintained order among the executive officials (praetors, judges, censors, tax collectors, etc.). They presided over the Senate and were commander in chief during wartime. They were also supreme judges.

The History of Rome - Part One 743 - 136 B.C.

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