Who were the Roman Consuls?

A Consul held the highest executive position in the classical Roman Republic. Before the rise of the imperial regimes of Emperor Octavian and his successors, Rome was governed by a republican system of government. This system balanced power between the plebeians (the commoners) and the patricians (aristocrats) and between the legislative and executive branches.

After the establishment of the Empire (27 BC), the consuls became mere symbolic representatives of Rome’s republican heritage and held very little power and authority, with the Emperor acting as the supreme authority.

The Most Powerful Magistrates in Rome

Before Christ / Before Common Era
34	M. Antonius II	L. Scribonius Libo
33	Imp. Caesar II	L. Volcacius Tullus
32	Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus	C. Sosius
31	Imp. Caesar III	M. Valerius Messalla Corvinus
30	Imp. Caesar IV	M. Licinius Crassus
29	Imp. Caesar V	Sex. Appuleius
28	Imp. Caesar VI	M.Vipsanius Agrippa II
27	Imp. Caesar VII	M.Vipsanius Agrippa III
26	Imp. Caesar Augustus VIII	T. Statilius Taurus II
25	Imp. Caesar Augustus IX	M. Junius Silanus
24	Imp. Caesar Augustus X	C. Norbanus Flaccus
23	Imp. Caesar Augustus XI	A. Terentius Varro Murena
22	M. Claudius Marcellus Aeserninus	L. Arruntius
21	M. Lollius	Q. Aemilius Lepidus
20	M. Appuleius	P. Silius Nerva
19	C. Sentius Saturninus	Q. Lucretius Vespillo
18	P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus	Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
17	C. Furnius	C. Junius Silanus
16	L. Domitius Ahenobarbus	P. Cornelius Scipio
15	M. Livius Drusus Libo	L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi (Pontifex)
14	M. Licinius Crassus	Cn. Cornelius Lentulus (Augur)
13	Ti. Claudius Nero I	P. Quinctilius Varus
12	M. Velerius Messalla Barbatus Appianus	P. Sulpicius Quirinius
11	Q. Aelius Tubero	Paullus Fabius Maximus
10	Africanus Fabius Maximus	Iullus Antonius
09	Nero Claudius Drusus	T. Quinctius Crispinus (Sulpicianus)
08	C. Marcius Censorinus	C. Asinius Gallus
07	Ti. Claudius Nero II	Cn. Calpurnius Piso
06	D. Laelius Balbus	C. Antistius Vetus
05	Imp. Caesar Augustus XII	L. Cornelius Sulla
04	C. Calvisius Sabinus	L. Passienus Rufus
03	L. Cornelius Lentulus	M. Valerius Messalla Messallinus
02	Imp. Caesar Augustus XIII	M. Plautius Silvanus
01	Cossus Cornelius Lentulus	L. Calpurnius Piso (Augur)
Anno Domini / Common Era
01	C. Caesar	L. Aemilius Paullus
02	P. Vinicius	P. Alfenus Varus
03	L. Aelius Lamia	M. Servilius
04	Sex. Aelius Catus	C. Sentius Saturninus
05	L. Valerius Messalla Volesus	Cn. Cornelius Cinna Magnus
06	M. Aemilius Lepidus	L. Arruntius
07	Q. Caecilius Metellus Creticus Silanus	A. Licinius Nerva Silianus
08	M. Furius Camillus	Sex. Nonius Quinctilianus
09	C. Poppaeus Sabinus	Q. Sulpicius Camerinus
10	P. Cornelius Dolabella	C. Julius Silanus
11	M’. Aemilius Lepidus	T. Statilius Taurus
12	Germanicus Caesar	C. Fonteius Capito
13	C. Silius A. Caecina Largus	L. Munatius Plancus
14	Sex. Pompeius	Sex. Appuleius
15	Drusus Caesar	C. Nortanus Flaccus
16	Sisenna Statilius Taurus	L. Scribonius Libo
17	L. Pomponius Flaccus	C. Caelius Rufus (or Nepos)
18	Ti. Caesar Augustus III	Germanicus Caesar II
19	M. Iunius Silanus Torquatus	L. Norbanus Balbus
20	M. Valerius Messalla Messallinus	M. Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messallinus
21	Tiberius Caesar IV	Drusus Caesar II
22	D. Haterius Agrippa	C. Sulpicius Galba
23	C. Asinius Pollio	C. Antistius Vetus
24	Ser. Cornelius Cethegus	L. Visellius Varro
25	Cossus Cornelius Lentulus	M. Asinius Agrippa
26	Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Gaeticulus	C. Calvisius Sabinus
27	L. Calpurnius Piso	M. Licinius Crassus Frugi
28	C. Appius Iunius Silanus	P. Silius Nerva
29	C. Fufius Geminus	L. Rubellius Geminus
30	M. Vinicius	L. Cassius Longinus
31	Tiberius Caesar V	L. Aelius Seianus
32	Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus	L. Arruntius (Furius) Camillus Scribonianus
33	L. Livius Ocella Sulpicius Galba	L. Cornelius Sulla Felix
34	Paullus Fabius Persicus	L. Vitellius
35	C. Cestius Gallus	M. Servilius Nonianus
36	Sex. Papinius Allenius	Q. Plautius
37	Cn. Acerronius Proculus	C. Petronius Pontius Nigrinus
38	M. Aquila Iulianus	P. Nonius Asprenas
39	C. Caesar Augustus Germanicus II	L. Apronius Caesianus
40	C. Caesar III	C. Laecanius Bassus
41	C. Caesar IV	Cn. Sentius Saturninus
42	Ti. Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus II	C. Caecina Largus
43	Ti. Claudius III	L. Vitellius
44	T. Statilius Taurus	C. (Sallustius) Passienus Crispus
45	M. Vinicius II	T. Statilius Taurus Corvinus
46	D. Valerius Asiaticus II	M. Iunius Silanus
47	Ti. Claudius IV	L. Vitellius III
48	A. Vitellius	L. Vipstanus Publicola Messalla
49	Q. Veranius	C. Pompeius Longinus Gallus
50	C. Antistius Vetus II	M. Suillius Nerullinus
51	Ti. Claudius V	Ser. Cornelius (Scipio) Salvedienus Orfitus
52	Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix	L. Salvius Otho Titianus
53	D. Iunius Silanus Torquatus	Q. Haterus Antoninus
54	M’. Acilius Aviola	M. Asinius Marcellus
55	Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus	L. Antistius Vetus
56	Q. Volusius Saturninus	P. Cornelius (Lentulus?) Scipio
57	Nero II	L. Calpurnius Piso
58	Nero III	M. Valerius Messalla Corvinus
59	C. Vipstanus Apronianus	C. Fonteius Capito
60	Nero IV	Cossus Cornelius Lentulus
61	P. Petronius Turpilianus	L. Caesennius Paetus
62	P. Marius Celsus	L. Asinius Gallus
63	C. Memmius Regulus	L. Verginius Rufus
64	C. Laecianus Bassus	M. Licinius Crassus Frugi
65	A. Licinius Nerva Silianus Firmus Pasidienus	M. (Iulius) Vestinus Atticus
66	C. Luccius Telesinus	C. Suetonius Paullinus II
67	L. Iulius Rufus	Fonteius Capito
68	Ti. Catius Asconius Silius Italicus	P. Galerius Trachalus
69	Ser. Sulpicius Galba Imp. Caesar Aug. II	T. Vinius (Rufinus?)
70	Imp. Caesar Vespasianus Augustus II	Titus Caesar Vespasianus
71	Imp. Vespasianus III	M. Cocceius Nerva
72	Imp. Vespasianus IV	Titus Caesar II
73	Caesar Domitianus II	L. Valerius Catullus Messallinus
74	Imp. Vespasianus V	Titus Caesar III
75	Imp. Vespasianus VI	Titus Caesar IV
76	Imp. Vespasianus VII	Titus Caesar V
77	Imp. Vespasianus VII	Titus Caesar VI
78	D. Iunius Novius Priscus (Rufus?)	L. Ceionius Commodus
79	Imp. Vespasianus IX	Titus Caesar VII
80	Imp. Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus VIII	Caesar Domitianus VII
81	L. Flavius Silva Nonius Bassus	L.? Asinius Pollio Verrucosus
82	Imp. Domitianus VIII	T. Flavius Sabinus
83	Imp. Domitianus IX	Q. Petillius Rufus II
84	Imp. Domitianus X	C. Oppius Sabinus
85	Imp. Domitianus XI	T. Aurelius Fulvus
86	Imp. Domitianus XII	Ser. Cornelius Dolabella Petronianus
87	Imp. Domitianus XIII	L. Volusius Saturninus
88	Imp. Domitianus XIV	L. Minucius Rufus
89	T. Aurelius Fulvus	M. Asinius Atratinus
90	Imp. Domitianus XV	M. Cocceius Nerva II
91	M’. Acilius Glabrio	M. Ulpius Traianus
92	Imp. Domitianus XVI	Q. Volusius Saturninus
93	Sex. Pompeius Collega	Q. Peducaeus Priscinus
94	L. Nonius Calpurnius Asprenas Torquatus	T. Sextius Magius Lateranus
95	Imp. Domitianus XVII	T. Flavius Clemens
96	C. Manlius Valens	C. Antistius Vetus
97	Imp. Nerva Caesar Augustus III	L. Verginius Rufus III
98	Imp. Nerva IV	Imp. Caesar Nerva Traianus Augustus II
99	A. Cornelius Palma Frontonianus	Q. Sosius Senecio
100	Imp. Traianus III	Sex. Iulus Frontinus III

Common Questions about Consuls

What rules limit the consuls power?

The powers of the praetors, aediles, and quaestors were limited only by laws and decrees passed by the Senate or the People’s assembly, and could only be overruled by a veto from a consul or tribune. This meant that consuls held the power to intervene and overturn decisions made by these lower-ranking officials.

What was the role of a Roman consul?

Consuls, were in a very real sense the heads of state. They commanded the army, convened and presided over the Senate and the popular assemblies and executed their decrees, and represented the state in foreign affairs.

What rules were placed on consuls in Rome?

Consuls were elected by the citizen body and always governed in pairs, with each consul holding veto power over the other’s decisions. The two men would have total executive authority over the running of Rome and its provinces, holding office for one full year before both were replaced.

How long was a consul serve?

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.