Imperial Consuls

[Ursus]

Under the Empire, when the princeps was not a consul himself, he recommended the candidates. The Consuls held office for a few months before resigning in favor of suffect Consuls. After their tenure of office, a Consul could become Proconsul in Africa or Asia, or legatus pro augusti in the imperial provinces. Even under the Dominate, the Consulship continued officially and was used by the Dominus to mark out men who would command the senior province in a given Diocese.

 

 

The consulship was therefore a largely honorific position. But what did they do, precisely, for the few months they were in office? Even the praetors still had official duties at Rome. I can't find much mention of what the Consuls' official duties were. According to wikipedia they organized and financed high level public games, but they don't list sources for this.

[CiceroD]

At least in the later empire their chief duties were to give a name to a year and to put on games for the plebs according to Gibbon.

 

(Sorry Im using him so much but he's my handiest reference)

 

Since this useless honor could bankrupt a man it led to the extinction of the office.

I'd imagine in the principate they'd take up space and give the shallow impression of collegiality.

 

Since Ive always viewed the Roman's as being ultimately practical this impracticality of theirs is most interesting.

[Publius Nonius Severus]

Here is a good quick overview of the role of the consuls during the Empire from William Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities with references to primary sources for further research:

 

"The official functions of the consuls under the empire were as follows:

[Ursus]

Thank you PNS, very informative and interesting!

 

The imperial praetors peformed much the same functions, only on a smaller scale.

 

It would seem the aediles and censors passed into irrelevancy and oblivion, with most of their functions transferred to praetors and consuls.

 

Since this useless honor could bankrupt a man it led to the extinction of the office.

 

Do you mean under the "Byzantines?" The Western Empire had Consuls for as long as there was a Western Empire. After tenor of their office they commanded the senior province in a given diocese.

[CiceroD]

Do you mean under the "Byzantines?" The Western Empire had Consuls for as long as there was a Western Empire. After tenor of their office they commanded the senior province in a given diocese.

 

Yes, Apparently in the Thirteenth year of Justinian's reign

[Ursus]

Interesting, CiceroD, and thank you. I have read a grand total of one full sized academic book on the Byzantines, so I am bit fuzzy on the details thereof.

[Maladict]

Do you mean under the "Byzantines?" The Western Empire had Consuls for as long as there was a Western Empire. After tenor of their office they commanded the senior province in a given diocese.

 

Yes, Apparently in the Thirteenth year of Justinian's reign

 

I believe it wasn't actually abolished, but given exclusively to the emperor from 541 onward. Merely a formality of course, but I don't believe the office was abolished (by decree).

[Nerva]

Do you mean under the "Byzantines?" The Western Empire had Consuls for as long as there was a Western Empire. After tenor of their office they commanded the senior province in a given diocese.

 

Yes, Apparently in the Thirteenth year of Justinian's reign

 

I believe it wasn't actually abolished, but given exclusively to the emperor from 541 onward. Merely a formality of course, but I don't believe the office was abolished (by decree).

Maladict looks to be correct. Justinian I held the consulship while Emperor probably when there was no one else who wanted to fork over the large sum of personal money this symbolic office required. The great Byzantine General Belisarius held the honor only 6 years before it lapsed into oblivion. Wikipedia lists the last consul (In Constantinople of course) as Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius in the year 541.

[Maladict]

Maladict looks to be correct. Justinian I held the consulship while Emperor probably when there was no one else who wanted to fork over the large sum of personal money this symbolic office required. The great Byzantine General Belisarius held the honor only 6 years before it lapsed into oblivion. Wikipedia lists the last consul (In Constantinople of course) as Anicius Faustus Albinus Basilius in the year 541.

 

Interestingly, Basilius was a westerner, and probably served his consular year in Rome, not Constantinople. He did take the ceremony at Constantinople, though.

 

As for what happened after 541, Justinian did not take the consulship himself after 541, and neither did anyone else. Justin II took it on his accession (566), and it was still in use during the reign of Constans II, who became consul in 642.