Consuls in the Empire

[Antiochus III]

How were consuls appointed/chosen in the empire? were emperors automatically consuls? how many could htere be at one time?

 

Antiochus III

[Kosmo]

The emperors chose the consuls. Sometimes they appointed themselves and sometimes others. Some like the Flavians had a monoply oner consulship while Trajan held it just 5 times.

During the principate they also elected suffect consuls. A consul did not serve his entire year and a suffect consul was appointed in his stead so more people could became consuls then before.

For someone outside the ruling dinasty to became consul 3 times was very rare.

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

The emperors chose the consuls. Sometimes they appointed themselves and sometimes others. Some like the Flavians had a monoply oner consulship while Trajan held it just 5 times.

During the principate they also elected suffect consuls. A consul did not serve his entire year and a suffect consul was appointed in his stead so more people could became consuls then before.

For someone outside the ruling dinasty to became consul 3 times was very rare.

 

Spot on.

 

Like Kosmo says for someone outside the immediate family of the Emperor (sometimes even that wasn't enough) were to achieve that amount of fame and power then they would surely be seen as a threat and disposed of immediately. It just would not have happened, self preservation was ultimate goal of the ruling dynasties of Rome.