The existence of the consul, "Consul," is indispensable when talking about Rome after the republic.
It can be said that it is a secret that made Roman politics unique and developed into a unique giant empire, with a position not found in modern Japan, of course, in other politics.
Consul always has two people for a one-year term
At the stage of transition from royal government to republican government, it is safe to think that the power that the king had was transferred to the consul as it was.
The Consul had the right to make decisions on overall domestic affairs, including military and financial rights, and two people were always elected and the term of office was fixed at one year.
This would have been to avoid concentration of power.
The Consul was elected by the Plebeian Council and was allowed to be reappointed. Even though they were elected from the Plebeian Council, they were virtually occupied by aristocrats until the middle of the 5th century BC, and it can be said that the Roman Republic was initially aristocratic (Aristocracy).
What changed was the enactment of the Twelve Tables Act in 450 BC, and in the Likinius-Sextius Act enacted in 367 BC, one out of two people was elected from the commoner. The authority of the commoners has been greatly strengthened.
The Consul was responsible for internal affairs, such as convening the Plebeian Council, as well as the chief military officer. Since there were two people, it seems that when one went on an expedition, the other had the role of defending Rome.
Even so, there can be urgent situations such as the Celtic invasion, in which case the dictator has even more authority than the Consul. Will be provided. Although its popularity is short, half a year, it consists of the mission of one of the Consuls, who come under the command of the Consul. It is also the etymology of "dictator", which stands for dictator in English.
Around the consul, there were twelve strong men with sticks called lictors. It seems that the main role of this was to pay the dew rather than the guards.
Difference between Consul and Archon
Consul is often translated as a consul in modern times, but it can also be translated as a consul.
Napoleon established a consul government before the transition to imperial rule in posterity, but when the title "Consul" used at that time was translated into Japanese, it became a consul government. It is clear that the etymology is consul. Napoleon called himself "the first citizen of France" even when he moved to the imperial government, and there is a section that made Roman history ideal, as if he imitated Augustus.
Aside from that, the Greek word for consul or consul in Japanese is the Greek " Archon . "Exists.
Since the Roman regime is based on the Greek regime, it is possible that the Consul was derived from the Archon.
Both had military and internal governments and were replaced for a one-year term, but the Roman Consul had two people, while the Greek Archon had a nine-person collegial system. There was a difference in the decision speed.
Also, although it is not the difference between the direct Consul and the Archon, in Greece the authority of the aristocrats was lost due to a series of reforms, and the Areopagus Council, which is the Senate, lost its power due to Pericles, while in Rome the Senate continued to have power. There is also the difference that the power of the aristocrats was strong.
From the fact that the second to fifth emperors of the Roman Empire were from the prestigious Claudius family, it can be said that the Roman aristocrats were patricians.
Proconsul
Rome was always in combat with some force. It is not hard to imagine that if the consul is changed during that period, something will go wrong.
Therefore, the "Proconsul" system was introduced. If translated into Japanese, it would be a former consul. It is a system in which the next consul is decided in advance.
This Proconsul later became a term for the governor of a province as the Roman world expanded.