{"id":132694,"date":"2024-02-06T12:58:56","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T11:58:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/?page_id=132694"},"modified":"2026-02-04T12:24:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T11:24:20","slug":"roman-dictator","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-republic\/roman-offices\/roman-dictator\/","title":{"rendered":"Roman dictator"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_87 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Chapters<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-republic\/roman-offices\/roman-dictator\/#list-of-roman-dictators\" >List of Roman dictators<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n    <div class=\"ramka_ze_zdjeciem float-right \"\n         style=\"\">\n\n        <div class=\"zdjecie\">\n            <img\n                class=\"ramka-ze-zdjeciem\"\n                src=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/caesar1-342x400.jpg\"\n                srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/caesar1-342x400.jpg 342w, https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/caesar1.jpg 428w\"                alt=\"Julius Caesar, Roman dictator\"\n                width=\"284\"\n                height=\"332\"\n               \n               \n            \/>\n\n            <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/caesar1.jpg\"\n               rel=\"fancybox\"\n               title=\"Julius Caesar, Roman dictator, who kept his power until his death.\">\n                <div class=\"iover\">\n                    <div class=\"zicon\">\n                        <i class=\"fa fa-search-plus\"><\/i>\n                    <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n\n                    <div class=\"opis\">\n                                <a title=\"Julius Caesar\" href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/biografie\/gajusz-juliusz-cezar\/\"><b>Julius Caesar<\/b><\/a>, Roman dictator, who kept his power until his death.            <\/div>\n        \n                    <div class=\"chmurka\">\n                Creative Commons Attribution license - On the same terms 3.0.            <\/div>\n        \n    <\/div>\n    \n<p>Roman dictator was an extraordinary (<em>extraordinarius<\/em>) official in the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-republic\/\">Roman Republic<\/a> who was given absolute power for a maximum of six months to prevent extraordinary crises (e.g. during a major war or internal revolts).<\/p>\n<p>The choice of the dictator initially belonged to the centurial commissions. Later it was appointed by <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/two-headed-rome-about-roman-consuls-and-their-election\/\">consuls<\/a> on the orders of the <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/roman-constitution\/roman-republic\/roman-offices\/roman-senate\/\">senate<\/a> (the so-called <em>senatus consultum<\/em>) and it was the only office in the Roman Republic to which it was appointed, not elected. The dictator appointed a cavalry commander (<em>magister equitum<\/em>), who commanded the cavalry during the war, while he was in charge of the infantry.<br \/>\nA sign of the unlimited power of the dictator was the 24 lictors accompanying him in the city and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the term &#8220;dictatorship&#8221; has a very bad connotation, but in the Roman Republic, it was an extremely important institution of a very law-abiding nature. More than once, thanks to the appointment of a dictator, the Republic avoided heavy disasters or emerged from a political crisis. We can distinguish several types of dictatorship, ranging from the one most often invoked <em>rei gerundae causa<\/em> (in the event of an external threat), through <em>sedicionis sedandae causa<\/em> (internal crisis), to dictatorship established for religious purposes, for example <em>clavi figendi causa<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In <b>1st century BCE <\/b><span class=\"underlined\">the abuse of this office led to the great depression, Civil War, and the end of the Republic<\/span>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"list-of-roman-dictators\"><\/span>List of Roman dictators<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>501 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Larcius<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>501 BCE<\/b> <em>Manius Valerius<\/em> &#8211; <em>rei gerundae causa<\/em> (possible <em>magister equitum<\/em>, not a dictator)<\/li>\n<li><b>499 BCE<\/b> <em>Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>494 BCE<\/b> <em>Manius Valerius Maximus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>463 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/as-you-are-gaius-i-am-gaia-well-known-roman-phrase\/\">Gaius<\/a> Aemilius Mamercus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>458 BCE<\/b> Lucius Quintus <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/lucius-quinctius-cincinnatus\/\">Cincinnatus<\/a> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>439 BCE<\/b> Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>437 BCE<\/b> <em>Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>435 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>434 BCE<\/b> <em>Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>431 BCE<\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/biografie\/aulus-postumius-tubertus\/\"><em>Aulus Postumius Tubertus<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<li><b>426 BCE<\/b> <em>Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus<\/em> (three times)<\/li>\n<li><b>418 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>408 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Cornelius Rutilus Cossus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>396 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/marcus-furius-camillus\/\">Marcus Furius Camillus<\/a><\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>390 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Furius Camillus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>389 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Furius Camillus<\/em> (three times)<\/li>\n<li><b>385 BCE<\/b> <em>Aulus Cornelius Cossus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>380 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/marcus-manlius-capitolinus\/\">Capitolinus<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>368 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Furius Camillus<\/em> (four times)<\/li>\n<li><b>368 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Manlius Capitolinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>367 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Furius Camillus<\/em> (five times)<\/li>\n<li><b>363 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>362 BCE<\/b> <em>Appius Claudius <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/marcus-licinius-crassus\/\">Crassus<\/a> Inregillensis<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>361 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Quinctius Poenus Capitolinus Crispinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>360 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Servilius Ahala<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>358 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Sulpicius Peticus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>356 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Marcius Rutilus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>353 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>352 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Julius Iullus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>351 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Fabius Ambustus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>350 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Furius Camillus<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>349 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>345 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Furius Camillus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>344 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Valerius Publicola<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>342 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Valerius <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/corvus-roman-method-of-fighting-at-sea\/\">Corvus<\/a><\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>340 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Papirius Crassus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>339 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Publilius Philo<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>335 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>333 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Cornelius Rufinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>332 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Papirius Crassus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>331 BCE<\/b> <em>Gnaeus Quinctius Capitolinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>325 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/lucius-papirius-cursor-his-nickname-and-training\/\">Lucius Papirius Cursor<\/a><\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>324 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Papirius Cursor<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>322 BCE<\/b> <em>Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>320 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Maenius<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>320 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Cornelius Lentulus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>320 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus<\/em> (three times)<\/li>\n<li><b>316 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>315 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>314 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Maenius<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>313 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>313 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>312 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Sulpicius Longus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>312 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>310 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Papirius Cursor<\/em> (three times)<\/li>\n<li><b>309 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Papirius Cursor<\/em> (four times)<\/li>\n<li><b>306 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>302 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>302 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/history-of-duel-of-marcus-valerius-corvus\/\">Marcus Valerius Corvus<\/a><\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>301 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Valerius Corvus<\/em> (three times)<\/li>\n<li><b>291-285 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Aemilius Barbula<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>291-285 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/appius-claudius-caecus\/\">Appius Claudius Caecus<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>291-285 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Cornelius Rufinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>287 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Hortensius<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>280 BCE<\/b> <em>Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>263 BCE<\/b> <em>Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>257 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Ogulnius Gallus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>249 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Claudius Glicia<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>249 BCE<\/b> <em>Aulus Atilius Caiatinus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>246 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/tiberius\/\">Tiberius<\/a> Coruncanius<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>231 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Duilius<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>224 BCE<\/b> <em>Lucius Caecilius Metellus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>221 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator<\/em> (one time)<\/li>\n<li><b>217 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator<\/em> (two times)<\/li>\n<li><b>217 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/curiosities\/dictator-and-magister-equitum-a-unique-case\/\">Marcus Minucius Rufus<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>216 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Junius Pera<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>216 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Fabius Buteo<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>213 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Claudius Centho<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>210 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Fulvius Flaccus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>208 BCE<\/b> <em>Titus Manlius Torquatus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>207 BCE<\/b> <em>Marcus Livius Salinator<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>205 BCE<\/b> <em>Quintus Caecilius Metellus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>203 BCE<\/b> <em>Publius Sulpicius <a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/galba\/\">Galba<\/a> Maximus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>202 BCE<\/b> <em>Gaius Servilius Geminus<\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>82-81 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/lucius-cornelius-sulla\/\">Lucius Cornelius Sulla<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li><b>49-45<\/b> and <b>44 BCE<\/b> <em><a href=\"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/biographies\/gaius-julius-caesar\/\">Gaius Julius Caesar<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roman dictator was an extraordinary (extraordinarius) official in the Roman Republic who was given absolute power for a maximum of six months to prevent extraordinary crises (e.g. during a major war or internal revolts). The choice of the dictator initially belonged to the centurial commissions. Later it was appointed by consuls on the orders of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":40987,"parent":54773,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-132694","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/132694\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/54773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40987"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumromanum.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}