The name of the chief office in the
Roman Republic. The two Consules (the Latin plural) were elected every year. They carried 12
Fasces as the sign of their office.
The Consules were the supreme judges of the Republic and had the right to dispense punishment immediately and as they see fit. The person punished had the right to appeal to the gathering of the citizens, but in times of war even this right was taken away.
The Consules were the supreme commanders of the army.
They were also the only ones who had the right to convene the Senate. The Consules also were those who performed the Auspicium, the reading of the sky in order to guess the outcome of wars and such events. They were the ones that made the suggestions for laws (though they had to consult the Senate on this, and the actual presentation of them to the gathering of plebs was made by the Tribuni Plebis). They represented the state in all negotiations.
The Consules could veto the decisions of one another and of any other official in the Republic (except for the Tribuni Plebis).