Consul (abbrev. cos. ; Latin plural consules ) was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic , and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire . The title was used in other European city-states through antiquity and the Middle Ages, in particular in the Republics of Genoa and Pisa , then revived in modern states , notably in the First French Republic . The related adjective is consular , from the Latin consularis .
20-624: A consul is one of a number of political officials. Consul may also refer to: Consul This usage contrasts with modern terminology, where a consul is a type of diplomat . A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic (509 to 27 BC), and ancient Romans considered the consulship the highest level of the cursus honorum (an ascending sequence of public offices to which politicians aspired). Consuls were elected to office and held power for one year. There were always two consuls in power at any time. It
40-503: A constitution which conferred executive powers upon three consuls, elected for a period of ten years. In reality, the first consul, Bonaparte, dominated his two colleagues and held supreme power, soon making himself consul for life (1802) and eventually, in 1804, emperor . The office was held by: The short-lived Bolognese Republic , proclaimed in 1796 as a French client republic in the Central Italian city of Bologna , had
60-673: A Provisional Government: Rome was occupied by France (11 July – 28 September 1799) and again by Naples (30 September 1799 – 23 June 1800), bringing an end to the Roman Republic. Among the many petty local republics that were formed during the first year of the Greek Revolution , prior to the creation of a unified Provisional Government at the First National Assembly at Epidaurus , were: Note: in Greek ,
80-589: A government consisting of nine consuls and its head of state was the Presidente del Magistrato , i.e., chief magistrate , a presiding office held for four months by one of the consuls. Bologna already had consuls at some parts of its Medieval history. The French-sponsored Roman Republic (15 February 1798 – 23 June 1800) was headed by multiple consuls: Consular rule was interrupted by the Neapolitan occupation (27 November – 12 December 1798), which installed
100-656: A government to reside in a foreign country and represent its interests there." The Devil's Dictionary defines Consul as "in American politics, a person who having failed to secure an office from the people is given one by the Administration on condition that he leave the country". In most governments, the consul is the head of the consular section of an embassy, and is responsible for all consular services such as immigrant and non-immigrant visas , passports , and citizen services for expatriates living or traveling in
120-582: A registrar or notary, but as these are not their defining core-business, they are irrelevant in the context of this article. The Lord Mayor of London is the chief magistrate of the City of London. In Sri Lanka , the Chief Magistrate's Court in Colombo is the senior of the magistrate's courts in the judicial division of Colombo. In India , Chief Judicial Magistrate Courts in the districts
140-628: Is given. Chief magistratures in antiquity include the following titles: Chief magistratures in the feudal era (and sometimes beyond) include the following titles: "Chief magistrate" is also used as a generic term in English for the various offices in the role of head of state of the various Swiss (confederal) cantons, with such styles as Landamman . References to the President of the United States as "Chief Magistrate" were common in
160-523: The Instrument of Government (1653) and the Humble Petition and Advice (1657). Unlike the previous section, this does not require any political autonomy for the jurisdiction, so there can be additional circumscriptions, even created solely for the administration of justice. It is not uncommon for magistratures to perform additional functions separate from litigation and arbitration, rather as
180-581: The Podestà , for some periods of the 13th century some citizens were again elected as consuls. Throughout most of southern France , a consul ( French : consul or consule ) was an office equivalent to the échevins [ fr ] of the north and roughly similar with English aldermen . The most prominent were those of Bordeaux and Toulouse , which came to be known as jurats and capitouls , respectively. The capitouls of Toulouse were granted transmittable nobility. In many other smaller towns
200-516: The 18th Congress, shortly before leaving office in a House report dated February 21, 1825, "By the duties of this office, the great interests of the nation are placed, in their most important branches, under the care of the Chief Magistrate." Abraham Lincoln referred to the President as chief magistrate in his first inaugural address in 1861. In 1908, Woodrow Wilson remarked, "Men of ordinary physique and discretion cannot be Presidents and live, if
220-410: The case may be, to a major political and administrative officer (usually at a subnational or colonial level) or a judge and barrister . If the jurisdiction he or she heads is considered to have statehood (sovereign or not), the official is generally its head of state and (in various degrees of authority) chief executive. However, the precise meaning depends upon the particular circumstances where it
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#1732788121670240-408: The early years of U.S. existence, although use of the term is rare today. In 1793, George Washington described himself as his country's "Chief Magistrate" in his second inaugural address . In 1800, Alexander Hamilton wrote in a private letter to Aaron Burr , later published by Burr with his permission, that he considered John Adams "unfit for the office of Chief Magistrate." James Monroe told
260-603: The first consul was the equivalent of a mayor today, assisted by a variable number of secondary consuls and jurats. His main task was to levy and collect tax. The Dukes of Gaeta often used also the title of "consul" in its Greek form " Hypatos " (see List of Hypati and Dukes of Gaeta ). After Napoleon Bonaparte staged a coup against the Directory government in November 1799, the French Republic adopted
280-426: The host country. A less common modern usage is when the consul of one country takes a governing role in the host country. Differently named, but same function Modern UN System Specific Chief magistrate Chief magistrate is a public official, executive or judicial, whose office is the highest in its class. Historically, the two different meanings of magistrate have often overlapped and refer to, as
300-552: The republic, 14 March 1841 – 13 March 1844 (ruling jointly, but occasionally styled "first consul", "second consul"): Carlos Antonio López Ynsfrán (b. 1792 – d. 1862) + Mariano Roque Alonzo Romero (d. 1853) (the lasts of the aforementioned juntistas, Commandant-General of the Army) Thereafter all republican rulers were styled "president". In modern terminology, a consul is a type of diplomat . The American Heritage Dictionary defines consul as "an official appointed by
320-629: The strain cannot be somehow relieved. We shall be obliged to always be picking our chief magistrates from among wise and prudent athletes, a small class." Wilson was himself elected President four years later. In the British Interregnum and during the existence of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland , the Lord Protector was referred to as 'Chief Magistrate' in the state's two major constitutional documents:
340-472: The term for "consul" is "hypatos" (ὕπατος), which translates as "supreme one", and hence does not necessarily imply a joint office. In between a series of juntas and various other short-lived regimes, the young republic was governed by "consuls of the republic", with two consuls alternating in power every 4 months: After a few presidents of the Provisional Junta , there were again consuls of
360-653: Was later emulated by other powers and is reflected in the modern usage of the word (see Consul (representative) ). In addition to the Genoese Republic, the Republic of Pisa also took the form of "Consul" in the early stages of its government. The Consulate of the Republic of Pisa was the major government institution present in Pisa from 1087 to 1189. Despite losing space within the government since 1190 in favor of
380-565: Was not uncommon for an organization under Roman private law to copy the terminology of state and city institutions for its own statutory agents. The founding statute, or contract, of such an organisation was called lex , 'law'. The people elected each year were patricians , members of the upper class. While many cities, including the Gallic states and the Carthaginian Republic , had a double-headed chief magistracy, another title
400-576: Was often used, such as the Punic sufet , Duumvir , or native styles like Meddix . The city-state of Genoa , unlike ancient Rome, bestowed the title of consul on various state officials, not necessarily restricted to the highest. Among these were Genoese officials stationed in various Mediterranean ports, whose role included helping Genoese merchants and sailors in difficulties with the local authorities. Great Britain reciprocated by appointing consuls to Genoa from 1722. This institution, with its name,
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