consul (in the oldest inscrr. CONSOL, COSOL; abbrev. COS., also in plur. COSS., not before the time of the emperors), ŭlis, m. [prob. from root sal- of salio; Sanscr. sar-, go; hence also exsul, praesul, v. Corss. Ausspr. II. p. 71],
I a consul , one of the two highest magistrates of the Roman state, chosen annually, after the expulsion of the kings; cf. concerning his election, administration, duties, etc., Dict. Antiq., and the authors there cited (freq. in all periods and species of composition): qui recte consulat, consul cluat, Att. ap. Varr. L. L. 5, § 80 Müll.; Cic. Leg. 3, 3, 8; Quint. 1, 6, 32; Plin. 7, 43, 44, § 136: consul ordinarius, one who entered on his office at the regular time , viz. on the first of January; opp. consul suffectus, one chosen in the course of the year in the place of one who had died , or, after the time of the emperors, as a mere honorary title; v. ordinarius and sufficio: consul designatus, consul elect (so called in the interval between election, at the beginning of August, and entrance on his duties, on the 1st of January), v. designo: consul major, one who had the largest number of votes , or with whom the Fasces were , or one who was oldest (acc. to Nieb., orig. he who was of noble origin); cf. Fest. s. v. majorem consulem, p. 161, 31 Müll.; after the Lex Julia, who had most children , Gell. 2, 15, 4: consulem creare, Cic. Att. 9, 9, 3; Caes. B. C. 3, 1 al.: dicere, Liv. 27, 6, 3: facere, Cic. Agr. 2, 1, 3; id. de Or. 2, 66, 268: sufficere, id. Mur. 38, 82 al.: declarare, id. Agr. 2, 2, 4 al.: renuntiare, id. Mur. 1, 1 al.: aliquem consulem designare, Amm. 21, 12, 25: esse pro consule, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 91, § 212 al. In reference to the expression bis, iterum, ter, quater, etc.; tertio or tertium, etc, consul, v. the words bis, iterum, etc., and cf. Gell. 10, 1, 3 and 6.—
B Esp.
1 In abl. with the names of the consuls (in the poets usu. of one consul), for the designation of the year : Orgetorix M. Messalā M. Pisone Coss., regni cupiditate inductus, etc., in the consulship of (i. e. in the year of Rome 693), Caes. B. G. 1, 2: is dies erat a. d. V. Kal. Apr. L. Pisone A. Gabinio Coss. (i. e. the 27th of March , 696 of the city ), id. ib. 1, 6 fin. : Romam venit Mario consule et Catulo, Cic. Arch. 3, 5; id. Brut. 43, 161 al.: amphora fumum bibere instituta Consule Tullo, Hor. C. 3, 8, 12; 3, 14, 28; 3, 21, 1; id. Epod. 13, 6 al.; cf.: Bibuli consulis amphora, id. C. 3, 28, 8: amphora centeno consule facta minor, i. e. a hundred years old , Mart. 8, 45, 4.—
2 Sing. , as collective term for the magistracy, the consuls , when the office is in view rather than the persons: quod populus in se jus dederit, eo consulem usurum; non ipsos (sc. consules) libidinem ac licentiam suam pro lege habituros, Liv. 3, 9, 5 Weissenb. ad loc.: legatisque ad consulem missis, id. 21, 52, 6 Heerw. ad loc.: aliter sine populi jussu nullius earum rerum consuli jus est, Sall. C. 29, 3.—
II Meton.
A A proconsul , Liv. 26, 33, 4 Weissenb. ad loc.; cf. id. § 7; 31, 49, 4; Nep. Cato, 1, 3; Aur. Vict. Vir. Ill. 6, 3, 2; Flor. 2, 14, 5; Eutr. 3, 14.—
B The highest magistrate in other states: consul Tusculanorum, Plin. 7, 43, 44, § 136: BARCINONENSIS, Inscr. Grut. 4, 29, 9: COLONΙAE ASTIGITANAE, ib. 351, 5; Aus. Clar. Urb. 14, 39.—
C An epithet of Jupiter , Vop. Firm. 3; App. de Mundo, c. 25.—*
D Poet.: est animus tibi ... consul non unius anni, continually fulfilling the duties of the highest magistracy , Hor. C. 4, 9, 39 Orell. ad loc.