A list of all of the Roman dictators and magistri equitum known from ancient sources. In some cases the names or dates have been inferred by modern historians.
Key to Latin terms and phrases Roman dictators were usually appointed for a specific purpose, or causa, which limited the scope of their activities. The chief causae were rei gerundae (a general purpose, usually to lead an army in the field against a particular enemy), clavi figendi (an important religious rite involving the driving of a nail into the wall of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus), and comitiorum habendorum (the holding of the comitia to elect magistrates, when the consuls were unable to do so).
Other causae included ludorum faciendorum, holding the Ludi Romani (Roman games), an important religious festival; ferarium constituendarum (establishing a religious festival in response to serious prodigies); seditionis sedandae (quelling sedition); and in one remarkable case, senatus legendi (filling up the ranks of the Senate after the Battle of Cannae).
The causa given at the very end of the Republic for the dictatorships of Sulla and Caesar are completely novel, as the powers granted greatly exceeded those traditionally accorded a Roman dictator. By legibus faciendis et rei publicae constituendae causa, Sulla was empowered to rewrite the laws and revise the constitution of the Roman state; by dictator perpetuo rei publicae constituendae causa, Caesar was appointed dictator in perpetuity, and given the power to revise the constitution.
The various causae may not have been legally distinguished from one another prior to 368 BC, when Publius Manlius Capitolinus was appointed dictator seditionis sedandae et rei gerundae causa. The precise formula of each causa later reported by ancient historians may only date to Manlius' dictatorship, in which case the causae attributed to earlier dictators must be later additions.Hartfield, pp. (?).
Other phrases abdicavit – abdicated, or resigned. mortuus est – died in office. non iniit – not inaugurated. occisus est – killed, slain. sine magistro equitum – without a magister equitum.
Roman numerals given following a name indicate that the dictator or magister equitum for that year previously held the same magistracy. The causae listed in the table are based largely on T. R. S. Broughton's The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, reporting those given in ancient sources. For cases in which no causa is given, rei gerundae may usually be inferred.
List of dictators and magistri equitum
6th and 5th centuries BC YearBC YearAUC Dictator Magister equitum Notes 501 253 Titus Larcius Flavus Spurius Cassius Vecellinus rei gerundae causa 496 255 Aulus Postumius Albus Regillensis Titus Aebutius Helva 494 260 Manius Valerius Volusus Maximus Quintus Servilius Priscus Structus 463 291 (Gaius Aemilius Mamercus) unknown clavi figendi causa 458 296 Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus Lucius Tarquitius Flaccus 439 315 Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus II Gaius Servilius Ahala 437 317 Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus 435 319 Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas Postumus Aebutius Helva Cornicen 434 320 Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus II Aulus Postumius Tubertus 431 323 Aulus Postumius Tubertus Lucius Julius Iullus 426 328 Mamercus Aemilius Mamercinus III Aulus Cornelius Cossus 418 336 Quintus Servilius Priscus Fidenas II Gaius Servilius Axilla 408 346 Publius Cornelius Rutilus Cossus Gaius Servilius Ahala
4th century BC YearBC YearAUC Dictator Magister equitum Notes 396 358 Marcus Furius Camillus Publius Cornelius Maluginensis 390 364 Marcus Furius Camillus II Lucius Valerius Potitus 389 365 Marcus Furius Camillus III Gaius Servilius Ahala 385 369 Aulus Cornelius Cossus Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus 380 374 Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus Aulus Sempronius Atratinus 368 386 Marcus Furius Camillus IV Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus rei gerundae causa 368 386 Publius Manlius Capitolinus Gaius Licinius Calvus seditionis sedandae et rei gerundae causa 367 387 Marcus Furius Camillus V Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus Capitolinus rei gerundae causa 363 391 Lucius Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus Lucius Pinarius Natta clavi figendi causa 362 392 Appius Claudius Crassus Regillensis Publius Cornelius Scapula? Mucius Scaevola? 361 393 Titus Quinctius Pennus Capitolinus Crispinus Servius Cornelius Maluginensis rei gerundae causa 360 394 Quintus Servilius Ahala Titus Quinctius Pennus Capitolinus Crispinus rei gerundae causa 358 396 Gaius Sulpicius Peticus Marcus Valerius Poplicola 356 398 Gaius Marcius Rutilus Gaius Plautius Proculus 353 401 Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina 352 402 Gaius Julius Iulus Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus 351 403 Marcus Fabius Ambustus Quintus Servilius Ahala comitiorum habendorum causa 350 404 Lucius Furius Camillus Publius Cornelius Scipio comitiorum habendorum causa 349 405 Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus II Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina II comitiorum habendorum causa 348 406 (Gaius Claudius Crassinus Regillensis) (Gaius Livius Denter) comitiorum habendorum causa; names uncertain. 345 409 Lucius Furius Camillus II Gnaeus Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus 344 410 Publius Valerius Poplicola Quintus Fabius Ambustus ferarium constituendarum causa 342 412 Marcus Valerius Corvus Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas 340 414 Lucius Papirius Crassus Lucius Papirius Cursor 339 415 Quintus Publilius Philo Decimus Junius Brutus Scaeva 337 417 Gaius Claudius Inregillensis Gaius Claudius Hortator abdicavit 335 419 Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas Quintus Publilius Philo comitiorum habendorum causa 334 420 Publius Cornelius Rufinus Marcus Antonius abdicavit; 333 the first of the "dictator years". 332 422 Marcus Papirius Crassus Publius Valerius Poplicola 331 423 Gnaeus Quinctilius Varusor Gnaeus Quinctius Capitolinus Lucius Valerius Potitus clavi figendi causa 327 427 Marcus Claudius Marcellus Spurius Postumius Albinus comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit 325 429 Lucius Papirius Cursor Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus rei gerundae causa; 324 the second of the "dictator years". 322 432 Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina Marcus Fabius Ambustus rei gerundae (for a general purpose) or ludi faciendorum causa 321 433 Quintus Fabius Ambustus Publius Aelius Paetus comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit 321 433 Marcus Aemilius Papus Lucius Valerius Flaccus comitiorum habendorum causa 320 434 Gaius Maenius Marcus Foslius Flaccinator causa uncertain. 320 434 Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Lucius Papirius Cursor II 320 434 Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus III Lucius Papirius Cursor III 316 438 Lucius Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas II Lucius Fulvius Curvus rei gerundae causa 315 439 Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus Quintus Aulius CerretanusGaius Fabius Ambustus rei gerundae causa 314 440 Gaius Maenius II Marcus Foslius Flaccinator II rei gerundae causa 313 441 Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolusor Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus II Marcus Foslius Flaccinator IIIor Marcus Poetelius Libo rei gerundae (et clavi figendi?) causa 312 442 Gaius Sulpicius Longus Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus rei gerundae causa 310 444 Lucius Papirius Cursor II Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus II 309 the third of the "dictator years". 306 448 Publius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus Publius Decius Mus comitiorum habendorum causa 302 452 Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus Marcus Titinius 302 452 Marcus Valerius Corvus II Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus? or Marcus Aemilius Paullus? 301 the fourth and last of the "dictator years".
3rd century BC YearBC YearAUC Dictator Magister equitum Notes 287 467 Quintus Hortensius mortuus est not recorded 287 467 Appius Claudius Caecus? not recorded dictator suffectus? 285 469 Marcus Aemilius Barbula? not recorded date uncertain. 280 474 Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus Maximus? not recorded comitiorum habendorum causa 276 478 Publius Cornelius Rufinus? not recorded date uncertain. 263 491 Gnaeus Fulvius Maximus Centumalus Quintus Marcius Philippus clavi figendi causa 257 497 Quintus Ogulnius Gallus? Marcus Laetorius Plancianus Latinarum feriarum causa 249 505 Marcus Claudius Glicia abdicavit 249 505 Aulus Atilius Calatinus Lucius Caecilius Metellus 246 508 Tiberius Coruncanius Marcus Fulvius Flaccus comitiorum habendorum causa 231 523 Gaius Duilius Gaius Aurelius Cotta comitiorum habendorum causa 224 530 Lucius Caecilius Metellus Numerius Fabius Buteo comitiorum habendorum causa 221 533 Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Gaius Flaminius date uncertain. 217 537 Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus II Marcus Minucius Rufus Minucius given authority equal to the dictator's. 217 537 Lucius Veturius Philo Marcus Pomponius Matho comitiorum habendorum causa; abdicavit 216 538 Marcus Junius Pera Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus 216 538 Marcus Fabius Buteo sine magistro equitum senatus legendi causa 213 541 Gaius Claudius Centho Quintus Fulvius Flaccus comitiorum habendorum causa 210 544 Quintus Fulvius Flaccus? Publius Licinius Crassus Dives comitiorum habendorum causa 208 546 Titus Manlius Torquatus Gaius Servilius Geminus comitiorum habendorum et ludorum faciendorum causa 207 547 Marcus Livius Salinator Quintus Caecilius Metellus comitiorum habendorum causa 205 549 Quintus Caecilius Metellus Lucius Veturius Philo comitiorum habendorum causa 203 551 Publius Sulpicius Galba Maximus Marcus Servilius Pulex Geminus comitiorum habendorum causa 202 552 Gaius Servilius Geminus Publius Aelius Paetus comitiorum habendorum causa
1st century BC YearBC YearAUC Dictator Magister equitum Notes 82–79 672–675 Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix Lucius Valerius Flaccus legibus faciendis et rei publicae constituendae causa 49 705 Gaius Julius Caesar sine magistro equitum rei gerundae causa 48 706 Gaius Julius Caesar II Marcus Antonius 47–44 707–710 Gaius Julius Caesar III Marcus Aemilius Lepidus 44 710 Gaius Julius Caesar IV occisus est Marcus Aemilius Lepidus IIGaius OctaviusGnaeus Domitius Calvinus (non iniit) dictator perpetuo rei publicae constituendae causa
See also Constitution of the Roman Republic Dictator
Footnotes
References
Bibliography Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, William Smith, ed., Little, Brown and Company, Boston (1849). Marianne Elizabeth Hartfield, The Roman Dictatorship: its Character and Evolution (Ph.D. dissertation), University of California, Berkeley (1981). T. Robert S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, American Philological Association (1952). John Pinsent, Military Tribunes and Plebeian Consuls: The Fasti from 444 V to 342 V, Steiner, Wiesbaden (1975).