List of Roman dictators

Template:Short description 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.

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

Year BC	Year AUC	Dictator	Magister equitum	Notes
501	253	Titus Larcius FlavusTemplate:Efn-lr	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)Template:Efn-lr	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

Year BC	Year AUC	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 RegillensisTemplate:Efn-lr	Publius Cornelius Scapula? Mucius Scaevola?Template:Efn-lr
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.Template:Efn-lr
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".Template:Efn-lr
332	422	Marcus Papirius Crassus	Publius Valerius Poplicola
331	423	Gnaeus Quinctilius Varus or  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".Template:Efn-lr
322	432	Aulus Cornelius Cossus Arvina	Marcus Fabius Ambustus	rei gerundae (for a general purpose) or ludi faciendorum causaTemplate:Efn-lr
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.Template:Efn-lr
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 Cerretanus Gaius Fabius Ambustus	rei gerundae causa
314	440	Gaius Maenius II	Marcus Foslius Flaccinator II	rei gerundae causa
313	441	Gaius Poetelius Libo Visolus or  Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus II	Marcus Foslius Flaccinator III or  Marcus Poetelius Libo	rei gerundae (et clavi figendi?) causaTemplate:Efn-lr
312	442	Gaius Sulpicius Longus	Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus	rei gerundae causaTemplate:Efn-lr
310	444	Lucius Papirius Cursor II	Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus II	309 the third of the "dictator years".Template:Efn-lr
306	448	Publius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus	Publius Decius Mus	comitiorum habendorum causa
302	452	Gaius Junius Bubulcus Brutus	Marcus Titinius
302	452	Marcus Valerius Maximus Corvus II	Quintus Fabius Maximus Rullianus?  or Marcus Aemilius Paullus?	301 the fourth and last of the "dictator years".Template:Efn-lr

3rd century BC

Year BC	Year AUC	Dictator	Magister equitum	Notes
287	467	Quintus Hortensius mortuus est	not recorded
287	467	Appius Claudius Caecus?	not recorded	dictator suffectus?Template:Efn-lr
285	469	Marcus Aemilius Barbula?	not recorded	date uncertain.Template:Efn-lr
280	474	Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus Maximus	not recorded	comitiorum habendorum causa
276	478	Publius Cornelius Rufinus?	not recorded	date uncertain.Template:Efn-lr
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		abdicavitTemplate:Efn-lr
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.Template:Efn-lr
217	537	Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus II	Marcus Minucius Rufus	Minucius given authority equal to the dictator's.Template:Efn-lr
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 causaTemplate:Efn-lr
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

Year BC	Year AUC	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 II Gaius Octavius Gnaeus Domitius Calvinus (non iniit)	dictator perpetuo rei publicae constituendae causa

See also

• Constitution of the Roman Republic
• Dictator

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).