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Election for Consul and praetor


Sofokles-

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Hi!

With my book still left in Italy and me here, in Sweden I turn to You for help, my dear ancient friends.

I'm doing research about the time when Marius lived (so we are around 100BC).

My question is about the elections that was held in Campus Maritus. In witch month where the elections held? I know that the consuls were elected first and then, 2-3 days later, the praetors, but...in witch month?

 

Also, did the new consuls entered their consulate in Marsch (the first month in the roman calender(?) or was it earlier?

 

I have tried to find a good site where you can read about each month, how many days every month had, when they celebrated Idus etc, but haven't yet succeded...

 

As I said, this question is about before Ceasar lived and revolted the roman calender.

 

 

Please forgive my english but I hope that You can understand the most of all my questions.

 

Best regards!

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Hi Sofokles,

 

The election for the two consuls usually but not always took place near the end of July. I know that Julius Caesar took up the Consulship at the beginning of January. I expect Praetors took up office at the same time and as you said the elections were held just after those of the Consuls. If you are looking for a list of events in each month I know the UNRV has one on the website but I think it might only have the dates of holidays.

Edited by the5500th
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From around 223BC down to 153BC the elections for consul and praetor generally took place in February-March and the magistrates took office with the new year - on the ides of March. When the start of the consular year was switched to 1 January (153BC) the elections usually took place in December. The elections were left to the last minute because one of the consuls had to return to Rome from his province to conduct them. After Sulla's dictatorship, however, the consuls stayed in Rome during their year of office and the elections were held earlier. As was mentioned above, by Caesar's time they were normally held in July.

Edited by Pompieus
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On line you could try the old Wm Smith Classical Dictionary (dated but a good grounding) on the "Lacus Curtius" website: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roma...MIGRA/home.html

 

In print a good place to start is the Oxford Classical Dictionary or Lintott's "Constitutuion of the Roman Republic". All in english I'm afraid...by the way, your english is excellent. Unfortunately we Americans are fairly Philistine about other languages (myself included). We get so little chance to use what we learned in school.

 

There are also some good websites on the Roman calendar on line, discussing the months, Kalends, nones and ides, comitial days, holidays nundae etc.

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