In the Roman Republic the term "Dictator" did not have the negative meaning
it has later assumed. Rather, a Dictator was a person given sole power (
unlike the normal Roman republican practice, where rule was divided between
two equal Consuls) for a specific limited period, in order to deal with an
emergency. At the end of his term, the Dictator was supposed to hand power
over to the normal Consular rule and give account of his actions – and
Roman dictators usually did.
The term started to get its modern negative meaning with Cornelius Sulla''s
ascension to the dictatorship following Sulla''s second civil war, making
himself the first Dictator in more than a century (during which the office
was ostensibly abolished) as well as de facto eliminating the time limit and
need of senatorial acclamation, although he avoided a major constitutional
crisis by resigning the office after about one year, dying a few years later
. Julius Caesar followed the example in 49 BC and in February 44 BC was
proclaimed Dictator perpetuo, "Dictator in perpetuity", officially doing
away with any limitations on his power, which he kept until his
assassination the following month.
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