What were the dictators responsibility in ancient rome?

Answer 1

The dictator was an extraordinary officer of state during the Republic. He was appointed by senatorial decree with a very specific mandate and for a term of six months in times of emergency. His authority was absolute and went beyond that of ordinary officers of state. Usually the emergency was war when there was a need for a sole military commander (normally the army was commanded by the two consuls who were ordinary joint heads of state) or to appoint a commander with better strategy and leadership skills.

The dictator became the head of the state and of the army. All ordinary officers of state were subject to him and he could dismiss them if they disobeyed. He was granted the power to rule by decree and change laws or introduce new ones without the usual ratification by the assembly of the people and could act without consulting the senate (he usually did did not do either of these).

He had the power to punish without trial by the people (the normal procedure) and there was no right to appeal his sentences (the right to appeal was suspended). He was immune from accountability and his actions were not held to account at the end of his office (ordinary officers of state could be prosecuted after their term). A great source of power for the dictator was the fact that he ruled on his own. Normally, Rome was ruled by two consuls who could veto each other.

The office of the dictator was used strictly for emergencies and he was given only six months to deal with them. This was to prevent him from trying to seek absolute power permanently. Usually dictators resigned as soon as the job in their mandate was finished and often this occurred before the six month had elapsed. Only two men held the Dictatorship for longer than six months; Sulla and Julius Caesar. Another limitation to his power was that he did not have control over the treasury.