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Information about Triumvirate

The term triumvirate (a law)(from Latin, "of three men") is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals. The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case. The term can also be used to describe a state with three different military leaders who all claim to be the sole leader of the state.

Roman Triumvirates

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Roman Kingdom
753 BC – 510 BC
Roman Republic
510 BC – 27 BC
Roman Empire
27 BC – AD 476
Principate
Western Empire		 Dominate
Eastern Empire
Ordinary Magistrates
Consul
Praetor
Quaestor
Promagistrate		 Aedile
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Censor
Governor
Extraordinary Magistrates
Dictator
Magister Equitum
Consular tribune		 Rex
Triumviri
Decemviri
Titles and Honors
Emperor
Legatus
Dux
Officium
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Vigintisexviri
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  • Twice in the late pre-Principate period of the Roman republic, political power shifted from the formal magistrates and senate to three ambitious men, who thus constituted a transitional government, known as triumviratus, each time only to break up again in civil war:
  • What modern scholars call the First Triumvirate was an informal political alliance of two rival generals, Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great representing the popular viz. senatorial party, with the extremely wealthy businessman Marcus Licinius Crassus. This fell apart after the death of Crassus, and the two other triumvirs fought a civil war, during which Pompey was killed and Caesar established his sole rule as perpetual dictator.
  • The Second Triumvirate was a formal governing body, consisting of Octavian and Mark Antony, the rivals for real power, and third wheel Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Lepidus was sidelined early on in the triumvirate, and Antony was eliminated in a civil war, leaving Octavian as the sole leader.
  • In various municipalities, also under the Principate, the chief magistracy was a college of three, styled triumviri.

Modern Triumvirates

The title was revived a few times for (short-lived) three-headed political 'magistratures' in post-feudal times.

Ironically, when the French revolutionaries turned to several Roman Magistrature names for their new institutions, the three-headed collective Head of State was bizarrely named Consulat, a term in use for two-headed magistratures since Antiquity; furthermore it included a "First Consul" who was not an equal, but the de facto solo head of state and government- a tyrannical position Napoleon Bonaparte chose to convert openly into the First French Empire.

Modern Italy

In the Roman Republic (1849), the title of two sets of three joint chiefs of state in the year 1849:

Modern Greece

New World

Other 'Triumvirates'

The word has been used as a term of convenience, though not an official title, for other groups of three in a similar position :
  • Ottoman Triumvirate is another name for the Ottoman Interregnums
  • Great Triumvirate
  • Council of Three
  • Paraguayan Triumvirate
  • Triumvirate and Stan
  • The Triumvirate plus One

In fiction

  • Commonwealth Triumvirate in Andromeda describes the leading arrangement of the All Systems Commonwealth. Controlled by 3 triumvirs, Tri-Jema, Tri-Lorn and Tri-Ortiz, who was replaced by her sister [etymologically absurd: a woman as 'man'], Tri-Camille
  • Triumvirate of the Robotech Masters in fictional Robotech series.
  • The Advocacy of the War of the Worlds TV series, three aliens who made up a triumvirate to guide and counsel the lower classes.
  • In the television series The Pretender, a shadowy council, called the Triumvirate, headquartered in Africa, were apparently the powers that be of the mysterious Centre and were concerned about a prophecy involving Jarod.
  • In the DC Universe, specifically in the series of Etrigan the Demon, the Triumvirate rule hell.
  • In Orson Scott Card's Ender Series a triumvirate of the Strategos, the Polemarch, and the Hegemon are rulers to some extent.
  • In Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space series the lighthugger Nostalgia for Infinity is commanded by a Triumvirate of Ultranauts in lieu of the ship's incapacitated Captain.
  • In the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton, Anita Blake forms a triumvirate between herself (a necromancer/animator), Jean-Claude (a master vampire) and Richard (a werewolf). There are two other triumvirates in the series. One in The Killing Dance consisting of Sabin, Cassandra and Dominic and the other in Burnt Offerings consisting of Padma, Thomas and Gideon.
  • In the video game , the three Genma (demon) leaders, Claudius the Chancellor, Rosencrantz the Scientist and Ophelia the Priestess formed what was known as the Triumvirate. Throughout the game they worked together to resurrect the Genma God of Light, Fortinbras.
  • In The Star Wars Expanded Universe, there have been several notable Triumvirates, including the Sith Triumvirate of Darths Traya, Nihilus, and Sion, and the Imperial Triumvirate of Moff Disra, Major Tierce, and Flim.
  • Belfast footballing minnows, Glentoran FC, use the word 'Triumvirate' to describe their three biggest achievements to date.. namely 'Morgan's Day' (the day they beat their larger rivals, Linfield FC, to win the Irish Premiership), the successful tour of the USA (when they played as 'Detroit Cougars') and finally, their winning of the 'Vienna Cup'.
  • In Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, the episode Codename Europa features the Triumvirate of Europe.
  • In the video game Tomb Raider and Natla, Qualopec and Tihocan form the trumvirate of the Atlantis.
  • In Neil Gaiman's Sandman series of graphic novels hell is ruled by a triumvirate Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Azazel(although this appears to be a new occurrence as Dream seems shocked when he is informed of this.)

Sources and references

See also

Latin}}} 
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For other senses of this name, see Roman Kingdom (disambiguation).

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Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a republican form of government. The republican period began with the overthrow of the Monarchy c.
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6th century BC - 5th century BC

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The Roman Empire is the name given to both the imperial domain developed by the city-state of Rome and also the corresponding phase of that civilization, characterized by an autocratic form of government. This article however is about the latter.
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1st century BC - 1st century
50s BC  40s BC  30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC  0s BC  0s 
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State leaders - Sovereign states
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Etymology

The Principate is, according to its etymological derivation from the Latin word princeps, meaning chief or first, the political regime dominated by such a political leader, whether or not he is formally head of state and/or head of
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The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 286; the other half of the Roman Empire became known as the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire.
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Dominate was the 'despotic' last of the two phases of government in the ancient Roman Empire between its establishment in 27 BC and the formal date of the collapse of the Western Empire in AD 476.
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Byzantine Empire or Byzantium is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire of the Middle Ages, centered on its capital of Constantinople.
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Consul (abbrev. cos.; Latin plural consules) was the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic and the Empire.

During the time of the Republic, the Consuls were the highest civil and military magistrates, serving as the heads of government for
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Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, either before it was mustered or more typically in the field, or an elected magistrate assigned duties that varied depending on the
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Quaestores were elected officials of the Roman Republic who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers. The office may date back to the time of the kings of Rome.
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promagistrate is a person who acts in and with the authority and capacity of a magistrate, but without holding a magisterial office. A legal innovation of the Roman Republic, the promagistracy was invented in order to provide Rome with governors of overseas territories instead of
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Aedile (Latin Aedilis, from aedes, aedis "temple," "building") was an office of the Roman Republic. Based in Rome, the aediles were responsible for maintenance of public buildings and regulation of public festivals.
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For other uses, see Tribune (disambiguation).


Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Greek form tribounos) was a title shared by 2–3 elected magistracies and other governmental and/or (para)military offices of the Roman Republic
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For other uses, see Censor.


A Censor was a magistrate of high rank in the ancient Roman Republic. This position (called censura) was responsible for maintaining the census, supervising public morality, and overseeing certain aspects of the
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A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many provinces constituting the Roman Empire.
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Dictator was a political office of the Roman Republic. A legal innovation of the Roman Republic, the dictator (Latin for "one who dictates (orders)") — officially known as the Magister Populi ("Master of the People"), the Praetor Maximus
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The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases, is) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations.

The Roman Master of the Horse (Magister Equitum)

The original Master of the Horse (Magister Equitum
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The Tribuni militum consulari potestate, or Consular Tribunes were tribunes elected with consular power during the Conflict of the Orders in the Roman Republic
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King of Rome (Latin: rex, regis) was the chief magistrate of the Roman Kingdom. The kings, excluding Romulus who held office by his virtue as the city's founder, were all elected by the people of Rome to serve for life, with none of the kings relying on military force to
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The term triumvirate (a law)(from Latin, "of three men") is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful individuals. The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case.
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For the Romanian assassins, see .


Decemviri (singular decemvir) is a Latin term meaning "Ten Men" which designates any such commission in the Roman Republic (cf. Triumviri, Three Men).
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Roman Emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period (from about 27 BC onwards). The Romans had no single term for the office: Latin titles such as imperator (from which English Emperor derives), augustus, caesar and
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legatus (often anglicized as legate) was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes.
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