Consul

This building, once abandoned and left to the forces of the elements, was restored with money from the public coffers, for the enjoyment of all citizens in the fourth year of the reign of our lord Tiberius IV, being consuls Flavius Claudianus and Severus Rufus

— Inscription at the entrance of the Theatre of Aemilian in Ikaria

Origins

Consuls are as old as the Ikarian civilization itself and its political institutions. In fact, along with the Emperor, the consuls are perhaps the longest-serving political figures for the inhabitants of the Empire. The first consuls were probably the generals of the armies of the League of Ikarian Cities, which was the brief predecessor of the Ikarian Empire. With the establishment of the Empire and the unification of the country, the consuls were chosen by the Emperor and commanded one or two of the imperial armies in each military campaign (the other was commanded by the Emperor himself, at least until the 4th century BP).   From the late 3rd century BP onwards the powers of the consuls were reduced and the office was transformed into an almost honorific title. Yet Consuls still have powers to create laws, and, if authorized by the Emperor, command armies but the latter was mostly done by career generals with experience in war. And many consuls were entrusted with the government of the capital while the emperors were away on campaign.   WIth the fall of Ikaria in 460 the Senate and the consulship survived until nowadays in the Blatian Empire in the form of the Blatian Senate formed initially by the surviving senators from the fall of the former imperial capital.

Method of election

Ikarian Empire

During the times of the old Empire , two consuls had to be chosen each year, and the candidates to consulship were chosen by the Emperor (only citizens older than 42 years old were elegible for consuls) . These candidates had to be elected by the Assembly of the People, composed of all male citizens of the city of Ikaria. Then, once elected they would enter the Senate House where the Emperor would give them the consular robes ( a toga and a sceptre). The position of consul was very prestigious and was often consider the highest honor the state and the Emperor could bestow to a man, and Ikarian noble families were proud of their ancestors who had reach the consulship, often displaying their portraits and the sceptres at home. Once a consul finished his 1 year term of office, he became a proconsul (this term could also apply to consuls whose mandate was extended due to an emergency situation (usually a long military campaign)) and it was generally given a province to govern in the name of the Emperor. The most prestigious ones were the closest to the Ikaria as well as in the Kallian Plains.

Blatian Empire

After 460 AP Blati became one of the successor states of the Ikarian Empire, and the fact that they had a Senate formed by the surviving senators boosted its legitimacy as the true continuation of the old Empire. In Blati, the Emperors continued to appoint the consuls but this time, without the need to call a people's assembly. In case there are two emperors, each one of them is responsible for electing one of the two consuls for the year. Consuls in the Blatian Empire have the same roles and attributions that they had during the Ikarian Empire, and it's still one of the highest and most important offices in the realm.

Republic of Valia

As a Blatian state, the Republic has preserved many Blatian institutions, including the Senate and its old offices. The basic principle of the Republic, after the awful experience of the tyranny is that any single man can hold all the powers of the State. So, in theory, the Republic is ruled by two consuls as well. But they have different attributions that the Blatian ones. The Valians have two types of consuls, one civic and one military, each one is in charge of different state affairs, and can't veto each other.

• The civic consul or Rector in Blatian is responsible of proposing new laws, receive embassies from foreign nations, proclaim edicts and presiding over the Senate meetings. He is also the commander in chief of the Valian navy.
• The military consul is the one in charge of the legions of the Republic , and according to the wishes of the Senate and the Valian people, declare war upon foreign powers.

  Both Consuls serve for only one year, but in situations of emergency like long wars , their powers can be extended for another year thus becoming proconsuls as it was the case in the old Ikarian Empire. Once their term is over, these proconsuls can be designated by the Senate as governors of insular districts (in the Island of Valia) or Provinces (territories of the Republic across the Seas) for a maximum of 4 years. A Consular (aka: a person who has already been consul) cannot be re-elected until 5 years have passed either of its previous consulship or the end of his term as governor).   The process of voting and election of a new consul in the Republic of Valia is a bit complex , all that we can say is that it resembles the method of election during the Ikarian Empire. In this article you can find a more detailed description of how elections are held in Valia.    

A very prestigous political office

Despite having lost powers and attributions over the course of almost 2000 years , the consulship is an office or a job many politicians aspire but too few of them achieve. You need the necessary contacts and the favour of the Emperor (in the case of Blati) to be part of the select group of aristocrats or nobles who had been awarded with the consulship as the high mark of their political careers. In Blati (as well as in old Ikaria) many Emperors award loyal supporters or powerful relatives with the consulship in order to get support for their regime. Many Master of Soldiers have also been rewarded with the consulship in order to keep them loyal. For this military men, this is a great oportunity to ennoble your houses and dynasties, to become part of this select aristocratic group linked to the imperial institution and the old tradition, nd perhaps, who knows, unite the destinies of your family with other noble houses or even with the imperial family through marriage!   The figure of consul is also so important and prestigious that one of the ways of counting the years of the Blatians is by consular dating, that is, naming the consuls for each year. There are even lists inscribed in stone where the consuls of each year are recorded for as long as records have been kept.