The interrex (plural interreges) was an extraordinary magistrate during the Roman Kingdom and Roman Republic. Initially, the interrex was appointed after the death of the king of Rome until the election of his successor, hence its name—a ruler "between kings" (). The position was retained during the Republic when both consuls were unable to assume their duties, especially holding elections. Interreges ruled for only five days, which often led several of them to be appointed in succession, the record being 15 interreges in 326 BC. They were exclusively chosen from among patrician senators, and during the Conflict of the Orders, their appointment was sometimes designed to hinder plebeians from reaching power or passing laws.
As with the Roman dictator, interreges are mostly found until the time of the Second Punic War. The position was only resurrected by Sulla in 82 BC so he could become dictator, and between 55 and 52 BC, when Pompey disturbed the constitution for his own benefit.
History
After the death of each subsequent king, an interrex was appointed by the Senate. His function was to call a meeting of the Comitia Curiata, which would elect a new king.see e.g. Livy, Ab urbe condita, 1:32
Under the Roman Republic, interreges were appointed to hold the comitia for the election of the Roman consul when the consuls, through civil commotion or other cause such as death, had been unable to do so during their year of office. Each interrex held the office for only five days, as under the kings. During the brief interregnum
/ref> The comitia were, as a general rule, not held by the first interrex, who was originally the curio maximus, but more usually by the second or third; in one instance we read of an eleventh, and in another of a fourteenth interrex. The comitia to elect the first consuls were held by Spurius Lucretius Tricipitinus either as interrex or as praefectus urbi.Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 4.76.1; 4.84.5. Livy, Ab Urbe Condita 1.59.2; 1.60.4. The interreges under the Republic, at least from 482 BC, were elected from ex-consuls by the Senate, and were not confined to the decem primi or ten chief senators as under the kings. , however, were not admissible to this office; and consequently when the Senate included plebeians, the patrician senators met together without the plebeian members to elect an interrex. For this reason, as well as on account of the influence which the interrex exerted in the election of the magistrates, we find that the of the plebs were strongly opposed to the appointment of an interrex. The interrex had jurisdictio. It is possible that interreges were the only magistrates exempted from the veto power of a tribune Acta Triumphalia (CIL I.p.45), Livy (4–41.10; 8.23.12), and Suetonius ( Jul. 51.4) - which would be exceptional, since even Roman dictator were usually subject to the veto.
Interreges continued to be appointed occasionally until the time of the Second Punic War. After that no interrex was appointed until the Senate, by command of Sulla, named L. Valerius Flaccus to hold the comitia for his election as Roman dictator in 82 BC. In 55 BC, another interrex was appointed to hold the comitia in which Pompey and Crassus were elected consuls. There were multiple interreges in 53 and 52 BC, the last known being Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir); in 52 an interrex held the comitia in which Pompey was appointed sole consul. The number of interreges during these two years was so high that Cicero ironised about it in a letter.
List of Roman interreges (509 - 52 BC)
| + !Year !Interrex !note | ||
| 509 | Sp. Lucretius Tricipitinus | |
| 482 | A. Sempronius Atratinus, 1st Spurius Larcius, 2nd | |
| 462 | P. Valerius Poplicola | |
| 444 | T. Quinctius Capitolinus Barbatus | |
| 420 | L. Papirius Mugillanus | |
| 413 | Q. Fabius Vibulanus | |
| 396 | L. Valerius Potitus
Q. Servilius Fidenas
M. Furius Camillus | |
| 391 | M. Furius Camillus II
P. Cornelius Scipio
L. Valerius Potitus II | |
| 389 | P. Cornelius Scipio II M. Furius Camillus III | |
| 387 | M. Manlius Capitolinus
Ser. Sulpicius Camerinus
L. Valerius Potitus III | |
| 355 | Q. Servilius Ahala I & II
M. Fabius Ambustus I & II
Cn. Manlius Capitolinus Imperiosus C. Fabius Ambustus C. Sulpicius Peticus L. Aemilius Mamercinus | Servilius & M. Fabius appointed twice |
| 352 | 11 unknown interreges L. Cornelius Scipio | Cornelius as the twelfth of a series of interreges |
| 351 | C. Sulpicius Peticus II M. Fabius Ambustus III | |
| 340 | M. Valerius Corvus
M. Fabius Ambustus IV?
or M. Fabius Dursuo | |
| 332 | 4 unknown interreges M. Valerius Corvus II | Valerius as the fifth and last of a series of interreges |
| 326 | 13 unknown interreges L. Aemilius Mamercinus Privernas | Aemilius as the fourteenth of a series of interreges |
| 320 | Q. Fabius Maximus Rullianus M. Valerius Corvus III | |
| 298 | Ap. Claudius Caecus P. Sulpicius Saverrius | |
| 291 | L. Postumius Megellus | |
| 222 | Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucosus? | Fabius was twice Interrex, both at unknown dates. This is one possible date as suggested by Broughton. |
| 216 | C. Claudius Centho P. Cornelius Scipio Asina | Scipio held the comitia that elected the consul Varro |
| 208? | Q. Fabius Maximus Verrucosus II? | Mommsen and Broughton suggests this as a possible
date for Fabius as interrex. Livy instead attributes the
elections to the Dictator, T. Manlius Torquatus |
| 82 | L. Valerius Flaccus | |
| 55 | Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger | |
| 53 | numerous unknown interreges
Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger
Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio | |
| 52 | Marcus Valerius Messalla Niger Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (triumvir) |
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