What is senatus consultum ultimum?

Senatus consultum ultimum, also known as the Final Decree of the Senate, was a political tool used by the Roman Senate in times of emergency to grant extraordinary powers to a designated magistrate in order to maintain law and order.

The Senate would issue the senatus consultum ultimum when faced with threats to the stability of the Republic, such as insurrections, civil unrest, or invasions. This decree allowed the magistrate to take immediate and decisive action to restore order, suspend certain legal rights, and potentially impose martial law.

One of the most famous instances of the senatus consultum ultimum was during the time of Julius Caesar, when the Senate granted him these powers in 49 BC in response to his crossing of the Rubicon River with his army, which marked the beginning of the Roman Civil War.

The use of the senatus consultum ultimum was controversial and sometimes abused by ambitious politicians looking to consolidate power. It played a role in the erosion of the Roman Republic and the rise of autocratic rule under the emperors.