The office of dictator was created in the early Roman Republic, when it granted a single person—a prominent and trusted citizen—immense power in times of emergency. The dictator effectively became the commander in chief of Rome’s forces, imposing martial law to address external or internal threats that imperiled the city. Despite the negative connotation of the word today, the dictator did not rule in perpetuity but rather was typically appointed for a six-month period. Lucius Quintus