> however, it was seldom used It was actually used very frequently for about 300 years, as you can see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_dictat

> however, it was seldom used It was actually used very frequently for about 300 years, as you can see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_dictators https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Roman_dictators . It was, however, a relatively weaker position, and mostly focused on dealing with external threats that required urgency in logistical and military choices. The modern definition really comes from Sulla and later Caesar, who resuscitated the practice after several generations of disuse, and took it to the extreme.