The term triumvirate is commonly used to describe a political regime dominated by three powerful political and/or military leaders. The arrangement can be formal or informal, and though the three are usually equal on paper, in reality this is rarely the case. The term can also be used to describe a state with three different military leaders who all claim to be the sole leader of the state.

Etymology

The word stems from triumvir (which refers to each of its three members), from an Old Latin phrase trium virorum, genitive plural of tres viri "three men", from tres "three" + viri, plural of vir "man"

• (compare the more informal troika from Russian)

Troika (Russian: тройка, meaning threesome) is a committee consisting of three members. ...

Roman Triumvirates

• Twice in the late pre-Principate period of the Roman republic, political power shifted de facto from the formal magistrates and senate to three ambitious men, who thus constituted a transitional government, known as triumviratus, each tiTme only to break up again in civil war:
  • What modern scholars call the First Triumvirate was an informal political alliance of two rival generals, Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great representening the popular viz. senatorial party, with the extremely wealthy businessman Marcus Licinius Crassus. This fell apart after the death of Crassus, and the two other triumvirs fought a civil war, during which Pompey was killed and Caesar established his sole rule as perpetual dictator.
  • The Second Triumvirate was a formal governing body, consisting of Octavian and Mark Antony, the rivals for real power, and third wheel Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. Lepidus was sidelined early on in the triumvirate, and Antony was eliminated in a civil war, leaving Octavian as the sole leader.
• In various municipalities, also under the Principate, the chief magistracy was a college of three, styled triumviri.

The Roman Kingdom (Latin: Regnum Romanum) was the monarchal government for the city of Rome and its territories from its founding. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Roman Empire was a phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by an autocratic form of government. ... The Principate is, according to its etymological derivation from the Latin word princeps, meaning chief or first, the political regime dominated by such a political leader, whether or not he is formally head of state and/or head of government. ... The Dominate was the despotic last of the two phases of government in the ancient Roman Empire between its establishment in 27 BC and the formal date of the collapse of the Western Empire in AD 476. ... The Western Roman Empire is the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 286. ... What Up. ... Magistratus ordinarii (ordinary magistrates) and Magistratus extraordinarii (extraordinary magistrates) were two categories of officials who held political, military, and, in some cases, religious power in the Roman Republic. ... Consul (abbrev. ... // Definition According to Cicero, Praetor was a title which designated the consuls as the leaders of the armies of the state. ... Quaestores were elected officials of the Roman Republic who supervised the treasury and financial affairs of the state, its armies and its officers. ... See Roman Governor for the duties of a promagistrate as a governor of a province A promagistrate is a person who acts in and with the authority and capacity of a magistrate, but without holding a magisterial office. ... Aedile (Latin Aedilis, from aedes, aedis temple, building) was an office of the Roman Republic. ... Tribune (from the Latin: tribunus; Greek form tribounos) was a title shared by several elected magistracies and other governmental and/or (para)military offices of the Roman Republic and Empire. ... Censor was the title of two magistrates of high rank in the Roman Republic. ... A Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief adminstator of Roman law throughout one or more of Ancient Romes many provinces. ... Magistratus ordinarii (ordinary magistrates) and Magistratus extraordinarii (extraordinary magistrates) were two categories of officials who held political, military, and, in some cases, religious power in the Roman Republic. ... The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases, is) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations. ... The Tribuni militum consulari potestate, or Consular Tribunes were tribunes elected with consular power during the Conflict of the Orders in the Roman Republic, starting in 444 BCE and then continuiously from 408 BCE to 394 BCE, and again from 391 BCE to 367 BCE. According the the histories of... Dictator was a political office of the Roman Republic. ... Decemviri (singular decemvir) is a Latin term meaning Ten Men which designates any such commission in the Roman Republic (cf. ... Alternate meanings: see Pontifex (disambiguation) In Ancient Rome, the Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the collegium of the Pontifices, the most august position in Roman religion, open only to a patrician, until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. ... A legatus (often anglicized as legate) was equivalent to a modern general officer in the Roman army. ... Dux is Latin for leader (from the verb ducere, to lead) and could refer to anyone who commanded troops, such as tribal leaders. ... Officium (plural officia) is a Latin word with various meanings, including service, (sense of) duty, courtesy, ceremony and the likes. ... A prefect (from the Latin praefectus, perfect participle of praeficere, to make in front, i. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Vigintisexviri (sing. ... The lictor, derived from the Latin ligare (to bind), was a member of a special class of Roman civil servant, with special tasks of attending magistrates of the Roman Republic and Empire who held imperium. ... Magister militum (Latin for Master of the Soldiers) was a top-level command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of Constantine. ... The Latin word imperator was a title originally roughly equivalent to commander during the period of the Roman Republic. ... The princeps senatus (plural principes senatus) was the leader of the Roman senate. ... Roman Emperor is the term historians use to refer to rulers of the Roman Empire, after the epoch conventionally named the Roman Republic. ... Augustus (plural augusti) is Latin for majestic, the increaser, or venerable. The feminine form is Augusta. ... Caesar (p. ... The Tetrarchs, a porphyry sculpture sacked from a Byzantine palace in 1204, Treasury of St. ... This is a tentative list of topics regarding political institutions of Ancient Rome. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 510 BC, and the Roman Empire, which ended in the 6th century AD. The word Senatus is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning old man or elder. ... The cursus honorum (Latin: succession of magistracies) was the sequential order of public offices held by aspiring politicians in both the Roman Republic and the early Empire. ... The Roman Republic (Latin: Res Publica Romanorum) vested formal governmental powers in four separate peoples assemblies — the Comitia Curiata, the Comitia Centuriata, the Comitia Tributa, and the Concilium Plebis. ... Collegiality is the relationship between colleagues. ... Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome. ... The toga was the characteristic garment of the Roman citizen. ... Auctoritas is the latin word that originated authority. According to Benveniste, it comes from the verb augeo (to augment) (citation?): the auctor is is qui auget, the one who augments the act – or the juridical situation – of another. ... Imperium can, in a broad sense, be translated as power. ... The Principate is, according to its etymological derivation from the Latin word princeps, meaning chief or first, the political regime dominated by such a political leader, whether or not he is formally head of state and/or head of government. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Roman Senate (Latin: Senatus) was the main governing council of both the Roman Republic, which started in 510 BC, and the Roman Empire, which ended in the 6th century AD. The word Senatus is derived from the Latin word senex, meaning old man or elder. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Gāius JÅ«lius Caesar (IPA: ;[1]), July 12 or July 13, 100 BC – March 15, 44 BC) was a Roman military and political leader and one of the most influential men in world history. ... This article refers to the Roman General. ... Marcus Licinius Crassus Dives (Latin: M·LICINIVS·P·F·P·N·CRASSVS[1]) (c. ... The Second Triumvirate is the name historians give to the official political alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (Octavian, later Caesar Augustus), Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, and Mark Antony formed on 26 November 43 BC. Unlike the somewhat more famous First Triumvirate, the Second Triumvirate was an official (if extraconstitutional) organisation... Augustus (Latin: IMP•CAESAR•DIVI•F•AVGVSTVS;[1] September 23, 63 BC–August 19, AD 14), known as Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (English Octavian; Latin: C•IVLIVS•C•F•CAESAR•OCTAVIANVS) for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, was the first and among the most important of... For his relatives, see Marcus Antonius (disambiguation). ... Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (Latin: M·AEMILIVS·M·F·Q·N·LEPIDVS[1]), d. ...

Modern Triumvirates

The title was revived a few times for (short-lived) three-headed political 'magistratures' in post-feudal times.

Ironically, when the French revolutionaries turned to several Roman Magistrature names for their new institutions, the three-headed collective Head of State was bizarrely named Consulat, a term in use for two-headed magistratures since Antiquity; furthermore it included a "First Consul" who was not an equal, but the de facto solo head of state and government- a tyrannical position Napoleon Bonaparte chose to convert openly into the First French Empire. Queen Elizabeth II, is the Head of State of 16 countries including: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand and the Bahamas, as well as crown colonies and overseas territories of the United Kingdom. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Napoleon I Bonaparte, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Mediator of the Swiss Confederation and Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from... The First French Empire, commonly known as the French Empire or the Napoleonic Empire, covers the period of the domination of France and much of continental Europe by Napoleon I of France. ...

Modern Italy

In the Roman Republic (1849), the title of two sets of three joint chiefs of state in the year 1849: This article is becoming very long. ...

• 29 March - 1 July 1849: Carlo Armellini (b. 1777 - d. 1863), Giuseppe Mazzini (b. 1805 - d. 1872) & Conte Aurelio Saffi (b. 1819 - d. 1890)
• 1 July till 4 July 1849: Aurelio Saliceti (again), Alessandro Calandrelli (b. 1805 - d. 1888) & Livio Mariani (no dates available)

March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Carlo Armellini (1777 - 1863) was an Italian politician, activist and jurist. ... Giuseppe Mazzini. ... Aurelio Saffi. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Modern Greece

• After the downfall of the first (and only thus styled) King of Greece, the Bavarian Othon on 23 October 1862, and Dimitrios Voulgaris' unsuccessful term (23 October 1862 - 30 January 1863) as president of the Provisional Government, a Triumvirate (30 January-30 October 1863) was established consisting of the same Dimitrios Voulgaris, the renowned Admiral Konstantinos Kanaris (b. 1790 - d. 1877) and Benizelos Rouphos (b. 1795 - d. 1868), which acted as a Regency until the arrival of the newly styled next Monarch, the first "King of the Hellenes" Georgios I.

• A de facto triumvirate was set up during the First World War, to head the "Provisional Government of National Defence" in Thessaloniki, in September 1916, consisting of the popular liberal statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, General Panagiotis Danglis and Admiral Pavlos Koundouriotis.

A Youthful Portrait of King Otto of Greece King Otto of Greece, (Greek: Όθων, Βασιλεύς της Ελλάδος) also Prince of Bavaria (June 1, 1815 - July 26, 1867) was made the first modern king of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Prime Minister Voulgaris 1802-1878 Dimitrios Voulgaris (Greek: Δημήτριος Βούλγαρης) (December 20, 1802- January 10, 1878) was a Greek revolutionary fighter during the Greek War of Independence of 1821 who became a politician after independence. ... October 23 is the 296th day of the year (297th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Prime Minister Voulgaris 1802-1878 Dimitrios Voulgaris (Greek: Δημήτριος Βούλγαρης) (December 20, 1802- January 10, 1878) was a Greek revolutionary fighter during the Greek War of Independence of 1821 who became a politician after independence. ... Constantine Kanaris (or Canaris, Greek: Κωνσταντίνος Κανάρης) (1793 or 1795 – September 2, 1877) was a Greek admiral, freedom fighter and politician. ... Benizelos Rouphos (Greek: Μπενιζέλος Ρούφος) (1795 - 1868) was a Greek politician and Prime Minister. ... George I, King of the Hellenes (Greek: Γεώργιος A, Βασιλεύς των Ελλήνων) (December 24, 1845 – March 18, 1913) was King of the Hellenes (Greece) from 1863 to 1913. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ... The Movement of National Defence (Greek: Κίνημα της Εθνικής Αμύνης) was a revolution by Venizelist officers in Thessaloniki in 1916 against the royal government in Athens. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936), Greek statesman and diplomat. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis Admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis (1855-1935) (Greek: Παύλος Κουντουριώτης) was a Greek naval hero and twice President of Greece. ...

New World

• In the present Dominican Republic (eastern part of formerly Spanish Hispaniola island), twice (in a long list of styles, basically juntas, some also of three) :

• 29 May 1866 - 22 August 1866 - 1st Triumvirate (in rebellion from 1 May 1866):
  • Pedro Antonio Pimentel Chamorro (b. 1830 - d. 1874; formerly one of three 'Generals-in-Chief' 23 January 1865 - 24 January 1865)
  • Gregorio Luperón (b. 1839 - d. 1897) PA
  • Federico de Jesús García

• 26 September 1963 - 25 April 1965 - 2nd Triumvirate :
  • Emilio de los Santos (b. 1903 - to 22 December 1963) (chairman; from 29 December 1963 succeeded by Donald Joseph Reid Cabral, b. 1923, UCN, new chairman)
  • Manuel Enrique Tavares Espaillat (b. 1929)
  • Ramón Tapia Espinal (b. 1926 - d. 2002)

• State of New York - "three men in a room" (currently Sheldon Silver, George Pataki, and Joseph Bruno)

Early map of Hispaniola The island of Hispaniola (from Spanish, La Española) is the second-largest island of the Antilles, lying between the islands of Cuba to the west, and Puerto Rico to the east. ... In modern usage, junta (pronounced as in Spanish HUN-ta or HOON-ta) typically refers to a military dictatorship, especially in Latin America, which is officially run by a committee of high-ranking military officers. ... January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... Gregorio Luperón (September 8, 1839 - May 21, 1897), was a Dominican military and state leader who is better remembered as the main leader in the restoration of the Dominican Republic after the Spanish annexation in 1863. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 96 days remaining. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... December 22 is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Sheldon Silver Sheldon Silver (born February 13, 1944) is a politician and member of the United States Democratic Party, currently serving as Speaker of New York State Assembly. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current Governor of New York State, USA serving since January 1995, and as of late 2006 is the longest-serving of all current U.S. governors. ... Joseph L. Bruno Joseph L. Bruno (born April 8, 1929) is an American businessman and politician. ...

Other 'Triumvirates'

The word has been used as a term of convenience, though not an official title, for other groups of three in a similar position :

• Ottoman Triumvirate is another name for the Ottoman Interregnums
• Great Triumvirate
• Council of Three
• Paraguayan Triumvirate

The Great Triumvirate is a term that refers to the three statesmen who dominated the United States Senate in the 1830s and 1840s, namely: Henry Clay of Kentucky, Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina. ... In the history of mankind there were several collective bodies named Council of Three. ...

In fiction

• Commonwealth Triumvirate in Andromeda describes the leading arrangement of the All Systems Commonwealth. Controlled by 3 triumvirs, Tri-Jema, Tri-Lorn and Tri-Ortiz, who was replaced by her sister [etymologically absurd: a woman as 'man'], Tri-Camille
• Triumvirate of the Robotech Masters in fictional Robotech series.
• The Advocacy of the War of the Worlds TV series, three aliens who made up a triumvirate to guide and counsel the lower classes.
• A brief Triumvirate Borg appeared on Star Trek for the first three seasons.
• In the television series The Pretender, a shadowy council, called the Triumvirate, headquartered in Africa, were apparently the powers that be of the mysterious Centre and were concerned about a prophecy involving Jarod.
• In the DC Universe, specifically in the series of Etrigan the Demon, the Triumvirate rule hell.
• In Orson Scott Card's Ender Series a triumvirate of the Strategos, the Polemarch, and the Hegemon are rulers to some extent.
• In Alastair Reynolds's Revelation Space series the Triumvirate commands the lighthugger "Nostalgia for Infinity" foucusing on the "Triumvir Ilia Volyova".
• In The Simpsons episode "Bart's Friend Falls In Love", triumvirate was a word in the closing credit segment "Homer Sez: Increase your Wordiness" with the definition "Three guys giving orders".
• In the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Series by Laurell K. Hamilton, Anita Blake forms a triumvirate between herself (a necromancer/animator), Jean-Claude (a master vampire) and Richard (a werewolf). There are two other triumvirates in the series. One in The Killing Dance consisting of Sabin, Cassandra and Dominic and the other in Burnt Offerings consisting of Padma, Thomas and Gideon.
• In the video game Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams, the three Genma (demon) leaders, Claudius the Chancellor, Rosencrantz the Scientist and Ophelia the Priestess formed what was known as the Triumvirate. Throughout the game they worked together to resurrect the Genma God of Light, Fortinbras.
• In The Star Wars Expanded Universe, there have been several notable Triumvirates, including the Sith Triumvirate of Darths Traya, Nihilus, and Sion, and the Imperial Triumvirate of Moff Disra, Major Teirce, and Flim.

Andromeda may be: Andromeda (mythology), the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, wife of Perseus Andromeda Galaxy Andromeda (constellation), in which the Andromeda Galaxy is located Andromeda polifolia or Bog-rosemary, a plant of the heath family Andromeda (TV series) a science fiction television series Mount Andromeda in Canada and the... In the fictional Robotech universe, the Robotech Masters are a species of humanoids native to the moon Tirol. ... Robotech is a popular science fiction and anime franchise that was launched by an 85-episode animated television series about three successive extraterrestrial invasions of Earth. ... War of the Worlds is a television program that ran for two seasons, from 1988 to 1990. ... The Unicomplex, a huge Borg complex in the Delta Quadrant. ... Star Trek is an American science-fiction franchise spanning six television series, ten feature films, hundreds of novels, computer and video games, and other fan stories. ... The Pretender is a television series that originally ran on NBC for four seasons between 1996 and 2000. ... The powers that be is a quotation from the Bible (King James Version) that has become proverbial, with the meaning the established political powers. ... The Pretender is an American television series that aired on NBC for four seasons between 1996 and 2000. ... The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared setting where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. ... Revelation Space cover Revelation Space is a 2000 hard science fiction space opera novel by author Alastair Reynolds. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Anita Blake is a fictional character in the novel Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series of novels by Laurell K. Hamilton. ... Laurell Kaye Hamilton (born February 19, 1963) is an American horror and science fiction/fantasy writer. ... The Expanded Universe (or EU for short) is a collection of fictional background material from the Star Wars universe that is derived from official novels, comic books, and various other media besides the movies themselves. ...

Sources and references

• Etymology on line
• World Statesmen here Greece - see under each present country

See also

• Duumvirate - the equivalent term but with two members
• Quattuorvirate - the equivalent term for four people
• Quinquervirate - the equivalent term for five people
• Sevirate - the equivalent term for six people
• Septemvirate - the equivalent term for seven people
• Decemvirate - the equivalent term for ten people
• Quindecimvirate - the equivalent term for fifteen (sometimes more) people