The Consular Elections held in 65 B.C.

In 66 B.C. P. Cornelius Sulla and P. Autronius Paetus, consuls designate for the following year, were convicted of ambitus under the Lex Calpurnia and their accusers, L. Aurelius Cotta and L. Manlius Torquatus, were elected to fill their place and entered office as consuls on 1 January, 65.It has often been noted that the Chronographer of A.D. 354 differs from all other sources, literary and epigraphical, in recording not Cotta and Torquatus but Sulla and Paetus as consuls for 65. Anyone familiar with the idiosyncrasies of the Chronographer and aware of the close connexion between his list of consuls of the Republic and that of the Fasti Capitolini will be unlikely to contest the validity of the inference that for the year 65 the Fasti Capitolini recorded first the names of the two men originally designated, then the fact of their condemnation (before entering office) and their replacement by Cotta and Torquatus, who entered office on 1 January 65 strictly speaking as consules suffecti, not ordinarii.