How many times was Julius Caesar elected consul?

Julius Caesar was elected consul five times. His consulships occurred in 59, 48, 46, 45, and 44 BC, although some were shaped by civil war, dictatorship, and rapidly changing constitutional arrangements.

His first consulship, in 59 BC, paired him with Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus. Caesar then returned to the office in 48 BC after defeating Pompey's forces at Pharsalus. He held the consulship again in 46 and 45 BC, when his military victories had made him Rome's dominant political figure. His final consulship began in 44 BC and ended with his assassination on the Ides of March.

The number is often confused with Caesar's dictatorships, which he also held several times, or with his five triumphs celebrating victories. Roman office-holding could also involve suffect or replacement consuls, so “five times” refers to Caesar personally being elected or appointed to the consulship, not to every consul serving during his political ascendancy.