Who was Caesar's co-consul in 59 BC?

Caesar's co-consul in 59 BC was Marcus Calpurnius Bibulus. The two men held Rome's highest annual office together, but their partnership was deeply hostile rather than cooperative.

Bibulus represented the conservative senatorial faction and was chosen partly to counter Caesar's popular legislation. Caesar, meanwhile, had political backing from Pompey and Crassus, the allies who formed what historians call the First Triumvirate. Bibulus attempted to obstruct Caesar's measures through vetoes and religious objections.

The conflict became so intense that Bibulus withdrew from public life after being attacked by Caesar's supporters. Romans joked that the year was the “consulship of Julius and Caesar,” treating Bibulus's name as though it were Caesar's second name. This is a common mix-up: Pompey and Crassus were Caesar's political allies, but neither was his co-consul in 59 BC.