A consul held the highest elected political office of the Roman Republic (509 to 27 BC), and .... During times of war, the primary qualification for consul was military skill and ... to the 3rd century, the people were still called on to ratify the Senate's selections. .... The consuls also served as the chief diplomat of the Roman state.
Answes: The first was Christianity and the Catholic Church (as well as the official language of the Church, Latin). The second was feudalism. The expansion of Catholic Christianity and the feudal system had a profound impact on western Europe in the medieval era.
