In ancient Rome, usually a board of three officials who assisted higher magistrates in judicial functions, oversaw festival banquets, or ran the mint.
The First Triumvirate (60 BC) of Caesar , and Crassus was an informal group of three strong leaders with no sanctioned powers. The Second Triumvirate (43 BC), consisting of Mark Antony , Lepidus , and Octavian (later {{link=Augustus, Caesar">Augustus )
formally tresviri rei publicae constituendae ("triumvirate for organizing the state")
held absolute dictatorial power.