Consuls were consuls for a small amount of time and could not be elected again.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Roman consuls had the highest level of power in anyone in Rome who held power at that time and they were the head of the government.
In the time of the emergency one of them would have to take over as emperors.
Howsoever they were kept in check by making sure that they did not harbor the power too long. The terms did not allow them to consolidate.
The consuls had small terms at the top and could not be reelected for life once their term was over making sure the republic would survive like this.