The Council of Ten
Preserved but no longer current.
A secret tribunal exercising unlimited powers in the old Venetian republic. Instituted in 1310 with ten members, it was later enlarged to 17, and continued in active existence till the fall of the republic in 1797.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Council of Ten” mean?
A secret tribunal exercising unlimited powers in the old Venetian republic. Instituted in 1310 with ten members, it was later enlarged to 17, and continued in active existence till the fall of the republic in 1797.
Is “The Council of Ten” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.