Was a Roman dictator limited to six months?

Were Roman dictators always appointed for six months?

Not invariably; their authority was primarily linked to resolving a specified emergency, although a particular appointment could include a time limit.

The office's purpose mattered more than a simple fixed term. A dictator combined the authority normally divided between two consuls to resolve a defined crisis. An appointment could include a time limit, but the essential endpoint was completion of the assigned task and surrender of the exceptional powers. Livy's objection to an explicit six-month restriction suggests that such a limit was not the universal norm. The duration depended on the mandate and the sources for the particular appointment rather than a single rule applied to every dictator.