The Greek and Roman history illustrated by coins & medals representing their religions, rites, manners, customs, games, feasts, arts and sciences : together with a succint account of their emperors, consuls, cities, colonies and families, in two parts, necessary for the introduction of youth into all the useful knowledge of antiquity / by O.W.

§. 11. Tributa Comitia were, wherein the People gave their Suffrages according to their Tribes, and were

1. First for the Creation of some of their Priests.

2. For Creation of lesser Magistrates, whe∣ther Provincial, as Proconsuls, Propraetors, and Proquaestors. Or Urbani, and these were ei∣ther ordinary, such were Tribuni plebis, AEdiles Plebis, Tribuni Militum, AEdiles Curules, Qu•…•…∣stores, Triumviri, 1. Nocturni, 2. Capitales, 3. Au∣ro, Argento, AEre flando, feriundo. Or extraordi∣nary, as Praefecti Annonae, Duumviri Navales, Quaestores Parricidii, Duumviri AEdium Sacra∣rum, &c.

3. For making such Laws as were call'd Ple∣biscita; concerning making Peace, solutionem à legibus, Triumphs; Publicas Quaestiones de Ci∣vitate.

4. For such Judgments wherein the Faulty persons were only mulcted.

There were to be present, according to the oc∣casion, Candidati, Accusers, Accused (and they Sordidati) with their Advocates or Patrons. They had Diribitores, Custodes, Rogatores, and Prae∣cones. They were held without an Auspicati∣on, and in any place within or without the City, but only upon Dies Comitiales, and they were proclaim'd ordinarily 27 days before.

Romulus divided the People into three Tribes or Wards, and every Ward into 10 Curias, like our Parishes, and (as these) each Curia had their proper Temples and Sacrifices. So that Curia signifies, 1. those 30 parts into which the people were divided, 2. the Temples proper to every one of these Curiae, 3. because the Senate ordinarily met in one of these Curiae; it signi∣fies any place wherein the Senate met.

Comitia Curiata were those wherein the Peo∣ple was asked their Sentence by Curias, and what the major part of the Curiae agreed upon was firm, and call'd jussum Populi, in these Comitia the people met not together in one place, but all in their several Curia's, and there voted.

1. They made Laws concerning, 1. the Confirmation of certain Magistrates, which were in other Comitia chosen, 2. the giving Military Charges to the Magistrates, 3. Revo∣cation from Exile, 4. Adoptions, 5. and Te∣staments.

2. They created certain Priests.

They were convoked by certain Magistrates, as Kings, Interreges, Consuls, Praetors, Dicta∣tors, and Pontifices; and that by 30 Lictores, and upon certain days, within the City in Comitio, a place near the Forum. They only had Voices who were in Curias Scripti, i. e. that lived in the City.

The manner of holding them was this: the President of the Comitia proposed the business; and then said, Si ita vobis videtur, discedite in Curias, & suffragium inite: but if the Rogation (or thing proposed) seem'd not to be for the benefit of the People, the Trib. plebis interce∣ded and cryed, Veto; and then the Comitia were Dissolved.

But if it was thought fit to be passed, the Cu∣riae were call'd forth by Lot to give their Suf∣frages, and were call'd forth so often, till 16 of them agreed. They voted first by word of Mouth, afterwards by Tables. And they ob∣serv'd, that the Curia first call'd out, was to be boni Ominis, or else the Comitia were put oft till another day.