Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

COMITIA COMITIA. g3.3
fore them in the form of a senatus consultnm; that naculum or templum. There the augur began his
is, they acquired the power of originating measures. observations, and gave his opinion either that the
In reference to the election of magistrates, the comitia might be held, or that they must be deferred
comitia, originally were not allowed to elect ally till another day. This declaration was given to
other except those who were proposed by the pre- the magistrate; and when the auspices were favoursident, who himself was entirely guided by the able, the people were called together, which was
resolution of the senate; but in the course of time, done by three successive and distinct acts: the
the people asserted their riglit so far as to oblige first was quite a general invitation to come to the
the president to propose any candidate that might assembly (inlicinsm, Varro, De L. L. vi. 94, comp.
offer himself, without the previous sanction of the 86, 88). At the same time when this invitation
senate. This change took place about B. c. 482. was proclaimed cihrcum nZoeros or de szoeris, a horn
In legislative measures a senatas consultum was was blown, which being the more audible signal,
indispensable, and this senatus consultum was is mentioned by some writers alone, and without
brought before the people by the consul or the the inlicium. (Gellius, xv. 27; Varro, De L. L.
senator who had originated the measure, after v. 91.) When upon this signal, the people asit had previously been exhibited in public for sembled in irregular masses, there followed the
seventeen days, to give the people an opportunity second call by the accensus, or the call ad concionen,
of becoming acquainted with the nature of the pro- or conventionenm; that is, to a regular assembly,
posed law. (Appian, de Bell. Civ. i. 59; Cic. p. and the crowd then separated, grouping themselves
Sext. 51, in Pison. 15.) Whether the comitia according to their classes and ages. (Varro, De
required a senatus consultum in cases where they L. L. vi. 88.) Hereupon the consul appeared,
acted as the supreme court of justice, is uncertain, ordering the people to come ad cozitlic centzriata;
at least we have no example of a senatus consultum and led the whole exrecilus- for, in these comitia,
in such a case on record. the Roman people are always conceived as an
The comitia centuriata could be held only on exercitus - out of the city, to the Campus Martius.
dies conmitiales or fasti, on which it was lawful to (Varro, I.;c. Liv. xxxix. 15.) It was customary
transact business with people, and the number of from the earliest times for an armed force to occupy
such days in every year was about 190 (Varro, the Janiculum, when the people were assembled in
De L. L. vi. 29; Fest. s. v. Comitiales dies; the Campus Martius, for the purpose of protecting
Macrob. Sat. i. 16); but on dies nefasti (that is, the city against any sudden attack of the neighbourdies festi, feriati; comp. DIES), and, at first, also ing people; and on the Janiculum, a vexillum was
on the nundinae, no comitia could be held, until hoisted during the whole time that the assembly
in B. C. 287 the IHortensian law ordained that lasted. This custom continued to be observed even
the nundinae should be regarded as dies fasti at the time when Rome had no loneer any thing
(Macrob. Sat. i. 16), so that henceforth comitia to fear from the neighbourilng tribes. (Liv. I. c.
mnight be held on the nundines, though it was done Gell. xv. 27; Macrob. Sat. i. 16; Dion Cass.
rarely. (Cic. ad Att. i. 14.) Comitia for the pur- xxxvii. 27, &c.; Serv. ad ilen. viii. 1.) When
pose of pssing laws could not even be held on all the people were thus regularly assembled, the busi.
dies fasti. (Cic. De prov. Cons. 19.) The comitia ness was commenced with a solemn sacrifice, and a
for elections took place every year at a certain prayer of the president, who then took his seat on
period, though it depended upon the senate and the his tribunal. (Dionys. vii. 59, x. 32; Liv. xxxi.
consuls, as to whether they wished the elections to 7, xxxix. 15; Cic. p. M'uren. 1; Liv. xxvi. 2.)
take place earlier or later than usual. (Cic. p. Mil. The president then opened the business by laying
9, ad Fars. viii. 4, p. Muren. 25.) before the people the subject for the decision, upon
The place where the centuries met, was the which they had been convened, and concluded his
Campus Martius (Cic. ad Q. Frat. ii. 2; Dionys. exposition with the words: velitis, jubeatis Qu2irites
iv. 84, vii. 59), which contained the septa for the e. g. bellunm indici, or ut MLI. T/llio aqua igni inztervoters, a tabernaculum for the president, and the dictum sit, or whatever the subject might be. This
villa publica for the augurs. (Cic. p. Rab. Perd. formula was the standing one in all comitia, and
4; Gellius, xiv. 7; Varro, De Ling. Lat. vi. 87.) the whole exposition of the president was called
The president at the comitia was the same magis- rogatio (Liv. iv. 5, vi. 40, xxi. 17, xxii. 10, xxx. 43;
trate who convoked them, and this right was a Cic. Dle Fisn. ii. 16, in Pisoz. 29, p. Domn. 17, 30;
privilege of the consuls, and, in their absence, of Gell. v. 19.) When the comitia were assembled
the praetors. (Cic. ad Farz. x. 12.) An interrex for the purpose of an election, the presiding
and dictator also, or his representative, the magister magistrate had to read out the names c;f this Ciaequitum, might likewise convene and preside at the didates, and might exercise his influence by recomitia. (Liv. viii. 23, xxv. 2; Cic. De Leg. ii. 4.) commending the one whom he thought most fit for
At the beginning of the republic, the praefectus the office in question. (Liv. x. 22, xxii. 35.) He
urbi held the comitia for the election of the first was, however, not obliged to announce the names of
consuls (Liv. i. 60); and the censors assembled all the candidates that offered themselves; as, for
the people only on account of the census and the example, if a candidate had not attained the lcgilustrum. (Varro, De L. L. vi. 86.) In cases timate age, or when he sued for one office without
when the assemoly was constituted as a court of having been invested with those through which he
justice, inferior magistrates, after having obtained had to pass previously, or if there was any other
the permission of the consuls, might likewise pre- legal obstacle; nay, the president might declare,
side. (Liv. xxvi. 3.) One of the main duties de- that if a person, to whom he had any such objection,
volving upon the president, and which he had to should yet be elected, he would not recognise his
perform before holding the comitia, was to consult election as valid. (Liv. iii. 21, xxiv. 7; Val. Max.
the auspices. (Auspicari.) For this purpose, the iii. 8. ~ 3.) If the assembly had been convened
magistrate accompanied by an augur went out of for the purpose of passing a legislative measure,
the city early in the morning, and chose a taber- the president usually recommended the proposal, or