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

CURIA. CURIUS. 377
s. 37.) Ulpian wrote a separate work, De Oficio Becker, 1iazndb. der -ihn. Al/lerli. vol. ii. part i.
Curatoris Reipublicae. p. 31, &c.) [L. S.]
9. CURATORES VIARUM. [VIAE.] CU'RIA (:3ovXAevuTpov, Yepovoela), illn archiCU'RIA, signifies both a division of the Roman tecture. The building in which the highest cournpeople and the place of assembly for such a divi- cil of the state met, in a Greek or Latin city, is
sion. Various etymologies of the word have been described by Vitruvius as being adjacent to the
proposed, but none seems to be so plausible as that agora or forumn. Its form was quadrangular;'which connects it with the Sabine word quiris or either square or oblong. If square, its height was
curis (whence the surname of Juno Curitis among one and a half times its length: if oblong, the height
the Sabines). was half the sum of the length and breadth. Thus,
Each of the three ancient Romulian tribes, a senate house 40 feet square would be 60 feet
the Ramnes, Tities, and Luceres, was subdivided high: and one 60 feet by 40 would be 50 feet high:
ilto ]0 curiae, so that the whole body of the which are somewhat remarkable proportions. Half
populus or the patricians were divided into 30 way up each wall there was a projecting shelf or
curiae. (Liv. i. 13; Dionys. ii. 7, 23; Plut. Ronz. cornice to prevent the voice being lost in the height
19.) The plebeians had no connection whatever of the building. Vitruvius says nothing of columns
with the curiae, and the clients of the patricians in the curia, but we know that in some Greek
were members of the curiae only in a passive sense. senate houses, as in that at Phocis, there wer3
(Fest. p. 285, ed. Miiller; comp. PATIcIr, GENs.) rows of columns down each side, very near the wall
All the members of the different gentes belonging (Paus. viii. 32, x. 5), and this also was the case at
to one curia were called, in respect of one another, Pompeii. A sort of religious character was coneuriales. The division into curiae was of great ceived to belong to the senate house; and there
political importance in the earliest times of Rome, were often statues of the gods placed in it. (Paus.
for the curiae alone contained those that were 1. c.) Respecting the three curiae at Rome, the
real citizens, and their assembly alone was the Hostilia, the Julia, and the Pompeiana, see Diet. of
legitimate representative of the whole people Gr. and Rone. Geog. art. Roma. (Vitruv. v. 2;
[CoInITIA CURIATA], from whom all other powers Stieglitz, A}rcleiol. d. Bcukunst, vol. iii. p. 21; Hirt,
emanated. The senators and equites were of Lelre d. Gebiuede, pp. 186-188). [P. S.]
course chosen from among them; but their import- CURIA'TA COMI'TIA. [COMITIA.]
ance was especially manifest in the religious affairs CU'RIO, the person who stood at the head of a
of the state. Each curia as a corporation had its curia, and had to manage its affairs, especially
peculiar sacra (Fest. pp. 174, 245; Paul. Diac. those of a religious nature (Dionys. ii. 7, 65;
p. 49, ed. Miller), and besides the gods of the Varro, De L. L. v. 15, 32, vi. 6): in their adstate, they worshipped other divinities and with ministrationl he was assisted by another priest,
peculiar rites and ceremonies. For such religious called flamen curialis. (Paul. Diac. p. 64; Dionys.
purposes each curia had its own place of worship, ii. 21, 64.) As there were thirty curiae, the number
called curia, which at first may have contained of curiones was likewise thirty, and they formed a
nothing but an altar, afterwards a sacellum, and college of priests, which was headed by one of
finally a building in which the curiales assembled them bearing the title of curio snaxiltcs. (Paul.
for the purpose of discussing political, financial, re- Diac. p. 126; Liv. xxvii. 8.) He was elected in
ligious and other matters. (Paul. Diac. pp. 62, the comitia curiata, and had authority over the
64; Dionys. ii. 50.) The religious affairs of each curiae as well as over the curiones. It need hardly
curia were taken care of by a priest, curio, who be observed, that the office of curio could not be
was assisted by another called curialis Flamen. held by any one except a patrician; at a com(Paul. Diac. pp. 49, 64; Varro, De L. L. v. 83, paratively late time we indeed find now and then
vi. 46; Dionys. ii. 21; comp. CuvaR.) The 30 a plebeiain invested with the office of curio maximus
curiae had each its distinct name, which are said (Liv. xxvii. 8, xxxiii. 42), but this only shows how
to have been derived from the names of the Sabine much the ancient institution of the curiae had
wonmen who had been carried off by the Romans, then lost of its original meaning and importance;
though it is evident that some derived their names and at the time when the plebeians had gained
from certain districts or from ancient eponymous access to priestly dignities, the office of curio seems
heroes. Few of these names only are known, such to have been looked upon in the light of any other
as curia Titia, Faucia, Calabra, Foriensis, Rapta, priestly dignity, and to have been conferred upon
Veliensis, Tifata. (Paul. Diacne. pp. 49, 366; Fest. plebeians no less than upon patricians. [L. S.]
p. 174; Liv. i. 13; Dionys. ii. 47; Cic. De Re CU'RIUS (Kc6plOS), signifies generally the perPuzbl. ii. 8.) The political importance of the curiae son that was responsible for the welfare of such.
sank in proportion as that of the plebeians and members of a family as the law presumed to be
afterwards of the nobilitas rose; but they still incapable of protecting themselves; as, for instance,
continued the religious observances of their cor- minors and slaves, and women of all ages. Fathers,
poration, until in the end these also lost their im- therefore, and guardians, husbands, the nearest
portance and almost fell into oblivion. (Ov. crast. male relatives of women, and masters of families,
ii. 527, &c.) would all bear this title in respect of the vicarious
Curia is also used to designate the place in functions exercised by them in behalf of the re-which the senate held its meetings, such as curia spective objects of their care. The qualifications
Hostilia, curia Julia, curia Marcelli, curia Pompeii, of all these, in respect of which they can be comcuria Octaviae, and from this there gradually arose bined in one class, designated by the term curius,
the custom of calling the senate itself in the Italian were the male sex, years of discretion, freedom,
towns curia, but never the senate of Rome. The and when citizens a sufficient share of the franchise
official residence of the Salii, which was dedicated (E'lrir7T1a) to enable them to appear in the law
to Mars, was likewise styled curia. (Cic. de Div. courts as plaintiffs or defendants in behalf of their
i. 17; Dionys. xiv. 5; Plut. Ca',nil. 32; comp. several charges; in the case of the curius being a