Citizens' assemblies of the Roman Kingdom

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Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Kingdom
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Politics of ancient Rome
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Constitution
Political institutions
Assemblies
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  • Curiate
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Ordinary magistrates
Extraordinary magistrates
Public law
Senatus consultum ultimum
Titles and honours

The Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Kingdom were political institutions in the ancient

People of Rome were organized on the basis of units called curiae (singular curia).[1] All of the People of Rome were divided amongst a total of thirty curia,[1] and membership in an individual curia was hereditary. Each member of a particular family belonged to the same curia. Each curia had an organization similar to that of the early Roman family, including specific religious rites and common festivals.[1] These curia were the basic units of division in the two popular assemblies.[2]
The members in each curia would vote, and the majority in each curia would determine how that curia voted before the assembly. Thus, a majority of the curia (sixteen out of the thirty total curia) was needed during any vote before either the Curiate Assembly or the Calate Assembly.

Curiate Assembly

See also:
Curiate Assembly
Growth of the city region during the kingdom

The Curiate Assembly (Comitia Curiata) was the only popular assembly with any political significance during the period of the Roman Kingdom,

interrex presided over the assembly during interim periods between kings (the interregnum). After a king died, the interrex selected a candidate to replace the king.[4] After the nominee received the approval of the Roman Senate, the interrex held the formal election before the Curiate Assembly. After the Curiate Assembly elected the new king, and the Senate ratified that election, the interrex then presided over the assembly as it voted on the law that granted the king his legal powers (the lex curiata de imperio).[4]

On the

Pontifex Maximus.[2] Since this assembly was the principal legislative assembly,[1] it was (theoretically) responsible for ratifying laws.[3] However, the rejection of such laws by the assembly did not prevent their enactment. Sometimes, the Curiate Assembly reaffirmed a king's legal authority (called imperium), and sometimes it ratified a decision to go to war.[3]

Calate Assembly

The

Vestal virgins.[6]

See also

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Abbott, p.18
  2. ^ a b Byrd, p.33
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Abbott, p.19
  4. ^ a b Abbott, p.14
  5. ^ Abbott, p.15
  6. ^ a b Lintott, p.49

References

  • Abbott, Frank Frost (1901). A History and Description of Roman Political Institutions. Elibron Classics (
    ISBN 0-543-92749-0
    ).
  • Byrd, Robert (1995). The Senate of the Roman Republic. U.S. Government Printing Office, Senate Document 103-23.
  • ISBN 0-19-926108-3
    ).

Further reading

Primary sources

Secondary source material

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