comitia

Comitia were the popular assemblies of ancient Rome, formal gatherings of Roman citizens convened by magistrates to debate and decide public matters. They served as a primary mechanism for electing magistrates, passing laws, and deciding on issues such as war and peace, in contrast to the Senate and executive decrees. Participation was limited to male Roman citizens; women, slaves, and non-citizens did not vote.

The term covers several distinct assemblies with different structures and powers. The Comitia Curiata, the oldest, originated in the early kingdom and retained ceremonial responsibilities in the Republic, including religious rites and the formal conferral of certain offices and imperium. Over time its practical authority diminished.

The Comitia Centuriata was organized by centuries, a division that reflected wealth and military status. It was the more powerful assembly, electing senior magistrates such as consuls and praetors, and it had authority to decide matters of war and peace and to pass certain laws or ratifications.

The Comitia Tributa was organized by tribes and included both patrician and plebeian citizens. It elected many lesser magistrates, such as quaestors and curule aediles, and it also had legislative functions, voting on laws that affected all citizens.

The Plebeian Council, or Concilium Plebis, was the assembly of the plebs. It elected tribunes of the plebs and, after the Hortensian law (287 BCE), could pass plebiscites binding on all Romans. It provided an important channel for plebeian political influence within the Roman system.

By the late Republic and into the Empire, the practical power of these assemblies declined as other institutions gained authority, but they remained symbols of popular sovereignty and played a role in constitutional procedures.