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Curia (
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
plural curiae) in
ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom ...
referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came to meet for only a few purposes by the end of the Republic: to confirm the election of
magistrates The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judic ...
with imperium, to witness the installation of priests, the making of wills, and to carry out certain adoptions. The term is more broadly used to designate an assembly, council, or
court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...
, in which public, official, or religious issues are discussed and decided. Lesser curiae existed for other purposes. The word ''curia'' also came to denote the places of assembly, especially of the senate. Similar institutions existed in other towns and cities of Italy. In medieval times, a king's council was often referred to as a ''curia''. Today, the most famous curia is the Curia of the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, which assists the Roman Pontiff in the hierarchical government of the Church.
1983 Code of Canon Law The 1983 ''Code of Canon Law'' (abbreviated 1983 CIC from its Latin title ''Codex Iuris Canonici''), also called the Johanno-Pauline Code, is the "fundamental body of ecclesiastical laws for the Latin Church". It is the second and current com ...
, can. 360


Origins

The word ''curia'' is thought to derive from Old Latin ''coviria'', meaning "a gathering of men" (''co-'', "together" =''vir'', "man"). In this sense, any assembly, public or private, could be called a ''curia''. In addition to the Roman curiae, voting assemblies known as ''curiae'' existed in other towns of
Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...
, and similar institutions existed in other parts of Italy. During the republic, local curiae were established in Italian and provincial municipia and
coloniae A Roman (plural ) was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of a Roman city. It is also the origin of the modern term ''colony''. Characteri ...
. In imperial times, local magistrates were often elected by municipal senates, which also came to be known as ''curiae''. By extension, the word ''curia'' came to mean not just a gathering, but also the place where an assembly would gather, such as a meeting house.'' Oxford Classical Dictionary'', 2nd Ed. (1970).


Roman Curiae

In Roman times, "curia" had two principal meanings. Originally it applied to the wards of the ''
comitia curiata The Curiate Assembly (''comitia curiata'') was the principal assembly that evolved in shape and form over the course of the Roman Kingdom until the Comitia Centuriata organized by Servius Tullius. During these first decades, the people of Rome we ...
''. However, over time the name became applied to the senate house, which in its various incarnations housed meetings of the Roman senate from the time of the
kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...
until the beginning of the seventh century AD.


Comitia Curiata

The most important curiae at Rome were the 30 that together made up the comitia curiata. Traditionally ascribed to the
kings Kings or King's may refer to: *Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings *One of several works known as the "Book of Kings": **The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts **The ''Shahnameh'' ...
, each of the three tribes established by Romulus, the ''Ramnes, Tities'', and ''Luceres'', was divided into ten curiae. In theory, each '' gens'' (family, clan) belonged to a particular curia, although whether this was strictly observed throughout Roman history is uncertain.'' Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities'', Second Edition, Harry Thurston Peck, Editor (1897) Each curia had a distinct name, said to have been derived from the names of some of the
Sabine women The Rape of the Sabine Women ( ), also known as the Abduction of the Sabine Women or the Kidnapping of the Sabine Women, was an incident in Roman mythology in which the men of Rome committed a mass abduction of young women from the other citi ...
abducted by the Romans in the time of Romulus. However, some of the curiae evidently derived their names from particular districts or eponymous heroes. The curiae were probably established geographically, representing specific neighborhoods in Rome, for which reason ''curia'' is sometimes translated as " ward". Only a few of the names of the 30 curiae have been preserved, including ''Acculeia, Calabra, Faucia, Foriensis, Rapta, Veliensis, Tifata'', and ''Titia.'' The assertion that the plebeians were not members of the curiae, or that only the dependents ''( clients)'' of the patricians were admitted, and not entitled to vote, is expressly contradicted by Dionysius. This argument is also refuted by Mommsen. Each curia had its own '' sacra'', in which its members, known as ''curiales,'' worshipped the gods of the state and other deities specific to the curia, with their own rites and ceremonies. Each curia had a meeting site and place of worship, named after the curia. Originally, this may have been a simple altar, then a '' sacellum'', and finally a meeting house. The curia was presided over by a ''curio'' (plural, ''curiones''), who was always at least 50 years old, and was elected for life. The curio undertook the religious affairs of the curia. He was assisted by another priest, known as the ''flamen curialis''. When the 30 curiae gathered to make up the ''comitia curiata'', they were presided over by a '' curio maximus'', who until 209 BC was always a patrician. Originally, the ''curio maximus'' was probably elected by the ''curiones'', but in later times by the people themselves. Each curia was attended by one lictor; an assembly of the ''comitia curiata'' was attended by thirty lictors. The ''comitia curiata'' voted to confirm the election of magistrates by passing a law called the '' lex curiata de imperio''. It also witnessed the installation of priests, and adoptions, and the making of wills. The Pontifex Maximus may have presided over these ceremonies. The assembly probably possessed much greater authority before the establishment of the ''
comitia centuriata The Centuriate Assembly ( Latin: ''comitia centuriata'') of the Roman Republic was one of the three voting assemblies in the Roman constitution. It was named the Centuriate Assembly as it originally divided Roman citizens into groups of one hundr ...
'', which gradually assumed many of the curiate assembly's original functions.


Senate House

Since the Roman Kingdom, the meeting-house of the Roman senate was known as the ''curia''. The original meeting place was said to have been a temple built on the spot where the Romans and Sabines laid down their arms during the reign of Romulus (traditionally reigned 753–717 BC). The institution of the senate was always ascribed to Romulus; although the first senate was said to comprise 100 members, the earliest number which can be called certain is 300, probably connected with the three tribes and 30 curiae also attributed to Romulus.


Curia Hostilia

After the original temple was destroyed by fire, it was replaced by a new meeting house by Tullus Hostilius, the third King of Rome (traditionally reigned 673–642 BC). The ''Curia Hostilia'' stood on the north end of the comitium, where the ''comitia curiata'' and other Roman assemblies met, and was oriented along the four cardinal points. After more than 500 years of service, the building was restored and enlarged by the
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in time ...
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had ...
in 80 BC. Sulla had doubled the senate's membership from 300 to 600, necessitating a larger building, which retained the original orientation of the ''Curia Hostilia'', but extended further south into the comitium. In 52 BC, following the murder of Publius Clodius Pulcher, his ''clientes'' set fire to the senate house, which was rebuilt by Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of the dictator. Following this reconstruction, the building came to be called the ''
Curia Cornelia The Curia Cornelia was a place where the Roman Senate assembled beginning c. 52 BC. It was the largest of all the ''Curiae'' (Senate Houses) built in Rome. Its construction took over a great deal of the traditional comitium space and brought the ...
.''


Curia Julia

A generation after Sulla enlarged the senate from 300 members to 600,
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
increased its membership to 900, necessitating the construction of a larger meeting house. The ''Curia Cornelia'' was demolished, and shortly before his death in 44 BC, Caesar began the construction of a new building, which became known as the ''
Curia Julia The Curia Julia ( la, Curia Iulia, links=no, it, Curia Iulia, links=no) is the third named ''curia'', or senate house, in the ancient city of Rome. It was built in 44 BC, when Julius Caesar replaced Faustus Cornelius Sulla's reconstructed Curi ...
''. This structure covered most of the ''comitium'', and abandoned the original orientation of the previous curiae, pointing slightly northwest. The building featured a large central hall with a daïs for magistrates, and marble benches on one side. There was also a record office on one side. The building was completed by Caesar's grandnephew, Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, in 29 BC, although he reduced the senate itself to its former number of 600. In AD 94, the ''Curia Julia'' was rebuilt along Caesar's original plan by the emperor
Domitian Domitian (; la, Domitianus; 24 October 51 – 18 September 96) was a Roman emperor who reigned from 81 to 96. The son of Vespasian and the younger brother of Titus, his two predecessors on the throne, he was the last member of the Fl ...
, who also restored the former orientation of the ''Curia Hostilia.'' The building was damaged by fire during the reign of Carinus in 283, and again restored under his successor, Diocletian. The Roman Senate is last mentioned in AD 600. In 630,
Pope Honorius I Pope Honorius I (died 12 October 638) was the bishop of Rome from 27 October 625 to his death. He was active in spreading Christianity among Anglo-Saxons and attempted to convince the Celts to calculate Easter in the Roman fashion. He is chie ...
transformed the senate house into the church of Sant'Adriano al Foro, preserving the structure at its full height. In 1923, the church and an adjacent convent were bought by the Italian government. The building was further restored from 1935 to 1937, removing various medieval additions, to reveal the original Roman architecture.


Curiae Veteres

The ''Curiae Veteres'' was the earliest sanctuary of the thirty ''curiae''. It is discussed by both Varro and by Tacitus, who mentions it as one point of the Palatine pomerium of '' Roma quadrata''. It is likely that this shrine was located at the northeast corner of the Palatine Hill. Its remains have likely been identified in excavations carried out by
Clementina Panella Clementina Panella is an Italian archaeologist, a professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza, where she teaches Methodology of Archaeology. She has guided and co-written a number of articles on the commercial pottery of ancient Italy. Career ...
. As the Republic continued, the curiae grew too large to meet conveniently at the ''Curiae Veteres'', and a new meeting place, the ''Curiae Novae'', was constructed. A few of the curiae continued to meet at the ''Curiae Veteres'' due to specific religious obligations.


Municipal curiae

In the Roman Empire a town council was known as a curia, or sometimes an ''ordo'', or ''boule''. The existence of such a governing body was the mark of an independent city. Municipal curiae were co-optive, and their members, the decurions, sat for life. Their numbers varied greatly according to the size of the city. In the Western Empire, one hundred seems to have been a common number, but in the East five hundred was customary, on the model of the Athenian Boule. However, by the fourth century, curial duties had become onerous, and it was difficult to fill all the posts; often candidates had to be nominated. The emperor Constantine exempted Christians from serving in the curiae, which led to many rich pagans claiming to be priests in order to escape these duties.


Other curiae

The concept of the curia as a governing body, or the court where such a body met, carried on into medieval times, both as a secular institution, and in the church.


Medieval Curiae

In medieval times, a king's court was frequently known as the '' curia regis'', consisting of the king's chief magnates and councilors. In England, the ''curia regis'' gradually developed into Parliament. In France, the ''curia regis'' or Conseil du Roi developed in the twelfth century, with the term gradually becoming applied to a judicial body, and falling out of use by the fourteenth century.


Roman Catholic Church

In the Roman Catholic Church, the administrative body of the
Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
is known as the '' Roman Curia''. It is through this Curia that the
Roman Pontiff Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
conducts the business of the Church as a whole.


Modern usage

The Court of Justice of the European Union uses "CURIA" (in roman script) in its official emblem. The term ''curia'' may refer to separate electoral colleges in a system of
reserved political positions Several politico-constitutional arrangements use reserved political positions, especially when endeavoring to ensure the rights of women, minorities or other segments of society, or preserving a political balance of power. These arrangements can ...
(reserved seats), e.g. during the British mandate of Palestine at the third election (1931) of the Asefat HaNivharim there were three curiae, for the
Ashkenazi Jews Ashkenazi Jews ( ; he, יְהוּדֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז, translit=Yehudei Ashkenaz, ; yi, אַשכּנזישע ייִדן, Ashkenazishe Yidn), also known as Ashkenazic Jews or ''Ashkenazim'',, Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: , singu ...
, the
Sephardi Jews Sephardic (or Sephardi) Jews (, ; lad, Djudíos Sefardíes), also ''Sepharadim'' , Modern Hebrew: ''Sfaradim'', Tiberian: Səp̄āraddîm, also , ''Ye'hude Sepharad'', lit. "The Jews of Spain", es, Judíos sefardíes (or ), pt, Judeus sefa ...
and for the Yemeni Jews. In the United States Supreme Court an interested third party to a case may file a brief as an amicus curiae. Under the Fundamental Law adopted in 2011,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
's supreme court is called the Curia. The Federal Palace of Switzerland, the seat of the Swiss Confederation, bears the inscription ''Curia Confœderationis Helveticæ''.


See also

* Constitution of the Roman Republic * Bouleuterion * Altar of Victory


References


Further reading

* Bond, Sarah E. 2014.“Curial Communiqué: Memory, Propaganda, and the Roman Senate House” In ''Aspects of Ancient Institutions and Geography: Studies in Honor of Richard J.A. Talbert.'' Impact of Empire, 19. Edited by Lee L. Brice and Daniëlle Slootjes. Leiden: Brill, 84-102. * Crofton-Sleigh, Lissa. 2018. "The Curia in Aeneid 7." ''Illinois Classical Studies'' 43.1. * Gorski, Gilbert J. and James E. Packer. 2015. ''The Roman Forum: A Reconstruction and Architectural Guide.'' New York: Cambridge University Press. * Heinzelmann, Michael. 2011. "The Imperial Building Complex of S. Maria Antiqua in Rome: An Incomplete Senate Building of Domitian?" ''Anales de Arqueología Cordobesa'', 21-22: 57–80. * Millar, Fergus. 1989. “Political Power in Mid-Republican Rome. Curia or Comitium?.” ''The Journal of Roman Studies'' LXXIX, 138–150. * Santangeli Valenzani, Riccardo. 2006. “The Seat and Memory of Power: Caesar's Curia and Forum.” In ''Julius Caesar in Western Culture.'' Edited by Maria Wyke. Oxford: Blackwell, 85–94.


External links

* {{Ancient Rome topics Roman law Roman Senate