Editing Roman Kingdom (section)

===Legislative assemblies===
{{Main|Citizens' assemblies of the Roman Republic}}
[[File:Forum Romanum through Arch of Septimius Severus Forum Romanum Rome.jpg|thumb|The [[Roman Forum]], the commercial, cultural, religious, and political center of the city and the Republic which housed the various offices and meeting places of the government]]

The legal status of Roman citizenship was limited and a vital prerequisite to possessing many important legal rights, such as the right to trial and appeal, marry, vote, hold office, enter binding contracts, and to special tax exemptions. An adult male citizen with the full complement of legal and political rights was called {{lang|la|optimo iure}} ({{lit|having the greatest rights}}). Citizens who were {{lang|la|optimo iure}} elected their assemblies, whereupon the assemblies elected magistrates, enacted legislation, presided over trials in capital cases, declared war and peace, and forged or dissolved treaties. There were two types of legislative assemblies: the {{lang|la|comitia}} ('committees'), which were assemblies of all citizens {{lang|la|optimo jure}}, and the {{lang|la|consilia}} ("councils"), which were assemblies of specific groups of citizens {{lang|la|optimo jure}}.{{sfn|Abbott|2001|p=251}}

Citizens were organized on the basis of centuries and [[Tribe of Rome|tribes]], which each gathered into their own assemblies. The {{lang|la|[[Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Republic#Assembly of the Centuries|Comitia Centuriata]]}} ('Centuriate Assembly') was the assembly of the centuries (that is., soldiers). The Comitia Centuriata's president was usually a consul. The centuries voted, one at a time, until a measure received support from a majority. The Comitia Centuriata elected magistrates who had {{lang|la|imperium}} (consuls and praetors). It also elected censors. Only the Comitia Centuriata could declare war and ratify the results of a census.{{sfn|Abbott|2001|p=257}} It served as the highest court of appeal in certain judicial cases.

The assembly of the tribes, that is, the citizens of Rome, the [[Legislative Assemblies of the Roman Republic#Assembly of the Tribes|Comitia Tributa]], was presided over by a consul, and composed of 35 tribes. Once a measure received support from a majority of the tribes, voting ended. While it did not pass many laws, the Comitia Tributa did elect quaestors, [[Curule seat|curule]] [[aedile]]s, and military tribunes.{{sfn|Taylor|1966|p=7}} The Plebeian Council{{sfn|Abbott|2001|p=196}} was identical to the assembly of the tribes but excluded the [[patrician (ancient Rome)|patricians]]. They elected their own officers, plebeian tribunes and plebeian aediles. Usually, a plebeian tribune would preside over the assembly. This assembly passed most laws and could act as a court of appeal.