Editing Curia

{{Short description|Assembly where issues are discussed and decided}}
{{Other uses}}

'''Curia''' ({{plural form}}: curiae) in [[ancient Rome]] 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 probably had wider powers,<ref>See {{cite book|last1=Palmer |first1=Robert E. A. |title=The Archaic community of the Romans |date=1970 |publisher=University Press |location=Cambridge }} for an ambitious reconstruction.</ref> they came to meet for only a few purposes by the end of the [[Roman Republic|Republic]]: to confirm the election of [[Roman magistrate|magistrates]] with imperium, to witness the installation of [[Religion in ancient Rome#Public priesthoods and religious law|priests]], the making of [[will (law)|wills]], and to carry out certain [[Adoption in ancient Rome|adoptions]].

The term is more broadly used to designate an [[popular assembly|assembly]], [[council]], or [[court (disambiguation)|court]], 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 [[Roman Senate|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 [[Roman Curia|Curia]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]], which assists the Roman Pontiff in the [[hierarchy|hierarchical government]] of the Church.<ref name="Code of Canon Law, can. 360">[[1983 Code of Canon Law]], can. 360</ref>

==Origins==
The word ''curia'' is thought to derive from [[Old Latin]] ''coviria'', meaning 'a gathering of men' (''co-'', 'together' = ''vir'', 'man').<ref>Webster's Third New International Dictionary (1966).</ref>  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]], and similar institutions existed in other parts of Italy. During the republic, local curiae were established in Italian and provincial ''[[Municipium|municipia]]'' and ''[[Colonia (Roman)|coloniae]]''. In [[Roman Empire|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.<ref name="OCD2">''[[Oxford Classical Dictionary]]'', 2nd Ed. (1970).</ref>

==Roman curiae==
In Roman times, ''curia'' had two principal meanings. Originally it applied to the wards of the ''[[Curiate Assembly|comitia curiata]]''. 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 [[Roman Kingdom|kings]] until the beginning of the seventh century AD.

===''Comitia curiata''===
{{Main|Curiate Assembly}}
The most important curiae at Rome were the 30 that together made up the comitia curiata. Traditionally ascribed to the kings, each of the three [[Roman tribes|tribes]] established by [[Romulus and Remus|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.<ref name="OCD2"/><ref name="Harper's">''[[Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities|Harper's Dictionary of Classical Literature and Antiquities]]'', Second Edition, [[Harry Thurston Peck]], Editor (1897)</ref>

Each curia had a distinct name, said to have been derived from the names of some of the [[The Rape of the Sabine Women|Sabine women]] abducted by the Romans in the time of Romulus. However, some of the curiae evidently derived their names from particular districts or eponymous heroes.<ref name="Harper's"/>  The curiae were probably established geographically, representing specific neighborhoods in Rome, for which reason ''curia'' is sometimes translated as '[[Ward (country subdivision)|ward]]'.<ref name="OCD2"/> Only a few of the names of the 30 curiae have been preserved, including ''Acculeia, Calabra, Faucia, Foriensis, Rapta, Veliensis, Tifata'', and ''Titia.''<ref>[[Marcus Terentius Varro]], ''De Lingua Latina libri XXV''.</ref><ref name="Harper's"/>

The assertion that the [[plebs|plebeians]] were not members of the curiae, or that only the dependents (''[[Patronage in ancient Rome|clientes]]'') of the [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patricians]] were admitted, and not entitled to vote, is expressly contradicted by [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus|Dionysius]].<ref>[[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], ''Romaike Archaiologia'' iv. 12, 20.</ref> This argument is also refuted by [[Theodor Mommsen|Mommsen]].<ref>[[Theodor Mommsen|Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen]], ''Römische Forschungen''.</ref>

Each curia had its own ''[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#sacra|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.<ref>[[Sextus Pompeius Festus]], epitome of [[Marcus Verrius Flaccus]], ''De Verborum Significatu''.</ref> Each curia had a meeting site and place of worship, named after the curia.<ref name="OCD2"/> Originally, this may have been a simple altar, then a ''[[sacellum]]'', and finally a meeting house.<ref name="Harper's"/>

The curia was presided over by a ''curio'' ({{plural form}}: ''curiones''), who was always at least 50 years old, and was elected for life.<ref name="OCD2"/> The ''curio'' undertook the religious affairs of the curia. He was assisted by another priest, known as the ''flamen curialis''.<ref name="Harper's"/>  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.<ref name="OCD2"/><ref name="Harper's"/> Originally, the ''curio maximus'' was probably elected by the ''curiones'', but in later times by the people themselves.<ref name="Harper's"/> Each curia was attended by one [[lictor]]; an assembly of the ''comitia curiata'' was attended by thirty lictors.<ref name="Harper's"/><ref>[[Cicero|Marcus Tullius Cicero]], ''De Lege Agraria contra Rullum''</ref>

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.<ref name="OCD2"/> The assembly probably possessed much greater authority before the establishment of the ''[[Comitia Centuriata|comitia centuriata]]'', which gradually assumed many of the curiate assembly's original functions.<ref name="OCD2"/>

===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 [[Roman temple|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.<ref name="OCD2"/>

====''Curia Hostilia''====
{{Main|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 direction|cardinal points]]. After more than 500 years of service, the building was restored and enlarged by the [[Roman dictator|dictator]] [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]] 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 (quaestor 54 BC)|Faustus Cornelius Sulla]], son of the dictator. Following this reconstruction, the building came to be called the ''[[Curia Cornelia]].''<ref name="OCD2"/>

====''Curia Julia''====
{{Main|Curia Julia}}
[[File:Curia Iulia.JPG|thumb|The ''[[Curia Julia]]'', as restored from 1935 to 1937]]

A generation after Sulla enlarged the senate from 300 members to 600, [[Julius Caesar]] increased its membership to 900, necessitating the construction of a larger meeting house. Shortly before his death in 44 BC, Caesar began the construction of a new building, which became known as the ''[[Curia Julia]]''. 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, [[Augustus|Octavian]], the future emperor Augustus, in 29 BC, although he reduced the senate itself to its former number of 600. The ''Curia Cornelia'' was demolished, but the precise date is not known.<ref name="OCD2"/>

In AD 94, the ''Curia Julia'' was rebuilt along Caesar's original plan by the emperor [[Domitian]], 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]].<ref name="OCD2"/> The Roman Senate is last mentioned in AD 600. In 630, [[Pope Honorius I]] 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.<ref name="OCD2"/>

===''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 Hill|Palatine]] [[pomerium]] of ''[[Roma quadrata]]''.<ref>Tac. ''Annales'' 12.24</ref> It is probable 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]].<ref>C. Panella. "Curiae Veteres. Nuovi dati sulla frequentazione del santuario in età tardo-repubblicana." Scienze dell'antichità. Storia, archeologia, antropologia 25 Fasc.1, p. 41-71 (2019)</ref> 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.<ref>''[[Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum|CIL]]'' VI.975</ref><ref>A.F. Ferrandes, 2013. "Il ripristino delle Curiae Veteres." In ''Scavare nel centro di Roma. Storia, uomini, paesaggi'', edited by C. Panella, 118-23. Rome.</ref>

===Municipal curiae===
{{Main|Local government (ancient Roman)}}
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 [[Decurion (administrative)|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 the Great|Constantine]] exempted Christians from serving in the curiae, which led to many rich pagans claiming to be priests in order to escape these duties.<ref>A. H. M. Jones, ''The Later Roman Empire'', p. 724.</ref>

==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===
{{Main|Curia regis}}
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 of England|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===
{{Main|Roman Curia}}
{{See also|Diocesan chancery}}
In the Roman Catholic Church, the administrative body of the [[Holy See]] is known as the ''[[Roman Curia]]''. It is through this Curia that the [[Roman Pontiff]] conducts the business of the Church as a whole.<ref name="Code of Canon Law, can. 360"/>

Among older [[Religious order (Catholic)|religious order]]s, the governing council of the [[Superior General]] or Regional Superior and his or her assistants is referred to their Curia.

===Modern usage===
[[Image:Official Emblem of the Court of Justice of the European Union (type 2).svg|thumb|right|100px|Emblem of the Court of Justice of the European Union]]
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]] (reserved seats), e.g. during the [[Mandatory Palestine|British mandate of Palestine]] at the third election (1931) of the [[Assembly of Representatives (Mandate Palestine)|Asefat HaNivharim]] there were three curiae, for the [[Ashkenazi Jews]], the [[Sephardi Jews]] and for the [[Yemeni Jews]].<ref>Fannie Fern Andrews, ''The Holy Land under mandate'', Boston and New York, Houghton Mifflin Company – The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1931, 2 vol. (ch. XIV – Building a Jewish corporate life, vol. II, 1–32)</ref><ref>Moshe Burstein, ''Self-government of the Jews in Palestine since 1900'', Tel Aviv, Hapoel Hatzair, 1934</ref><ref>ESCO Foundation for Palestine, Inc., ''Palestine. A study of Jewish, Arab and British policies'', New Haven, Yale University Press, 1947, 2 vol. (The growth and organization of the Jewish community, vol.II, 404–414)</ref><ref>[[Jacob C. Hurewitz]], ''The struggle for Palestine'', New York, Norton and Company, 1950 (ch. 3 – The political structure of the Yishuv, 38–50)</ref>

In the United States Supreme Court an interested third party to a case may file a brief as an [[amicus curiae]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/amicus_curiae|title=Amicus Curiae}}</ref>

Under the [[Constitution of Hungary|Fundamental Law]] adopted in 2011, [[Hungary]]'s supreme court is called the [[Curia of Hungary|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==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Bond, Sarah E. 2014. "Curial Communiqué: Memory, Propaganda, and the Roman Senate House". ''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". ''Julius Caesar in Western Culture''. Edited by Maria Wyke. Oxford: Blackwell, 85–94.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Curiae}}

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* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Curia |short=x}}
{{Roman Forum}}
{{Ancient Rome topics}}

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