Comitia Centuriata

Under the Roman Republic, the Legislature consisted of the Roman Senate, where the Patricians voted, and three Popular Assemblies where the Plebeians voted.
The Comitia Centuriata was the most powerful of these Assemblies and countered the power of the Senate until 27 BCE, when Augustus transferred its powers to the Senate, effectively ending the Roman Republic.

Judicial.
Its main function was to Elect each year, two Praetors, Two Consuls and One of the Two Censors.
Declarations of War.
Power of Exile and Recall from Exile, exercised famously by Cicero.
Highest Court of Appeal.

Rome was divided into 193 (later 373) Centuries of Citizens, 18 of Equites and 171 of Pedites 5 Unarmed centuries (some had just a few electors others over 100). After 241 BCE, it was divided into 2 groups based on age and 5 classes based on property.
Each Century held one vote regardless of how many citizens were within it.
The Centuries were then grouped into 5 Classes and voting followed a set Pattern Class I voted first, then Class II, and so on.
Each Century grouped together citizens of similar wealth. There were more centuries of wealthy citizens and these were grouped into the first few Classes.
Voting stopped after a majority of the 193 votes had been cast.
As the wealthy centuries voted in the first few Classes, this gave them a voting majority, since the largest centuries which were the poorest, often never got to vote once the cut off had been reached.

Open to all Roman Citizens who were allowed to vote.
Minimum notice to hold an Election was three market days (approcximately two weeks).
Voters assembled into:
- Conventions (Conventio – ‘coming together’) to hear the Debate, then
- Assemblies (Comitia – ‘meeting place’) or
- Councils (Concilium) to actually vote.

Under the Roman Republic all Roman Citizens were represented in the Assembly.
The Comitia Tributa, The Assembly of the 35 Tribes of Rome, each Tribe had a single vote.
The Comitia Centuriata, The 193 Centuries of ordinary Roman Citizens, each Century had a single vote.

There were 193 Centuries, originally designed for the Assembly to reflect the organisation of the Roman Army.
The Centuries were ranked by the value of the Property they owned, measured by the Roman Census, which then defined their different duties of military service.
The 193 Centuries were divided into 3 Groups:

The Equites
- The officer Class: 18 Centuries, 6 of which were Patricians only.
The Pedites
- The Infantry Class: 170 Centuries: These were divided into 5 classes based on Property:
  1. First Class: 80 Centuries (of soldiers with heavy armour)
  2. Second Class: 20 Centuries (of soldiers with less heavy armour)
  3. Third Class: 20 Centuries (of soldiers with light armour)
  4. Fourth Class: 20 Centuries (of soldiers with even lighter armour)
  5. Fifth Class: 30 Centuries (of slingers – soldiers with no Armour)
- Each class was then divided into two groups based on age:
  1. 85 Centuries of Junior Soldiers 17-46 yrs old
  2. 85 Centuries of Senior Soldiers 46-60 yrs old.
The Unarmed Soldiers
- 5 Centuries: 4 Centuries of Craftsmen and Musicians. 1 Century of Proletarii.

In 241 BCE The Assembly was expanded to 373 Centuries. This was to prevent the Patricians dominating the Assembly, because a majority of votes could not now be achieved until all the classes had voted. Each Century continued to have one vote. The Equites still retained 18 Centuries and the unarmed soldiers still retained 5 centuries.
In 27 BCE All the Powers of the Comitia Centuriata were transferred to the Roman Senate by Augustus, effectively ending the Roman Republic.

Campus Martius (Temple of Apollo Sosiano)