cŏm-ĭtĭum, ii, n. [locus a coëundo, id est insimul veniendo, est dictus, Paul. ex Fest. p. 38, 12 Müll.; cf. Varr. L. L. 5, § 155 id.: comitium ab eo quod coibant eo comitiis curiatis, et litium causā].
I In sing., the place for the assembling of the Romans voting by the curiae situated near the Forum, and separated from it by the ancient Rostra, but sometimes considered as a part of the Forum in a more extended sense (hence, in Dion. Halic. ὁ κράτιστος and ὁ ἐπιφανέστατος τῆς ἀγορᾶς τόπος: IN COMITIO AVT IN FORO, XII. Tab. ap. Auct. Her. 2, 13, 20; Cic. Sest. 35, 75; id. Verr. 2, 1, 22, § 58; id. Brut. 84, 289; Liv. 1, 36, 5; 27, 36, 8; 10, 24, 18; Plaut. Curc. 4, 1, 9 et saep.; cf. Dict. of Antiq.—
B Transf., any place of assembly out of Rome; so of the Ephoreum at Sparta, Nep. Ages. 4, 2.—
C Trop.: quod (es) esset animi vestibulum et orationis janua et cogitationum comitium, Ap. Mag. 7, p. 278, 1; so, sacri pectoris, Mam. Grat. Act. ad Jul. 15.—
II Plur. : cŏmĭtĭa (access. form cŏmĭtĭae , Fratr. Arval. ap. Marin. p. 43; Gloss. Labb. p. 33), the assembly of the Romans for electing magistrates , etc., the comitia. —The comitia were of three kinds.
1 Comitia curiata, the most ancient, voting by curiae, held in the comitium (v. I.), gradually restricted by,
2 The Comitia centuriata, the proper assembly of the populus Romanus, voting by centuries, instituted by Servius Tullius, continuing through the whole time of the republic, commonly held in the Campus Martius (not in the comitium, as is asserted by many from the similarity of the name; cf. campus, II.), Gell. 15, 27, 2 sqq.; Cic. Agr. 2, 11, 27; id. Dom. 14, 38; Liv. 5, 52, 15; cf. Cic. Leg. 3, 19, 44.—
3 Comitia tributa, voting by tribes, and commonly held in the Forum, but in choosing magistrates, freq. in the Campus Martius, convened for the first time in the trial of Coriolanus, two years after the introduction of the office of tribune of the people. In them the inferior magistrates (aediles, tribunes of the people, quaestors), and, later, the Pontifex Maximus also, were chosen, Cic. Leg. 3, 19, 45; id. Agr. 2, 11, 27; Liv. 2, 58, 1; 2, 60, 4; Gell. 15, 27, 3; cf. Dict. of Antiq.—Upon the comitia calata, v. 1, calo.—The usual t. t. for holding such comitia is: comitia habere, Cic. Div. 2, 18, 43; freq. in all periods; they were designated according to the magistrates who were to be chosen in them, as consularia, Cic. Verr. 1, 6, 17; id. Mur. 18, 38: praetoria, Liv. 10, 22, 8: tribunicia, Cic. Att. 1, 1, 1; Liv. 6, 39, 11: militaria, Liv. 3, 51, 8: quaestoria, Cic. Fam. 7, 30, 1; cf. also: comitia consulum, Liv. 3, 20, 8; and: comitia fiunt regi creando, id. 1, 35, 1: edicere comitia consulibus creandis, id. 3, 37, 5: comitia conficere, Cic. Fam. 10, 36, 12: differre, Liv. 6, 37, 12: dimittere, Cic. Att. 1, 14, 5: ducere, id. ib. 4, 15, 7: inire, Suet. Vesp. 5.—
B Transf., of other elections , out of Rome, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 52, § 129; Liv. 42, 43, 7; Tab. Heracl. v. 24 sq.—
C Trop.: ibo intro, ubi de capite meo sunt comitia, i. e., where my fate is deciding , Plaut. Aul. 4, 7, 20: Pseudulus mihi centuriata capitis habuit comitia, id. Ps. 4, 7, 134: meo illic nunc sunt capiti comitia, id. Truc. 4, 3, 45.