Comitia Curiata (Board of the Roman Republic Cultural Group Inc.)
The modern Comitia Curiata
The Roman Republic protects its tangible and intangible assets within a non-profit corporation, the Roman Republic Cultural Group Inc. which is maintained in Canada. The existence of this corporation reflects the non-profit mission of the Roman Republic and increases accountability to donors and stakeholders. The corporate entity of the Roman Republic is ultimately governed by a board of directors. Internally the Roman Republic also recognizes this corporate board as the modern Comitia Curiata. This governing assembly is regulated directed by the bylaws of the Roman Republic non-profit corporation.
The daily management of the organization is entrusted to the magistrates (corporate officers) of the Roman Republic who are elected and ratified by the Curiate Assembly. Therefore, the Comitia Curiata (board of directors) is only responsible for maintaining the corporate assets of the Respublica, appointing and supervising magistrates, and representing the Roman Republic to other legal entities. The Comitia Curiata also takes on some historical roles in overseeing the Roman gentes system within our community and on some matters pertaining to the Cultus Deorum Romanorum within the Respublica.
The Comitia Curiata also grants modern imperium to the magistrates of Consul and Praetor. As the only legal entity that can authorize the removal of citizens and control over the assets of the Roman Republic this assembly grants such powers to select elected individuals as modern imperium.
The members of the Comitia Curiata (board of directors) are called Lictores Curiati. There is a maximum of thirty members on this assembly. New Lictores Curiati are selected by the members of the assembly and hold this position for life as long as they remain in good standing (active and paying annual tax). Annually the Curiate Assembly elects one individual to serve as Lictor Curiatus Magister for a term of three years. There are a total of three individuals in this position and collectively they serve as the legal directors of the Roman Republic Cultural Group Inc and co-chair the Comitia Curiata.
History of the ancient Comitia Curiata
Historically the Curiate Assembly was the principal assembly during the first two decades of the Roman Republic. During these first decades, the People of Rome were organized into thirty units called “Curiae”. The Curiate Assembly formed an assembly of representatives from the Curiae for legislative, electoral, and judicial purposes. Shortly after the founding of the republic, the powers of the Curiate Assembly were transferred to the Centuriate Assembly and the Tribal Assembly. The Curiate Assembly did retain some theoretical powers, most importantly, the power to ratify elections of the top-ranking Magistrates by granting “Imperium”. This gave high ranking magistrates their legal command (Imperium). Acts that the Curiate Assembly voted on were mostly symbolic and usually in the affirmative. At one point, possibly as early as 218 BC, the Curiate Assembly’s thirty Curiae were abolished, and replaced with thirty lictors, one from each of the original Patrician families. Since the Curiae had always been organized on the basis of the Roman family it retained jurisdiction over family matters even after the fall of the Roman Republic. This assembly for most of the Republic was under the presidency of the Pontifex Maximus. It also witnessed wills and ratified adoptions, inaugurated certain priests, and transferred citizens from Patrician class to Plebeian class (or vice versa).
