In the ancient Rome, the Roman people is assembled according to various frameworks, which differ according to the occasions. These assemblies of the people are called comices and are three. They gather the same citizens, but divided in a different way, which can modify the result of the vote appreciably. One has as follows:

• the Comices curiates, oldest, where the people are joined together in Curie S (thus according to its people of birth, which gives an unquestionable influence to the Patricien S);
• the Comices centuriates, where the people are joined together in Centurie S (according to its role in the army determined according to its richness, which gives a casting vote to richest);
• the Comices tributes, where the people are gathered in tribe S (territorial districts which favor the landowners near to Rome).

The votes, initially oral, become at the end of the 2nd century, writings and secrecies. Ballot papers are wood plates carrying the letters V R ( uti rogas ) and has ( antiquo , “not”). If it is about a judgment, D ( damno ) and L ( libero ). To vote it is enough to cross out one two mentions.

One also finds the Comices calates, training special of the Comices curiates, but to which the only role was to testify, and thus without capacity of vote.

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