What happened at assemblies in the roman republic?
There were several assemblies in Rome. The assembly of the
soldiers elected the higher officers of state (consuls, praetors
and censors) voted on going to war, and acted as court of appeal
for treason and death penalty cases until Sulla crated a special
jury in 82 BC. The assembly of the tribes elected military tribunes
with consular powers and the lower officers of state (qaestors and
curule aediles) voted on laws, except those on war and acted as
court of appeal for other cases again until Sulla created a special
jury. The plebeian councils elected the plebeian tribunes and
plebein aediles and voted on laws called plebiscites which
originally were binding only on plebeians and later were made
binding on all citizens.
There was also another assembly, the comitia curiata, which was
the original one which is said to be dated back to Romulus and
which elected the kings. This assembly was retained when the
assembly of the soldiers and the assembly of the tribes were
created under the 6th king but it lost its political significance.
Under the republic, It retained the power to confer imperium
(command) to the officers of state with imperium after they had
been elected, it made decisions of religious matters and on
questions of family relations. It decayed by the 3rd century.
