Comitium

building, Rome, Italy

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June 24, 2026

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The Comitium was a formal open space in ancient Rome, located in the northwest corner of the Forum. It served as the site for the political assembly of the people, where voting was conducted by group. This space was adjacent to the social Forum and was bordered by shops. The Comitium was the location where the popular assembly met, and nearby was the orators' platform, the Rostra. The Curia, where the Senate convened, stood at the other end of the Comitium. Over time, the Comitium's importance diminished as new meeting places were established, and its original structures were eventually buried under layers of debris.12

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Rome
The Forum of Rome
…to one side was the Comitium, in which the popular assembly met. Nearby lay the orators’ platform, the Rostra, decorated in 338 bce with the iron rams (rostra) taken as trophies from the warships of Antium (now Anzio, Italy).
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…to one side was the Comitium, in which the popular assembly met. Nearby lay the orators’ platform, the Rostra, decorated in 338 bce with the iron rams (rostra) taken as trophies from the warships of Antium (now Anzio, Italy).
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Tullus Hostilius
…Curia Hostilia, and of the Comitium (an area, directly in front of the Curia, where the people met to vote), may be an authentic tradition. The earliest floor of the Comitium belongs to the late 7th century, and architectural ornaments found there imply the existence of a major building, which…
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…Curia Hostilia, and of the Comitium (an area, directly in front of the Curia, where the people met to vote), may be an authentic tradition. The earliest floor of the Comitium belongs to the late 7th century, and architectural ornaments found there imply the existence of a major building, which…
Read More