Priests, Magistrates, and the State The Curiate Law and the Religious Nature of the Power of Roman Magistrates

Abstract

In Rome, a law is a text submitted for approbation by the citizens either by acclamation of the crowd or by vote within the context of an official assembly of the Roman people ,convened and presided over by a magistrate of the populus . The law as the expression of political power and civic community could have religious implications, or it could testify to the very close connection between politics and religion in Rome. Rome was firstly a city that is to say a community of free men associated with its gods. The curiate law voted at the time of the investiture of newlyelected magistrates of the populus , shows the intimate links between Roman public law and the religion of the city during the time of the Republic. This law was voted by the old assembly of the curiae which was historically the oldest assembly of Roman citizens. Keywords:curiate law; roman magistrates; Roman public law