CURIA, a section of the Roman people, an ancient division traditionally ascribed to Romulus, who divided the people into three tribes, and subdivided each of these into ten curiae, each of which contained a number of families (gentes). It is more probable that the curiae were not artificial creations but natural associations of families, artificially regulated to serve a political purpose. The names of curiae suggest a local origin for the groups; but, as membership was hereditary, the local tie grew weak with successive generations. Each curia was organized as a political and religious unit. Politically it had no activities beyond a vote in the Comitia Curiata (see CoMITIA), determined by a majority of the members (curiales). But as a religious unit the curia had more individual activity. There were sacrifices per formed in common, but each curia had its own sacra, conducted by a curio assisted by a flamen curialis.
The thirty curiae comprised the whole Roman people; for citi zenship depended on membership of a gens (gentilitas) and every member of a gens was ipso facto attached to a curia. They therefore included plebeians as well as patricians (q.v.) from the date at which plebeians were recognized as citizens. But, just as the full rights of gentilitas were only gradually granted to plebe ians, so it is probable that a plebeian did not immediately exercise all the rights of a curialis. It is unlikely that plebeians voted in the Comitia Curiata till early in the republican period ; it is certain that they did so in Cicero's time. A plebeian was first elected curio maximus in 209 B.C. The curia soon ceased to have any political importance, but its religious importance survived during the principate.
The term curia was applied to the common shrine of the curi ales, and then to other places of assembly. Hence the ancient senate house at Rome was known as the Curia Hostilia. The curia was adopted as a state division in municipal towns; and the term was often applied to their senates (see DECURIO).
In mediaeval Latin the word curia was used in the general sense of "court." It was used of "courts" in the sense of solemn assemblies summoned by the king (curiae solennes) ; of courts of law, whether developed out of the imperial or royal curia (see CURIA REGIS) or not. Sometimes curia means jurisdic tion, or the territory over which jurisdiction is exercised; whence its use for the court-yard of a house, or for the house itself ; e.g., Hampton Court. The word Curia is now only used of the papal court of Rome (see CURIA ROMANA).