Note 1329 — Chapter X · THE ORGANIZATION OF THE COMITIA CENTURIATA

Livy xliii. 16. 14 (171 B.C.): “Cum ex duodecim centuriis equitum octo censorem condemnassent multaeque aliae primae classis, extemplo principes civitatis ... vestem mutarunt.” This proves that the votes were made public early in the course of the voting, though not necessarily before the second class began; cf. Cic. Phil. ii. 33. 82. Lange too hastily rejects the evidence of these two passages. The vote of each century was announced separately; Varro, L. L. vii. 42: “Quod ... comitiis cum recitatur a praecone dicitur olla centuria,” which would not be true, if, as Lange supposes, the announcement was by tribal groups of five.