Note 753 — Chapter VI · COMITIA AND CONCILIUM
Reading edition
The meaning consultation, deliberation, clearly appears in Plaut. Mil. 597 ff.:
“Sinite me priu’ perspectare, ne uspiam insidiae sient Concilium quod habere volumus. Nam opus est nunc tuto loco Unde inimicus ne quis nostri spolia capiat consili. Nam bene consultum inconsultumst, si id inimicis usuist, Neque potest quin, si id inimicis usuist, opsit tibi; Nam bene (consultum) consilium surrupitur saepissume.”
Also in 249, 1013: “Socium tuorum conciliorum et participem consiliorum”; Cic. Rep. 17. 28: “Doctissimorum hominum in concilio”; Caes. B. C. i. 19; Nep. Epam. 3. 5; Verg. Aen. ii. 89 (or consiliis); iii. 679; v. 75; xi. 234; Livy 1. 21. 3; see also II (a), p. 132, and Forcellini, Lat. Lex. ii. 347. It is never a chance crowd; Diff. ed. Beck, p. 47. 43: “Concilium est convocata multitudo, conventus ex diversis locis populum in unum contrahit, coetus fortuitu congregatur.” The ancients understood this to be the meaning of the word; Varro L. L. vi. 43: “A cogitatione concilium, inde consilium,” an unsuccessful though instructive guess; Fest. ep. 38: “Concilium dicitur a populo consensu;” Isid. Etym. vi. 16. 12: “Concilium a communi intentione ductum, quasi communicilium.” This interpretation is supported by several glosses; φιλοποιεία (Corp. Gloss. Lat. ii. 471. 49), συμβούλιον (ibid. ii. 107. 5), coenobulium, caenobulium (ibid. iv. 321. 27). Lastly our derivative “council” points in the same direction. The meaning “deliberative assembly” has been accepted by Gudeman, in Thes. ling. lat. iv. 46, who has added citations from the whole range of Latin literature.