Note 771 — Chapter VII · THE CONTIO

The calata comitia curiata is termed contio by Gell. xv. 27. 3: “Quod calatis comitiis in populi contione fieret.” Cicero, Rab. Perd. 4. 11 (cf. 5. 15) speaks of the witnessing comitia centuriata as contio, and the lustral centuriate assembly was similarly termed; Censoriae Tabulae, in Varro, L. L. vi. 87: “Conventionem habet qui lustrum conditurus est.” A widespread idea (held by Karlowa, Röm. Rechtsgesch. i. 379; Liebenam, in Pauly-Wissowa, Real-Encycl. iv. 1149; Soltau, Altröm. Volksversamml. 37, and others) that all contiones were unorganized is therefore wrong.