CURIA, one of the thirty sections into which the Roman people were distributed by Romulus. That legislator di-
Curialii
Curling.
vided the people into three tribes, and each tribe into ten curie. Originally, a tribe consisted of 1000 men, each curia including 100. The number of tribes was afterwards increased by degrees to thirty-five, and they were divided into country and city tribes; but the number of the curie always remained the same. This division of the people into tribes and curie was of great political importance in early times, as none but real citizens were included; but through time the curie fell into disrepute in proportion as the importance of the plebeians, and afterwards of the nobilitas, arose, till at length even the religious observances connected with them were suffered to fall into disuse. See ROMAN HISTORY.
CURIA was also used to denote the place in which a curia assembled. Each curia possessed its own proper chapel or temple for the performance of the offices of religion; and each was under the superintendence of a chief, who acted as a priest, assisted by another called flamen curialis. Each curia elected its own chief; but over all there was a superior called curio maximus, who was elected by the several curie assembled in the comitia curiata.
The Romans also used the word curia to designate the place in which the senate held its meetings, such as the Curia Hostilia, Curia Julia, Curia Pompeiana, Curia Octaviana; and hence the term came to be applied to the senate itself in the Italian towns.
In modern usage, curia denotes a place of justice with the judges therein assembled.