ere for this reason esteemed as more honourable than the *tribus urbana*. And now all persons being desirous of getting into the more creditable division, and there being several ways of accomplishing their wishes, as by adoption, by the power of censors, or the like, that rustic tribe which had the most worthy names in its roll had the preference to all others, though of the same general denomination. Hence all of the same great family bringing themselves by degrees into the same tribe, gave the name of their family to the tribe which they honoured; whereas at first the generality of the tribes did not receive their names from persons, but from places.

The first assembly of the tribes we meet with is about the year of Rome 263, having been convened by Sp. Sicinius, tribune of the commons, upon account of the trial of Coriolanus. Soon after the tribunes of the commons were ordered to be elected here, and at last all the inferior magistrates and the collegiate priests. The same comitia served for enacting laws relating to war and peace, and all others proposed by the tribunes and plebeian officers, though they had not properly the name of *leges*, but only that of *plebiscita*. They were generally convened by the tribunes of the commons; but the same privilege was allowed to all the chief magistrates. They were confined to no place; and therefore we sometimes find them held in the comitium, sometimes in the campus martius, and now and then in the capitol. The proceedings were in most respects conformable to those already described in the account of the other comitia, and therefore need not be insisted on. We may only observe further of the comitia in general, that when any candidate was found to have most tablets for a magistracy, he was declared to be *designatus* or elected by the president of the assembly, and this they termed *renunciari consul*, *pretor*, or the like; and that the last sort of the comitia only could be held without the consent or approbation of the senate, which was necessary to the convening of the other two.

COMITIALIS Morbus, an appellation given to the epilepsy, by reason that the comitia of ancient Rome were dissolved if any person in the assembly happened to be seized with this distemper.