Curia

This building in the Roman Forum was capable of holding 600 senators. There was no speaker platform. A senator desiring to speak needed to stand in place - as we often see in the U.S. Senate today.

In the mid-6th century B.C., the legendary King Tullus Hostilius is said to have built the first curia in order to house 10 elected representatives of the Roman people. These 10 men were the curiae. This first curia was called the Curia Hostilia in honor of the king.

Back to Latin I