ve divisions
(_classes_) were recognized whose property was assessed respectively at
100,000, 75,000, 50,000, 25,000 and 11,000 (or 12,500) asses. The first
class contained 80 centuries; the second, third and fourth 20 each; the
fifth 30. Added to these were the 18 centuries of knights (see EQUITES).
The combined vote of the first class and the knights was thus
represented by 98 centuries; that of the whole of the other _classes_
(including 4 or 5 centuries of professional corporations connected with
the army, such as the _fabri_ and 1 century of _proletarii_, i.e. of all
persons below the minimum census) was represented by 95 or 96 centuries.
Thus the upper classes in the community possessed more than half the
votes in the assembly. The newer scheme aimed at a greater equality of
voting power; but it has been differently interpreted. The
interpretation most usually accepted, which was first suggested by
Pantagathus, a 17th-century scholar, is based on the view that the five
_classes_ were distributed over the tribes in such a manner that there
were 2 centuries of each class in a single tribe. As the number of the
tribes was 35, the total number of centuries would be 350. To these we
must add 18 centuries of knights, 4 of _fabri_, &c., and 1 of
_proletarii_. Here the first class and the knights command but 88 votes
out of a total of 373. Mommsen's interpretation (_Staatsrecht_, iii. p.
275) was different. He allowed the 70 votes for the 70 centuries of the
first class, but thought that the 280 centuries of the other classes
were so combined as to form only 100 votes. The total votes in the
comitia would thus be 70 + 100 + 5 (_fabri_, &c.) + 18 (knights), i.e.
193, as in the earlier arrangement. In 88 B.C. a return was made to the
original and more aristocratic system by a law passed by the consuls
Sulla and Pompeius. At least this seems to be the meaning of Appian
(_Bellum Civile_, i. 59) when he says [Greek: esegounto ... tas
cheirotonias me kata phylas alla kata lochous ... gignesthai]. But this
change was not permanent as the more liberal system prevails in the
Ciceronian period.

The _comitia tributa_ was in the later Republic the usual organ for laws
passed by the whole people. Its presidents were the magistrates of the
people, usually the consuls and praetors, and, for purposes of
jurisdiction, the curule aediles. It elected these aediles and other
lower magistrates of the people. Its jurisdiction was limited to