The ''curio maximus'' was an obscure priesthood in

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

that had oversight of the ''

curiae Curia (Latin plural curiae) in ancient Rome referred to one of the original groupings of the citizenry, eventually numbering 30, and later every Roman citizen was presumed to belong to one. While they originally likely had wider powers, they came ...

'', groups of citizens loosely affiliated within what was originally a

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

. Each curia was led by a ''curio'', who was admitted only after the age of 50 and held his office for life. The ''curiones'' were required to be in good health and without physical defect, and could not hold any other civil or military office; the pool of willing candidates was thus neither large nor eager. In the early Republic, the ''curio maximus'' was always a

patrician Patrician may refer to: * Patrician (ancient Rome), the original aristocratic families of ancient Rome, and a synonym for "aristocratic" in modern English usage * Patrician (post-Roman Europe), the governing elites of cities in parts of medieval ...

, and officiated as the senior ''

interrex The interrex (plural interreges) was literally a ruler "between kings" (Latin ''inter reges'') during the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic. He was in effect a short-term regent. History The office of ''interrex'' was supposedly created follow ...

''. The earliest ''curio maximus'' identified as such is Servius Sulpicius (

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throu ...

500 BC), who held the office in 463. The first plebeian to hold the office was elected in 209 BC. The election of a plebeian to succeed an impeccably pedigreed Aemilius Papus was predictably controversial, even though the office of ''curio maximus'' had become "anachronistic and somewhat bizarre", and the election of both a plebeian '' pontifex maximus'' as early as 254 BC and '' rex sacrorum'' just the previous year would have seemed to clear the way. When the patricians objected to the candidacy of Gaius Mamilius Atellus, the tribunes of the ''plebs'', who normally withheld themselves from religious affairs, were called in. They followed procedure by referring the matter to the Senate, who promptly tossed it back to them. Political jockeying no longer discernible in the historical record was perhaps in play. Mamilius was duly elected, and held the office until he died of plague in 175 BC. His successor, also a plebeian, was Gaius Scribonius Curio, whose new ''

cognomen A ''cognomen'' (; plural ''cognomina''; from ''con-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became here ...

'' passed to his descendants, most notably the father and son active at the time of

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

. The electoral procedure for the office of ''curio maximus'' probably resembled that of ''pontifex maximus''; that is, election through the tribes. Others known to have held the office include C. Calvisius Sabinus, the consul of 39 BC. The ''curio maximus'' presided over the Quirinalia, and also the agricultural festivals of the ''curiae'' such as the

Fordicidia In ancient Roman religion, the Fordicidia was a festival of fertility, held on the Ides of April (April 15), that pertained to farming and animal husbandry. It involved the sacrifice of a pregnant cow to Tellus, the ancient Roman goddess of the E ...

, when pregnant cows were sacrificed, and the Fornacalia, or Oven Festival. The Fornacalia had no fixed date, and though each ''curia'' might celebrate the festival separately, the date was determined by the ''curio maximus'' and posted in the

forum Forum or The Forum (plural forums or fora) may refer to: Common uses * Forum (legal), designated space for public expression in the United States *Forum (Roman), open public space within a Roman city **Roman Forum, most famous example *Internet ...

. Although the ''curio'' was a kind of priest, he had the power to convene meetings for political purposes, and each ''curia'' also had a ''

flamen A (plural ''flamens'' or ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of eighteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who ser ...

curialis'' whose duties were specifically religious. Another duty of the ''curio maximus'' was collecting "religious contributions" from the ''curiae'' (''curionium aes'').Lintott, ''The Constitution of the Roman Republic'', p. 18
online.
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References

{{Reflist Ancient Roman titles