[745] For separate lists of the elective and the legislative and judicial comitia, see VI (below), where will be found sufficient illustrations of (b).
[746] Only one instance of concilium as an elective body has been found; Lex Iulia Municipalis, in CIL. i. 206. 132: the election of magistrates “comitieis conciliove.” The explanation is that the usage of some of the Italian municipia differed from the Roman, and the author of the law had to adapt his language to local custom. With this exception the inscriptions are in line with the literature.
[747] P. 124.
[748] Discussed on p. 123 f.
[749] P. 132.
[750] Ibid.
[751] Ibid.
[752] Fest. ep. 38: “Concilium dicitur a concalando, id est vocando.” It is accepted by Curtius, Griech. Etym. 139; Vaniček, Griech.-lat. etym. Wörterb. 143; Walde, Lat. etym. Wörterb. 136. But Corssen, Beitr. z. ital. Sprachk. 41 f., rejects this etymology on the ground that it does not harmonize with all the meanings of the word and of its derivative “conciliare”; also Gudeman, in Thes. ling. lat. iv. 44. Corssen, analyzing it into con-cil-iu-m, and connecting -cil- with a root kal-, “to cover,” supposes the original meaning to be simply “a joining together,” “a union,”—giving that signification which he considers primary. It is equally reasonable, however, to assume the development to be (1) “a calling together,” (2) “a meeting for consultation,” (3) “a natural union of individuals of any kind.” In the third sense it is applied perhaps figuratively to inanimate things, especially the union of atoms to form objects, by Lucretius i. 183, 484, 772, 1082; ii. 120; iii. 805; cf. Ovid, Met. i. 710.
[753] The meaning consultation, deliberation, clearly appears in Plaut. Mil. 597 ff.:
“Sinite me priu’ perspectare, ne uspiam insidiae sient