Combabus, a favourite of Stratonice wife of Antiochus.
Combe, a daughter of Ophius, who first invented a brazen suit of armour. She was changed into a bird, and escaped from her children, who had conspired to murder her. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 7, li. 382.
Combi, or Ombi, a city of Egypt on the Nile. Juvenal, satire 15, li. 35.
Combrēa, a town near Pallene. Herodotus, bk. 7, ch. 123.
Combutis, a general under Brennus. Pausanias, bk. 10, ch. 22.
Comētes, the father of Asterion, and one of the Argonauts. Flaccus, bk. 1, li. 356.——One of the Centaurs, killed at the nuptials of Pirithous. Ovid, Metamorphoses, bk. 12, li. 284.——A son of Thestius, killed at the chase of the Calydonian boar. Pausanias, bk. 8, ch. 45.——One of the Magi, intimate with Cambyses king of Persia. Justin, bk. 1, ch. 9.——An adulterer of Ægiale.——A son of Orestes.
Cometho, a daughter of Pterilaus, who deprived her father of a golden hair in his head, upon which depended his fate. She was put to death by Amphitryon for her perfidy. Apollodorus, bk. 2, ch. 4.
Quintus Cominius, a Roman knight, who wrote some illiberal verses against Tiberius. Tacitus, Annals, bk. 4, ch. 31.
Comitia (orum), an assembly of the Roman people. The word is derived from Comitium, the place where they were convened, quasi a cum eundo. The Comitium was a large hall, which was left uncovered at the top, in the first ages of the republic; so that the assembly was often dissolved in rainy weather. The Comitia were called, some consularia, for the election of the consuls; others prætoria, for the election of pretors, &c. These assemblies were more generally known by the name of Comitia, Curiata, Centuriata, and Tributa. The Curiata was when the people gave their votes by curiæ. Centuriata were not convened in later times. See: [Centuria]. Another assembly was called Comitia Tributa, where the votes were received from the whole tribes together. At first the Roman people were divided only into three tribes; but as their numbers increased, the tribes were at last swelled to 35. The object of these assemblies was the electing of magistrates, and all the public officers of state. They could be dissolved by one of the tribunes, if he differed in opinion from the rest of his colleagues. If one among the people was taken with the falling sickness, the whole assembly was immediately dissolved, whence that disease is called morbus comitialis. After the custom of giving their votes vivâ voce had been abolished, every one of the assembly, in the enacting of a law, was presented with two ballots, on one of which were the letters U. R., that is, uti rogas, be it as is required; on the other was an A., that is, antiquo, which bears the same meaning as antiquam volo, I forbid it; the old law is preferable. If the number of ballots with U. R. was superior to the A.’s, the law was approved constitutionally; if not, it was rejected. Only the chief magistrates, and sometimes the pontifices, had the privilege of convening these assemblies. There were only these eight of the magistrates who had the power of proposing a law, the consuls, the dictator, the pretor, the interrex, the decemvirs, the military tribunes, the kings, and the triumvirs. These were called majores magistratus; to whom one of the minores magistratus was added, the tribune of the people.
Comius, a man appointed king over the Attrebates, by Julius Cæsar, for his services. Cæsar, Gallic War, bk. 4, ch. 21.