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Centumviri

Defined in 3 dictionaries — Ballentine's (1916), Black's (1910), Burrill (1850)

Ballentine's Law Dictionary

James A. Ballentine · 1916

The 105 Roman judges appointed to decide common causes among the people. See 3 Bl. Comm. 515.

Black's Law Dictionary

Henry Campbell Black, M.A. · 1910

In Roman law. The name of an important court consisting of a body of one hundred and five judges. It was made up by choosing three representatives from each of the thirty-five Roman tribes. The judges sat as one body for the trial of certain important or difficult questions, (called, "causœ centumvirales,") but ordinarily they were separated into four distinct tribunals.

A New Law Dictionary and Glossary

Alexander M. Burrill · 1850

Lat. A hundred men. The name of a Roman court consisting of a hundred judges, to whom belonged the decision of the most important questions of law, such as those relating to inheritances, wills, guardianships, sales, the enjoyment of party walls, windows, the drip of water, and numerous other important subjects, which were called causae centumvirales. Cic, de Orat. i. 38, 39. Plin, Epist, ii. 14. 3 Bl. Com. 315. Properly there were 106 judges, three being chosen from each of the thirty-five tribes; but they were always named by a round number, centumviri, Festus,