The
Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of
ancient Rome, and had major
religious and
prophetic significance. The name comes from the
Latin word for "assembly". The Comitium location at the northwest corner of the
Roman forum was later lost in the city's growth and development, but was rediscovered and excavated by archeologists at the turn of the twentieth century. Some of Rome's earliest monuments; including the speaking platform known as the
Rostra, the
Column Maenia, the
Graecostasis and the Tabula valeria were part of or associated with the Comitium.