CURIA

(Lat.) In Ancient Architecture, a court, council, or senate house. CURIES, CuriiB. A subdivision of the Roman patrician tribes, each of which were divided into ten curies. Three curies probably contained originally ten houses (gentes) each. These houses were similar to the Scottish clans, in which, though the bond of union was supposed to be that of common blood, yet in reality there was no consanguinity between many of the component families. [s. 320]