cōntiō

1. Concilium, concio, and comitia are meetings summoned for fixed purposes; concilium (ξυγκαλεῖν), an assembly of noblemen and persons of distinction, of a committee, of the senate, the individual members of which are summoned to deliberate, like συνέδριον; whereas concio and comitia mean a meeting of the community, appointed by public proclamation, for passing resolutions or hearing them proposed; concio (ciere, κιών) means any orderly meeting of the community, whether of the people or of the soldiery, in any state or camp, like σύλλογος; comitia (from coire) is an historical term, confined to a Roman meeting of the people, as ἐκκλησία to an Athenian, and ἁλία to a Spartan. 2. Cœtus and conventus are voluntary assemblies; cœtus (from coire) for any purpose, for merely social purposes, for a conspiracy, and so forth, like σύνοδος; whereas conventus, for a serious purpose, such as the celebration of a festival, the hearing of a discourse, and so forth, like ὁμήγυρις, πανήγυρις. (v. 108.)