, ▁although ▁widely ▁followed , ▁is ▁also ▁heavily ▁cont ested . ▁His ▁theory ▁supp oses ▁that ▁a ▁conc il ium ▁denotes ▁an ▁exclusive ▁assembly ▁which ▁included ▁only ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁univers us ▁popul us , ▁whereas ▁a ▁com it ia ▁design ates ▁a ▁meeting ▁of ▁a ▁whole ▁univers us ▁popul us . ▁The ▁principal ▁arguments ▁against ▁his ▁theory ▁are ▁( 1 ) ▁his ▁definition ▁depends ▁on ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁assemb lies ▁of ▁the ▁popul us ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁ple be ians , ▁despite ▁the ▁routine ▁den ial ▁of ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁an ▁assembly ▁consisting ▁sole ly ▁of ▁ple be ians ▁after ▁ 2 8 7 ▁BC ; ▁and ▁( 2 ) ▁there ▁are ▁pass ages ▁from ▁Roman ▁authors ▁which ▁refer ▁to ▁ple be ian ▁assemb lies ▁as ▁com it ia , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁Con cil ium ▁Ple bis . ▁This ▁then ▁weak ens ▁Felix ’ s ▁proposal ▁that ▁a ▁com it ia ▁design ates ▁an ▁assembly ▁of ▁the ▁univers us ▁popul us . ▁ ▁G . ▁W . ▁B ots ford ▁distingu ishes ▁these ▁two ▁types ▁of ▁assemb lies ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁their ▁function . ▁In ▁his ▁theory , ▁a ▁com it ia ▁refers ▁to ▁an ▁elect oral ▁assembly , ▁and ▁a ▁conc il ium ▁would ▁then ▁be ▁a ▁legisl ative ▁or ▁jud icial ▁assembly . ▁Although ▁the ▁theories ▁put ▁forth ▁by ▁B ots ford ▁and ▁Felix ▁are ▁different , ▁pass ages ▁from ▁Cic ero ▁and ▁Liv y ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁to ▁support ▁both . ▁A ▁com it ia ▁appears ▁to