How They Did It - Declaring War in Ancient Rome

Welcome to How They Did It, a show where we take a look at the daily lives of our ancestors. In this particular episode, we'll be following the activities of ancient Roman statesmen. Specifically, we'll be taking a look at how they went about the process of officially declaring war. And yeah, we're going to count this one as an everyday moment because come on, it's the Romans and war happened all the time. You've likely heard the term Cassus Belli thrown around at one point or another. This Latin phrase means a reason for war. It was of particular importance to the ancient Romans, who made absolutely sure that they had proper justification for their armed conflicts. While this may sound surprisingly virtuous, we should note that it was not done out of any lofty sense of justice, as we would see it. Rather, Rome's obsession with finding a sufficient Cassus Belli came out of a self-interested attempt to maintain the favor of the gods. Failure to do so risked divine abandonment, or even worse, wrathful punishment. But making sure the gods actually got your message was not always a simple matter. As with many Roman religious practices, this involved performing strictly observed rituals. As it turns out, Rome's particular means of declaring a just war was one such elaborate ritual. According to the ancient historian Livy, this tradition dated back to the early days of the Roman monarchy. In book one of his History of Rome, he states that a group drawn from a college of priests would leave Rome and travel to the enemy's border. Once there, the leader of the delegation would announce the following, Then he would recite the terms of Rome's demands and call Jupiter to witness. If my demand of the surrender of those men or those goods be contrary to justice and religion, suffer me never more to enjoy my native land. These words would then be repeated as the delegation crossed the frontier. And again, to the first person they encountered in enemy territory. And again, as they arrived at the enemy's gates. And again, as they entered the enemy's forum. Apparently, 33 days of peace were then granted for the enemy to meet Rome's demands. If these were not met, then the embassy would be justified in declaring war before the gods, in the following terms. Hear, O Jupiter, and thou Janus Quirinus, and all ye heavenly gods, and ye gods of earth and of the lower world, hear me. I call you to witness that this people is unjust and does not fulfill its sacred obligations. But about these matters we must consult the elders in our own land, in what way we may obtain our rights. From this point on, war was all but declared, but Rome made sure to cross every T and dot every I of their legal work before the heavens. The embassy now returned home to consult with the senate on what was to be done. Each member would be asked their opinion, to which they typically replied, I hold that these things be sought by means of just and righteous war. Thus I give my vote and my consent. If the majority agreed, as they usually would, then the priests would be sent back to enemy territory. The delegation brought with them an iron-tipped spear dipped in blood. Yet another speech was made, officially announcing the declaration of war. Upon its conclusion, the spear was then thrown into enemy territory. Assuming at least three adults had borne witness to this final step, then the ceremony was complete, and the gods would be pleased. Now if all this sounds ridiculous, well then I'm happy to say that things only got crazier with time. As one can imagine, this ceremony only really seems practical on a very small scale, and if you know anything about Roman history, well, they weren't going to stay small for long. So what happened when Rome grew larger? Well, those crafty god-fearing Romans found a way to on a technicality. According to our sources, when Rome wanted to declare a just war, a piece of land back in Rome would be selected and designated as enemy territory. The ritual would then take place just as before, and the bloody spear was thrown, and war was declared on this tiny plot of land. By the mid-republic, some of this fun was gone, and senatorial legati were now sent to deal with enemies, and they held power instead of the priests to declare war. In the 1st century AD however, Augustus is credited with bringing back parts of this ancient ceremony by having the priests once again throw a spear, but this time before the temple of Bologna in Rome. However, some modern historians have expressed doubt whether Augustus was resurrecting the tradition, or in fact had given birth to it. These historians would argue that sources prior to Augustus are suspiciously silent on this supposed practice, and that perhaps later Roman historians simply perpetuated the legend which was created as a piece of clever propaganda by Rome's first emperor. Regardless of the nature of its origins, the symbolism behind this ritual was true. Romans were obsessed with courting the favor of the gods and took their rituals seriously. For instance, a Roman consul was once exiled for a sacrilege against the chickens. But for now, these stories and other tales of religious shenanigans will have to wait for another time. We hope you've enjoyed this exploration of the everyday lives of our ancestors. Stay tuned for more episodes of How They Did It, and definitely let me know what topics you would like to see next.