Research on the Legal Foundations of Roman Foreign Relations and their Historical Development (6th to 1st century BC)

• Applicant: Dr. Andreas Zack
• Subject Area: Ancient History
• Term: from 2013 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 250699089

The project examines two key elements of the legal structure of Roman foreign policy, the societas et amicitia and the deditio. The literary sources and the epigraphic tradition are both equally discussed and evaluated. In contrast to previous research, a systematizing approach is combined with the perspective of the historical development of the legal system. The result will be on the one hand a new model of the legal and political development of Roman foreign policy, on the other hand a new answer to the controversial question of the contractual nature of the amictia et societas and the deditio. The amicitia et societas rests on different forms of international treaties. Besides the shape of the foedus there were various other forms of internal and external treaties which were religiously and legally binding and formal in their effect. There were also indirect contractual relationships with foreign communities, resulting from previously existing contracts. The contractors and their subordinates were often included in toto. The deditio was not a treaty but a verbalized submission accompanied by a symbolic action. It originated in a time, when an international relationship could take only the form either of superiority or subordination (7. and 6. century BC.) and the form of coexistence regulated by consensus (the oldest legal forms are the foedus and the sponsio) had yet to be developed. In historical times (6th to 1st century BC) the deditio served in Roman foreign policy usually as a preparatory instrument for the regulation of intersocietal relation (treaty). If such legal regulation (restitution) did not follow up, the territory of the foreign community was incorporated into the Roman territory, its citizens becoming members of the Roman polity endowed with the lowest legal and social status.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants