LE DROIT FÉTIAL ET BELLUM IUSTUM DANS LE CONTEXTE DES GUERRES DACO-ROMAINES ET DE LA POLITIQUE IMPÉRIALE ROMAINE D’ANNEXION DES PROVINCES
FETIAL LAW AND BELLUM IUSTUM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DACO-ROMAN WARS AND THE ROMAN IMPERIAL POLICY OF ANNEXATION OF THE PROVINCES

Summary/Abstract: The existence of the Roman State, from its foundation to its disappearance, was disrupted by short interruptions, under the sign of the god Mars, war being an essential element of Roman society. Under these conditions, among the multitude of priestly colleges that operated in Rome since the most ancient times, the College of Fetiales had a particular importance from a political and institutional point of view. Its attributions were mainly related to the declaration of war and the monitoring of treaties concluded by Rome with other nations. The subject covered in this article is structured in the following sections: the supposedly controversial origin of the College of Fetiales; the content and nature of fetial law; the legal-religious rituals of the declaration of war; the adaptation of fetial law to the imperial status of the Roman State; the concept of „bellum iustum“ in the wars waged for the conquest of Dacia and its transformation into a Roman province; some thoughts on the Roman concept of bellum iustum piumque in the contemporary world.

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