In ancient Rome, ''deditio'' was the surrender of an enemy community, resulting in the annexation of its territory. The people of the community became '' peregrini dediticii'', free noncitizens under Roman rule. The Augustan-era historian

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

narrates an early example of ''deditio'' from Rome's semilegendary

Regal period The Roman Kingdom, also known as the Roman monarchy and the regal period of ancient Rome, was the earliest period of Roman history when the city and its territory were ruled by kings. According to tradition, the Roman Kingdom began with the c ...

, when

Tarquinius Priscus Lucius Tarquinius Priscus (), or Tarquin the Elder, was the legendary fifth king of Rome and first of its Etruscan dynasty. He reigned for thirty-eight years.Livy, '' ab urbe condita libri'', I Tarquinius expanded Roman power through military ...

defeated the Collatini. When asked "Do you surrender yourselves and the people of Collatia, city ''(urbs)'', lands ''(agri)'', water ''(aqua)'', boundary marks ''(termini)'', shrines ''( delubra)'', utensils ''(utensilia)'', and all appurtenances divine and human ''(divina humanque omnnia)'', into my power ''(dicio)'' and that of the Roman people?" the Collatini replied in the affirmative. Although Rome claimed rights to the lands and property of the defeated, restitution might be made to some individuals or to the conquered people as a whole. Those who had surrendered ''(dediticii)'' under these terms were not to be enslaved, as war captives were by custom.

Medieval Europe

medieval Europe In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

, ''deditio'' was a ritual of

submission Deference (also called submission or passivity) is the condition of submitting to the espoused, legitimate influence of one's superior or superiors. Deference implies a yielding or submitting to the judgment of a recognized superior, out of re ...

. It was a ceremony of subjection between a monarch and their subject, and included the latter bowing or lying by the feet of the monarch,

barefoot Being barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead ...

and wearing robes. This display of submission was planned, agreed upon, and used as a strategy for peaceful

conflict resolution Conflict resolution is conceptualized as the methods and processes involved in facilitating the peaceful ending of Conflict (process), conflict and Revenge, retribution. Committed group members attempt to resolve group conflicts by actively co ...

to avoid escalation of conflict. The ''deditio'' took place in public. The individual performing the ''deditio'' was required to demonstrate his self-humiliation by removing his shoes, donning a penitential robe, or copiously weeping. He was then to throw himself at the feet of the king, begging the king do with him as he would. The king would then raise the supplicant from the ground and show forgiveness with a kiss or a hug. Following a brief symbolic term of imprisonment, the supplicant would then have his previous obligations and offices restored to him in a display of magnanimity by the king.Gerd Althoff: Das Privileg der deditio. Formen gütlicher Konfliktbeendigung in der mittelalterlichen Adelsgesellschaft. In: Ders.: Spielregeln der Politik im Mittelalter. Kommunikation in Frieden und Fehde. Darmstadt 1997, pp. 27-52, 99–125 Nothing about this ceremony was spontaneous. The terms under dispute had been fully discussed, explained, clarified, and agreed upon in confidence by the mediators. The ''deditio'' was the carefully staged outcome of these negotiations. The mediators were in most cases the most influential men in the kingdom and were not bound by the king's instructions. Their involvement therefore served as an important constraint on the arbitrary exercise of royal power during the early and high Middle Ages. Their purpose was to show the conflicting parties a way forward by proposing solutions that could be acceptable to both sides.Gerd Althoff (2011). Das hochmittelalterliche Königtum. Akzente einer unabgeschlossenen Neubewertung. pp. 77–98, 82, 99–125. When the king violated an agreement previously entered into, it was not unusual for the mediators to intervene on behalf of the wronged party.

References

{{reflist Roman law Military of ancient Rome Culture of the Byzantine Empire State ritual and ceremonies Peace processes