Lesson plan
Deditio
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 narrates an early example of deditio from Rome's semilegendary Regal period, when Tarquinius Priscus 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.
Article summary
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 narrates an early example of deditio from Rome's semilegendary Regal period, when Tarquinius Priscus 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.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.