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Roman civilians forbidden from bearing arms


Jauchart

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According to Ward Perkins, in 440, in the face of a new seaborne threat from the Vandals, the emperor Valentinian III formally revoked the law that banned Roman civilians from bearing arms. When was this ban first implemented? In the early years of the republic, of course, the armed power of Rome depended upon free peasants being able to report to military duty with their own arms.

A good study of Gaius Marius's military reforms would also be very helpful.

Thank you.

Edited by Jauchart
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Possibly... But without actually knowing the answer, I would suggest it was under Augustus that such a ban took place. He had finalised the transition of the legions from citizen army to professional state forces, and notice that he is the first ruler to refer to his men as 'soldiers' rather than 'comrades'. Having given this status to his legions it seems logical he denied it to his citizenry, especially since he wouldn't have wanted a rebellion. You might make similar arguements for the earlier 'Spartacus' era. I would be interested in knowing when the ban made too.. Anyone?...

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Of specific laws, and off the top of my head... there is the ancient early foundation principal that banned weapons within the pomerium of the city of Rome itself. This particular ban was based on religious ideology and would've remained in effect at least until the adoption of Christianity and probably remained as a tradition at least for some time. Obviously though, this isn't the general ban that Ward-Perkins referred to.

 

I'm also aware of a law, c. 135-130 BC passed after the First Servile War in Sicily that prohibited slaves from carrying weapons; but I'm not even sure if this applied to slaves throughout Italy and the provinces, or just Sicily. It may have been part of the Lex (or Edictum) Rupilia but I can't recollect with clarity. However, again since this clearly would've had no effect on the general populace and was not a general ban, I'm not bothering to investigate.

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