Civis romanus sum :: Citizenship And Empire In Ancient Rome

by Giuseppe Valditara

Overview

The story of Rome and its people draws on ancient legends passed down from generation to generation. Circulating throughout the Mediterranean world in the centuries after Rome's legendary founding, they were later enshrined in the words of the poets and historians of the great Augustan age and have been studied ever since. Before it was a mighty empire, Rome was born as a Latin settlement on the Palatine Hill and from the beginning showed an inclination to integrating different peoples through a federation. The early legends, born out in fact and in Rome's later history, offered an element of mixed ethnic identity. As Rome expanded its rule across Italy and over the world, adherence to Roman identity and values stood as the main qualifications for "becoming Roman" and enjoying all the privileges of Rome's civilization. As migrant populations traverse today's world, assimilation remains a crucial issue of debate in managing borders and defining societies. As the eminent Italian jurist and educator Giuseppe Valditara shows in this exceptional new book, Rome was born by uniting different peoples all on equal terms and without discrimination and relying on a strong collective identity. To defend this identity and the security of its citizens, not coincidentally, the walls were the first public building. Rome was never racist: people could become citizens and achieve important positions without distinctions of race, religion, or nationality. Rome was a meritocratic society that put state interest first. Its whole politics of citizenship and immigration revolved around this concept. The assimilation of foreigners willing to assimilate. A strong pride in belonging to the community arose at the base of society, through sharing the values ​​and destiny of citizenship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680531220
Publisher:	Academica Press
Publication date:	06/01/2020
Pages:	120
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

He is full professor of Roman private law in the Department of Law of the University of Turin and has also taught Roman Public Law at the European University of Rome of the Legionaries of Christ . In 1992, with the book Studies on the magister populi. From the military auxiliaries of the rex to the first republican magistrates (Milan, Giuffrè, 1989), he won the International Prize for the history of political and legal institutions offered by the President of the Constitutional Court .

He is scientific director of the legal journal European Legal Studies . He was dean of the law area of ​​the European University of Rome .

In October 2018 he was appointed Head of the Department for Higher Education and Research at the MIUR.

What People are Saying About This

Juliana Geran Pilon

“This impressively researched historical account of early Roman law is an invaluable resource for the scholar and, indeed, for anyone seriously interested in the origins of nationhood, citizenship, and respect for individual liberty. The Roman Empire’s remarkable success in extending the rule of law to populations under its protective wing offers a heartening reminder that Western Civilization is deeply rooted in the idea of respect for human dignity.”

Paul Coyer

“Professor Valditara contributes to important current debates over critical issues of national identity, immigration, and assimilation and provides a nuanced, thoughtful, and desperately needed treatment of these complex topics.”