Civis romanus sum

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With the sentence civis romanus sum (in German "I am a Roman citizen") one invoked his Roman citizenship , which granted privileges, throughout the Roman Empire . In a broader sense, reference is made to the concept of citizenship as a permanent and indissoluble legal relationship with a worldwide scope. A citizen of Rome remained a citizen of Rome no matter where he went (ius migrationis) - in contrast to the concept of subject, who could only enjoy protection and rights insofar as he remained within the sphere of influence of his ruler.

The expression civis romanus sum can be found several times in Cicero , who defended the indictment in the trial of Gaius Verres in 73-71 BC. Chr. Represented. His " Speeches against Verres " are famous as an example of the so-called Golden Latinity and were published after the trial as pieces of the art of speaking . Cicero sees one of the main allegations against Verres in the constant violations of civil rights in his office as Roman governor in Sicily :

  • A Roman must not be humiliated, tormented, tortured or cruelly punished.
  • Except for high treason , a Roman cannot be punished with death.
  • A humiliating death penalty may not be carried out on a Roman, he is to be granted the right to suicide or death by the sword. In no case should he be crucified .
  • A Roman must not be forced into forced labor .
  • A Roman has the right to be tried in an ordinary court of law, a process guarantee that was anything but self-evident in ancient times.

In this sense, Cicero saw Verres as a betrayal, since he damaged the republican idea that a Roman can invoke civil rights over anyone anywhere in the world, especially before Roman officials:

“His institutis cum completus iam mercatorum carcer esset, tum illa fiebant quae Lucium Suettium, equitem romanum, lectissimum virum, dicere audistis, et quae ceteros audietis. Cervices in carcere frangebantur indignissime civium romanorum, ut iam illa vox et imploratio, 'civis romanus sum', quae saepe multis in ultimis terris opem inter barbaros et salutem tulit, ea mortem illis acerbiorem et supplicium maturius ferret. Quid est, Verres? Quid ad haec cogitas respondere? "

“When the dungeon was already filled with merchants as a result of such events, things first happened which you heard from the mouth of an excellent man, the knight Lucius Suecius, and which you will hear from other witnesses. Roman citizens were strangled mercilessly in the dungeon; that cry for help, that word, 'I am a citizen of Rome', which otherwise so often brought help and redemption to many people in the midst of barbarians in the remotest countries of this world, here it means acceleration of punishment and more agonizing death. - Well, Verres? What do you think of answering this? "

- Marcus Tullius Cicero : actionis in Verrem II.V.CXXXXVII

The phrase civis romanus sum is also mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles . According to tradition, this sentence saved Paul from crucifixion when he was arrested. He invoked the provisional reservation and as a result - probably 64 AD - was brought before a Roman court and executed by the sword, which at the time was considered a relatively humane killing.

In his Don Pacifico speech in 1850, the British Prime Minister Lord Palmerston demanded that the British Empire should protect its citizens in the same way as the Roman Empire once protected its citizens. As part of British foreign policy, he established a right of intervention to protect British citizens worldwide, such as the blockade of the port of Piraeus which he ordered at the time :

“And so I look forward to the way this House ... will judge the question raised here, whether the principles of foreign policy by which the government is guided, and the sense of duty by which we see ourselves bound, protect our fellow subjects abroad to grant, are appropriate ... and whether, as in the old days, a Roman could keep himself free from humiliation by saying: civis romanus sum; so a British subject, in whatever country he may be, can trust that the watchful eye and the strong arm of England will protect him against injustice and everything wrong. "

- Henry John Temple : Speech to Parliament June 18, 1850

In his famous Berlin speech, John F. Kennedy described the phrase civis romanus sum as the proudest sentence of antiquity. He also used this phrase rhetorically on other occasions, such as the year before at a reception in New Orleans :

“Two thousand years ago the proudest phrase was 'I am a citizen of Rome'. Today, in the world of freedom, the proudest sentence is ' I'm a Berliner '. All free people, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and that is why, as a free person, I am proud to be able to say 'I am a Berliner'! "

- Speech on June 26, 1963

During the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s, Madeleine Albright recited these words, probably noting that she did not want to appear immodest with regard to Kennedy, but nevertheless pointed to the historical parallel: "Yes sam Sarajevka!"

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ M. TVLLI CICERONIS ORATIONES IN VERREM II.V
  2. ↑ A. a. O II.V.CXXXXVII
  3. ↑ A. a. O II.V.CLXII
  4. ↑ Cicero: Speeches against Verres . From the Latin with introduction and explanation by Friedrich Spiro (full text in the Gutenberg-DE project)
  5. ↑ Acts 22, 25
  6. ^ Henry John Temple, 3rd Viscount Palmerston: A Speech on the affairs of Greece and the Don Pacifico case, given in the House of Commons, 25 June 1850 (full text at Wikisource)
  7. ↑ John F. Kennedy: Speech in front of the Schöneberg Town Hall on June 26, 1963 (full text at Wikisource)
  8. ^ Civic Reception May 4, 1962 in New Orleans