Mos maiorum

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The mos maiorum ( Latin literally "custom of the ancestors") was the name for traditional behavior and customs in ancient Rome , both during the time of the republic and at the beginning of the imperial era . The mos gained importance particularly in the area of customary and sacred law .

The mos maiorum was the basis of the unprecedented success story of Rome's rise to world power and was to be carefully observed by all those aspiring to public office . This meant strict adherence to traditional and constituted Roman legal norms (for example the principle of annuity in the case of magistrates ), religious loyalty to the state cult and participation in celebrations in honor of the state gods, sometimes also the assumption of priestly offices by members of the patriciate , the assumption of military responsibility for all those who aspire to a consulship or the public sacrosanctitas of the tribunes . The rules for the protection of the pomerium also had to be observed.

The mos maiorum

The mos maiorum , as it was understood, for example, by the principled Cato , included:

  • “Labor” : the effort, the work that everyone should do for society. The “res publica” , i.e. the state, preceded private life.
  • “Iustitia” : Justice. Another very high principle besides work was justice. Cato, for example, also exercised this justice against the enemy; so it was also a token of honor.
  • “Pietas” : Righteousness and piety were also an important principle of the 'mos maiorum'.
  • "Res publica" : This principle describes the preferential treatment of the state over private life.
  • "Fortitudo" : The strength, especially the strength of the military is meant here.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Heinrich Honsell : Roman law. 5th edition, Springer, Zurich 2001, ISBN 3-540-42455-5 , pp. 3 and 13.