this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2025
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Yes, interestingly enough! During the Punic Wars of the Mid-Republic, wars had to be presented to the citizenry and voted on in the assemblies before there could be a declaration of war. While not every citizen-soldier would have been present and voting, a sizable percentage would have been there and passed on the justifications when the call for conscription came up - the plebs of this era still regarded refusal of military service as a political tool, so it was important for the Republic to justify their wars in terms that the common free citizen-farmers of Rome (who made up its armies) would accept.
Oh, cool. That makes a lot of sense. Thanks!