This article chiefly concerns Roman concepts of inviolability. For inviolability more generally, see sacredness and sanctity of life.
Sacrosanctity (Latin: sacrosanctitas, lit. 'sacred sanctity') or inviolability is the declaration of physical inviolability of a place (particularly temples and city walls), a sacred object, or a person. Under Roman law, this was established through sacred law (lex sacrata), which had religious connotations. Festus explained that: “Sacred laws are laws which have the sanction that anyone who broke them becomes accursed to one of the gods, together with his family and property”.[1] In some cases the law may have been applied to protect temples from being defiled.[2] It could also be applied to protect a person who was declared sacrosanct (inviolable). Those who harmed a sacrosanct person became sacer (accursed) through the declaration sacer esto! ("Let him be accursed"). The offender was considered as having harmed the gods or a god, as well as the sacrosanct person and therefore accursed to the gods or a god. This meant that the offender became forfeit to the god(s) and on his death he was surrendered to the god(s) in question.[3] The implication was that anyone who killed him was considered as performing a sacred duty and enjoyed impunity.[4]
^Festus, de Verborum Significatione Quae Supersunt Cum Pauli Epitome
^Coarelli, F. (1983) Foro Romano I: Periodo archaico, Rome, p. 178
^Ogilvie, R.M. (1995) A Commentary on Livy, Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 500-2
Sacrosanctity (Latin: sacrosanctitas, lit. 'sacred sanctity') or inviolability is the declaration of physical inviolability of a place (particularly temples...
who violated their sacrosanctity. This could be used as a protection when a tribune needed to arrest someone. This sacrosanctity also made the tribunes...
the powers of the tribune derived from their sacrosanctity. One obvious consequence of this sacrosanctity was the fact that it was considered a capital...
Monarch is not answerable for his or her actions, and their person is sacrosanct. Hereditary monarch King Frederik X has been head of state since 14 January...
had been receiving several powers related to the tribunes, such as sacrosanctity, since 36 BC. With this powers, he could veto any act or proposal of...
could be either as well. In ancient Roman religion, the concept of sacrosanctity (Latin: sacrosanctitas) was extremely important in attempting to protect...
granted both her and Livia, his own wife, extraordinary privileges of sacrosanctity. Some 50 years before, Cornelia Africana, daughter of Scipio Africanus...
and Jews, is usually referred to as the Jewish national record. As a "sacrosanct title-deed to Palestine," it has caused a fossilization of history in...
sacrosanctity of their person to obstruct. If one did not comply with the orders of a Plebeian Tribune, the Tribune could interpose the sacrosanctity...
of the Estates-General. However, he stated that the three estates were sacrosanct and it was up to each estate to agree to end their privileges and decide...
against idolatry expressed his belief that Mary's sacrosanctum corpus ("sacrosanct body") had been assumed into heaven by angels: Orthodox Christians fast...
were considered the embodiment of the plebeians, they were sacrosanct. Their sacrosanctity was enforced by a pledge the plebeians took to kill anyone...
earlier times. Although the Seleucid kings were aware and appreciated the sacrosanctity of religious treasures, their concentration in these places "proved...
is not answerable for his or her actions, and the monarch's person is sacrosanct. The party system was dominated by the social-democratic Forward Party...
opposed the changes, writing that "what an author commits to paper is sacrosanct and shouldn't be altered...The only changes to the text should come from...
eminence as a institution of sport grew in a hallowed atmospher as an almost sacrosanct element of education which was to be kept ever free from commercial pollution...
antiquarians such as Sir Henry Spelman described it as "the most majestic and a sacrosanct anchor to English Liberties". Sir Edward Coke was a leader in using Magna...
their persons during their terms of office. Anyone who violated the sacrosanctity of the tribunes might be killed without penalty. This was also the source...
McLean Credit Union, 491 U.S. 164, at 172 (1989): "Our precedents are not sacrosanct, for we have overruled prior decisions where the necessity and propriety...
a veto, which was backed by the promise to literally "interpose the sacrosanctity of his person" (or intercessio) if the Senate did not comply. If the...
France. In response to Rémy's statement that certain three-star chefs were sacrosanct, Michelin said, "There would be little sense in saying a restaurant was...
Release Misha Cross Wide Open 2018 AVN Award Best Director – Non-Feature Sacrosanct 2019 Director of the Year — XBIZ Award Director of the Year – Feature...
instituted a cult of Antinous as Osiris, to whom a death by drowning was sacrosanct.: 15 Hadrian commissioned the Barberini obelisk to commemorate his late...
and then tribes into a city. In the city the ancient tribes remained sacrosanct. The city was actually a confederacy of ancient tribes. Coulange's tale...
crime in their homeland. Diplomatic communications are also viewed as sacrosanct, and diplomats have long been allowed to carry documents across borders...
seven holiest places for Hindus in India, with Varanasi being the most sacrosanct. Ram Mandir, also known as the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, is a Hindu...
"tribunician power"; the powers of a tribune of the people including sacrosanctity and the veto Victory titles were treated as Latin cognomina and were...
coronation of Rama, the avatar of Vishnu, Vibhishana was presented the sacrosanct Sri Ranga vimana. He decided to carry it to his kingdom of Lanka. Midway...
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