The Roman Concept of  fides


"FIDES"  is often  (and wrongly)  translated  `faith',  but it has nothing to 
dowith the word as used by Christians writing in Latin about the Christian 
virute (St. Paul  Letter to the Corinthians,  chapter 13). For the Romans,  
fides  was an essential element in the character of a man of public affairs, and 
a necessary constituent element of all social and political transactions  
(perhaps = `good faith').  fides meant `reliablilty', a sense of trust between 
two parties if a relationship between them was to exist.  Fides was always 
reciprocal and mutual, and implied both privileges and responsibilities on both 
sides.  In both public and private life the violation of fides was considered a 
serious matter, with both legal and religious consequences.  fides, in fact, was 
one of the first of the `virtues' to be considered an actual divinity at Rome.   
The Romans had a saying, "Punica fides" (the reliability of a Carthaginian) 
which for them represented the highest degree of treachery:  the word of a 
Carthaginian  (like Hannibal)  was not to be trusted, nor could a Carthaginian 
be relied on to maintain his political relationships.
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Pairs of relationships which are cemented by fides:

	AMICUS	(`friend')	   	   	has a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 	AMICUS
	(`friend')
	PATER		(`father')		 a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 			FAMILIA	(`household')
	PATER		(`father')		 a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 			FILIUS		(`son')
	DOMINUS	(`master')		 a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 		SERVUS	(`slave')
	PATRONUS	(`patron')		 a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 		LIBERTUS	(`freedman')
	PATRONUS	(`patron')		 a reciprocal relation of loyalty with 		CLIENS	(`client')
	RESPUBLICA  	(`the State')	" areciprocal relation of loyalty with 		SOCIUS
	(`Rome's ally)
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virtus,  for the Roman,  does not carry the same overtones as the Christian  
`virtue'.   But like the Greek  andreia,  virtus  has a primary meaning of 
`acting like a man' (vir)   [cf. the Renaissance  virtu ),  and for the Romans 
this meant first and foremost `acting like a brave man in military matters'. 
virtus wasto be found in the context of `outstanding deeds'  (egregia facinora), 
and brave deeds were the accomplishments which brought  gloria (`a reputation').  
This gloria  was attached to two ideas:  fama  (`what people think of you')  and  
dignitas  (`one's standing in the community').  The struggle for  virtus  at 
Rome was above all a struggle for public office  (honos), since it was through 
high office, to which one was elected by the People, that a man could best show 
hi smanliness which led to military achievement--which would lead in turn to a 
reputation and votes.  It was the duty of every aristocrat (and would-be 
aristocrat) to maintain the  dignitas  which his family had already achieved and 
to extend it to the greatest possible degree (through higher political office and 
military victories).  This system resulted in a strong built-in impetus in Roman 
society to engage in military expansion and conquest at all times.

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Categories of `Virtues' of a Statesman



PLATO:		wisdom, andreia, justice, piety
THUCYDIDES	knowing what is appropriate, ability to convince, incorruptibility, patriotism
CICERO		prudence, justice, bravery, self-restraint
CICERO		fortitude, clementia, justitia, fides, benignitas
AUGUSTUS	virtus, clementia, justitia, pietas