«Si ratione lex constat». Natural law and Christian Views on Military Service in Tertullian's De Corona Militis
Keywords:
Tertullian, Natural law, Reason, Roman army, idolatry, crownsAbstract
This article examines Tertullian’s views on military service by Christian individuals on the basis of his work De corona militis. Beyond his reflections on idolatry, this paper focuses on the arguments concerning Natural law and Reason as the foundation for the incompatibility between Christian faith and military service according to the author, with compelling legal remarks that are also highlighted. In his analysis of a specific case, the Carthaginian addresses the issue of why wearing laurel crowns would not be appropriate for Christians and links the Roman army to the exposure to pagan customs and religious practices by Christians.
At the same time, we argue that the text should not be viewed as an (anachronistic) critique of the Roman political power from the modern perspective of a separation between political and religious spheres. Rather, it could be more likely understood as a questioning of the military institution itself. Beyond the obvious rhetorical imprint, Tertullian’s De Corona offers insights into the search for recognition by Christians towards the Roman Empire and highlights the complex relationships between Christian communities and Roman authorities before the turning point of the early 4th century.
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