Preventive War and Bellum Iustum in the Roman Republic: III-I a.C.

Abstract

The Roman Republic launched wars under preventive arguments in many occasions using the theoric principles of the bellum iustum, especially those in relation with the causes for the justification of wars which remained in use during the republican era. However, it makes necessary to analyze the relation that should exist between both phenomena.
In this article we present a series of variables that introduce us into this issue, proposing an outline of how the bellum iustum was assimilating to the concept of preventive war.