User:Mcapdevila/Princeps namque
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Princeps namque is one of the usages of Barcelona that regulated the defense of the prince and the Principality of Catalonia, and the call to arms. Included in the first uses of the segle xi, was invoked explicitly until the segle xvi Repealed with the decrees of Nova Planta, it lasted as a philosophy of national defense in the institution of sometent . [1]
" Princeps namque " are the first two words in Latin of usage 68 (in some compilations it is 69): Princeps namque si quolibet casu obsessus fuerit, uel ipse ídem suos inimicos obsessos tenuerit, uel audierit quemlibet regem uel principem [2] ("The Prince will be besieged by any chance, or he will have his enemies besieged, or he will hear some King or Prince coming" [3] ).
The prince had the power to call to arms the noble feudal lords and all men useful for defense in the event of a threat to his person or an invasion of the territory. The assistance had to be as fast as possible, otherwise they were considered guilty of breach of duty, since "no one can fail the prince in such an important matter". It could only be invoked if the prince was present. It was not valid outside the Principality, and implied the right and duty of the Catalans to possess arms, which became an obligation with Pere the Ceremonious . [4]
In the Courts of Barcelona in 1368, the call was regulated with the contribution of a servant (combatant) for every 15 fires, passing the responsibility of mobilization to the councilors of the commons . [5] In 1374 it was agreed to exchange the service for an amount of money with which the most fit men were hired for combat, so that it became a fogage or war tax. However, the general mobilization was maintained by invoking the princeps namque through the sometent (ringing of bells, or sound emitting ). [6] The institution of princeps namque transcended feudal ties and constituted a commitment between the prince and the entire population. It promoted the notion of self-defense, the formation of militias, the possession and display of weapons, and the refusal to participate in armies and foreign wars.