The Treaty Between Rome and Lycia of 46 BC, the Law of Caesar, and the Coming of the Principate

On 24 July 46 BC, during the third dictatorship of Julius Caesar, an alliance between Rome and Lycia was ratified in the comitium at Rome by means of a formal treaty. The text of the treaty, which was engraved on a bronze plaque, is the longest surviving inscribed Roman treaty, and can further shed light on the nature, form, and content of Roman foedera, as well as on Rome’s relations with her allies and her diplomatic role in the wider Mediterranean world. But perhaps of greater significance is the treaty’s ability to improve our understanding of the political atmosphere during the uncertain period following Caesar’s victory over Pompey (48 BC), as well as the nature of Caesar’s power and authority during his final years.