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Homicideandaggressioninthehistoryofmankind
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thisformofjurisdiction.Internecinewarsandplunderweresymptomsofthis
fundamentalchange.Themethodofseekingredressbyforce,naturalinawar-
riorsociety,notalwaysledtotheeliminationoftheopponent;oftenarbiterswere
soughttomediatebetweenthesides,withtheaimof“layingtheconflicttorest”
andbringingbackpeaceandfriendship,ratherthantotallyeliminatingtherea-
sonsfortheconflict(Zaremska2002,p.12).
Theclergypreventedtheuseofforcebydifferentmeans,mainlytakingre-
coursetoexcommunicationandrefusaltoadministerthesacraments.Ostensibly,
theaimwastoisolatetheopponent(sinner)fromGodandmen,butalsointhis
casetheissueatstakewaspersuadingtheopponenttonegotiate.Intheabsence
ofstrongstateauthoritytoactastheguardianofsocialorder,thewaytoredress
wastwofoldbyexercisingtherighttorevengeortoreconciliation.
1.7.3Transformationofdisciplinarysystemsintheperiod
oftheemergenceofterritorialstates
Theemergencebetweenthe12thand14thcenturyofthemoreorlessstable
disciplinarysystemsledtotheeliminationoftheprivaterevenge.Theonuswas
carriedfromthekinsmenofthevictimtothestate,whichtookoverthedutyto
punishandkillthewrongdoers.Yetthenon-judiciarymediation,aprerogativeof
thelocalauthority,wasstillanoption.Theauthoritieslimitedtheiractivityto
whattodaywouldbecalledhigh-riskgroups.Theconceptofviolencewas,how-
ever,increasinglycloselyassociatedwiththecategoryoflegallyprohibitedac-
tions,andthestateincreasinglyoftenintervenedinthesphereofprivatevio-
lence.This,however,doesnotmeanthatthisevolution,andtherestitutionofthe
royalauthority,proceededsmoothlyjusttheopposite,ittookalongperiodof
time.Theincreaseinunlawfulviolence,evidentinmanystates(PolandandEng-
landincluding)intheLateMiddleAges,isanindicatoroftheweaknessofroyal
power(Elias1980,Baszkiewicz1999).
1.7.4Aggressionandviolenceduringreligiousfestivals
andreligiouswars
Medievalcrimemanifesteditselfmostlythroughviolentacts,suchashomi-
cide,robberyorassault,i.e.crimesagainstaperson(Nirenberg1996).Later
centurieshadtodealwiththeincreaseofcrimedirectedagainstpossessions.
Theassessmentsoftheextentofphysicalviolenceinthatperioddiffer,the
moresothatmanyformsofbehaviour,homicideincluding,werenotperceived
ascriminal.Theconceptofknighthoodcontainsboththelaudablevirtuesofthe