Meaning of deditio | Babel Free

Definitions

In medieval Europe, an act of ritualized submission and request for mercy, performed before a monarch or other feudal lord.

historical

Examples

“A deditio implied a clear duty for the victorious party to treat his former enemy leniently, and the conditions for surrender were often arranged in advance.”

“The ritual of deditio was ostentatiously emotional, with tears of contrition both signalling submission and calculated to encourage a formal pardon from a king who risked losing face by failing to show clemency.”

CEFR level