Legal Definitions - arimanni

Arimanni refers to a historical legal penalty, specifically a fine imposed on individuals who failed to report for military service when officially called upon.

Here are some examples to illustrate this historical concept:

• Imagine a medieval European kingdom where the king issues a royal decree, summoning all able-bodied men from a particular region to join his army for an upcoming campaign. A local farmer, prioritizing his harvest and fearing battle, deliberately ignores the summons and remains on his land. When royal officials later discover his absence from the levy, he is compelled to pay a substantial arimanni fine as punishment for his failure to fulfill his military duty.

  This example demonstrates arimanni as a direct financial penalty for an individual's refusal to join the military when explicitly summoned by the ruling authority.

• Consider a historical Germanic tribal society where clan leaders were expected to contribute a certain number of warriors to the tribal levy when a threat emerged or a campaign was planned. One powerful landowner, despite being fully capable, intentionally withholds his required contingent of men, believing his personal interests outweigh the collective defense. The tribal council, recognizing his dereliction of duty, imposes an arimanni fine upon him, reflecting the societal expectation of military participation.

  Here, the fine illustrates the consequence for a leader or prominent individual failing to provide the expected military contribution when called upon by the community or its leaders.

• In a historical city-state where citizens were periodically required to participate in militia training and be ready for defense, official notices were posted for mandatory annual musters. A wealthy merchant, consistently prioritizing his trade voyages over civic obligations, repeatedly fails to attend these musters despite receiving multiple summons. The city's magistrates, upholding the law, levy an arimanni fine against him, emphasizing that even preparation for military service was a non-negotiable duty.

  This scenario shows arimanni being applied not just for outright desertion from a combat call, but also for failing to participate in mandatory military preparations or training when summoned, underscoring the broad scope of military obligation.