What have the Romans ever done for us, Man ?

Today we do a bit of a history lesson that starts over 2,000 years ago and ends up right here in West Virginia.

While we were house hunting a year ago, we ran into a lot of different housing styles. Besides the old Victorian ones—which I love, but sadly, most are in a deplorable state and just big money pits—we also ran into something that reminded me of a castle, complete with towers and crenellations. Being from Europe, I realize there’s no such thing as a "real" castle here in the US. The thing that comes closest is a fortress; of those, there are a few left with the classic star-shaped walled containment, even with a moat.

While the US didn’t exist when the castles of old were built and fought over, some rich people here decided they wanted one anyway. They actually bought structures in Europe and had them shipped over, stone by stone. While they were technically monasteries, they count as medieval structures. The things money can buy you! Seeing those "fake" castles made me wonder: if there are no real castles here, where does the "Castle Doctrine" come from?

When we visited the Netherlands, I brought my wife to a real castle: Muiderslot. It was built in 1280 and rebuilt in 1370 (it got demolished after a siege, as castles do). Today it still stands tall in all its glory. It is impressive to walk inside and get a glimpse of how the rich ate, slept, dressed, and... well, pooped. 😊

The one thing my wife never really realized is that stuff is old in Europe—really old. I recall taking her to the Dom Tower in Utrecht, a 368-foot-tall church tower in the middle of the city. To get the view, you have to conquer 465 steps up and then 465 steps back down. It stands alone now because the part of the church it was connected to was destroyed during a storm in 1674.

Underneath the pavement, there’s an excavation you can actually enter. There we were, way below the streets of Utrecht, looking at the foundation of the church amidst the remains of Roman fortresses built about 2,000 years ago. Being able to touch them puts things into perspective. When Americans refer to Europe as “The Old World,” they never truly grasp how old it is until they see and touch it. Weirdly enough, those Romans already started the whole Castle Doctrine; they had a saying: "Domus sua cuique est tutissimum refugium"—Every man's house is his safest refuge.

Moving back to the present and our own house, I kept thinking about that doctrine. Why is it such an "American thing" when there are no castles? I had a vague concept of it—something about trespassers and protecting your home—but the castle reference eluded me.

I did some digging and found out it originates in the United Kingdom from the years when castles held kings. Back then, a castle was seen as sovereign territory, immune to attack and a legal sanctuary where no "police force" was allowed to enter.

Then, a landmark event happened (the famous Semayne’s Case of 1604). After a forced entry into a home led to a legal battle, it was noted down that “the house of every one is to him as his castle.” This essentially extended the ancient rules of a castle to the humble family home.

That rule crossed the ocean and now implies that even the poorest man’s home—no matter how small or frail—is a "safe place" that even “the King” (or the government) cannot enter without the proper legal key: a warrant.

It’s strange to think about the timeline:

2,000 years ago: Romans say, "Every man's house is his safest refuge."
1,600 years later: The British pick it up and change it to, "The house of every one is to him as his castle."
1776: The rule becomes active in the US as common law.
1980s: It becomes truly enforced and codified into the modern statutes we recognize today.

I might not have a moat or stone towers, but thanks to a few Romans and a 17th-century legal reporter, my West Virginia home is my castle. Now, if you'll excuse me... let me don my armor, and protect the lady of the house.