Considering its longevity and organization, the Roman Empire contributed little to the development of diplomacy. This may be explained by their will to impose their policies on others instead of negotiating. As Nicolson mentioned “…[Romans] they sought to impose their will, rather than to negotiate on a basis of reciprocity” (Nicolson, 2001:14). This, of course, does not mean that diplomacy was unimportant for the Romans. Rather, it had an important place in governing their relations with rival states in Italy and in managing their relations with foreign peoples after establishing their empire. However, as it is widely accepted that the contribution of Romans to diplomacy is much more related to the international law and is represented in the theory, not the practice, of diplomacy.