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The concept of diplomatic failure belongs to our culture. In the contemporary perception of international relations, it seems unavoidable that the failure of negotiations leads to a state of war. This reflection on contemporary diplomatic relations leads us to question the existence of the concept of diplomatic failure in Antiquity, especially during the Roman Republic, when the expansion of Vrbs progressed and the Romans became masters of the world. Though most of our sources belong to the first century BC, it remains to be seen whether the tradition and vocabulary they use are representative of an older perspective or are the result of a reworking by the authors of the late Republic. Firstly, I will analyze the vocabulary used to express failure in the diplomatic field. Then I will explain the concept of failure in the context of diplomatic relations. Finally, I will try to understand how the representation of failure has evolved over the centuries.