Same was true in Germania when Rome invaded it. And Roman law at the time called for execution to punish murder, which did not go over well in Germania. And at

Same was true in Germania when Rome invaded it. And Roman law at the time called for execution to punish murder, which did not go over well in Germania. And at one point in ancient Rome theft carried more severe punishment than murder. Germania was a poor province, when Rome tried taxing it, they got very little. Maybe it seemed wasteful to Germans to kill yet another man after losing one, when they could profit instead. To the Romans, prevention was the priority.