: It is believed that approximately 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, the Chinese used white as a color for mourning, which eventually evolved into a symbol of surrender.
The white flag is one of history’s most recognizable symbols, transcending languages and cultures to signal surrender, a truce, or a peaceful parley. Far from just a sign of "giving up," its history is a complex weave of ancient traditions and modern international laws. The Origins of the White Flag White Flag
: Historian Livy recorded a Carthaginian ship using "white wool and branches of olive" to signal defeat during the Second Punic War (218 B.C.). In 69 A.D., Tacitus noted white flags were used by Vitellian forces surrendering at the Second Battle of Cremona. : It is believed that approximately 3,000 to