It's a bit of fun Jewish trivia that Ma'ariv was originally 'optional' (see for example here, and Halachic ramifications of its' original optionality here), but at some point became 'accepted' by Jewish men and is now, for most intents and purposes, mandatory.
I'm curious, when, historically, did the shift from 'optional' to 'mandatory' occur?
I'm aware that, like many Minhagim, it's probably impossible to pin the date to specific moment, as it likely didn't occur at a specific moment, rather it evolved over time. Realistically, an answer to this question would probably be the earliest written source that says something along the lines of 'it's already accepted among all that Ma'ariv is an obligation'.
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