Sylvester Stallone dicit "I am da law." He'd better not try that around UVM or anywhere in Canada or he might be punished in the worst way possible - made to fill out a form. Ancient Rome did not have any Stallone-type characters. But it did have defined laws, many of which were religious, in addition to the secular laws we are so used to in modern culture.
The Twelve Tables provided a code of laws for all Romans to live by. Any modern wishing to be more Roman ought to take careful note of these laws. The writing of theses Tables provided the basis for all following Roman law. Beforehand, all decisions were left to the discretion of the judges, which of course led to bribery and corruption. Following the Twelve Tables, the historian Polybius has written an analysis of the Roman constitution around the time of the Second Punic War (with Carthage; see Roman history for more details and links).
Following that time period, there were further changes to the Roman legal code. The Gracchi were instrumental in all this sweeping change. Caesar Augustus maintained his own set of rules, as is to be expected of such a powerful emperor. Leges sine moribus may provide some clarity.
Legal status in the ancient world explores some of the laws from a feminine standpoint. Feminist or not, it contains such juicy pieces as the punishment for adultery, and shouldn't be missed.
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Last updated: 16 July 1997 Send Comments to: Eleanor Rodgers, erodgers@uclink4.berkeley.edu Copyright © 1997 UVM Classics Department All Rights Reserved. |