The Criminal Law of Ancient Rome

Out of Print
While the Romans lived in a society very different from our own, they shared the same fear of crime and the same hope that the law could control it. Ordinary citizens might be afraid of muggers or thieves; officials could abuse their powers or embezzle public monies; emperors feared plotters and were concerned to repress subversive ideas and doctrines. This book provides a comprehensive examination of substantive criminal law in Ancient Rome.

Previous approaches have concentrated more on the structure of the law courts rather than substantive criminal law. This study considers the framework within which the law operated and the nature of criminal responsibility before exploring criminal law in relation to crimes committed for gain, sexual offences, crimes involving violence, offences against the state and against the due ordering of society and the courts.