1. Ancient Rome 753-509 7 Kings 509 – c. 44 BCE Republic Civil wars
31 BCE – c. 476 CE/AD? Roman Empire
Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire

2. Rome and the Provinces

3. TRAJAN’S NEW PROVINCES: DACIA, MESOPOTAMIA
Dacia abandoned by Aurelian in 270

4. Emperor’s word becomes law
Emperor’s word becomes law. Various ways emperor (princeps) makes his will known as law:
rescripts (written replies), responsa: most common
Replies, either by letter or just subscriptions (notes added at the bottom)
mandates (instructions to officials)
edicts (advised by his consilium and jurists)
decreta (decisions): emperor’s judicial decisions
INCREASE IN: legal experts, often on emperor’s staff
Praetor’s edicts still exist.

5. Cognitio procedure by a magistrate
Complain to official who issues a summons: state-issued (not privately)
If defendant does not reply to 3 summonses he loses the case
The magistrate hears the case
Written documents are now more important than oral testimony
The magistrate rules at his discretion
Court officials enforce the penalty (before it was done privately)
Appeal possible all the way up to the Emperor, but you need to be of high status and have connections, of course ….

6. “the 5 good emperors” 96-180 CE
Nerva, Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius
“If a man were called to fix the period in the history of the world during which the condition of the human race was most happy and prosperous, he would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed from the death of Domitian to the accession of Commodus.”
Edward Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (1776-)

7. Apuleius Author of the Latin novel, Metamorphoses or the Golden Ass
Published his Apology (defense speech).
On trial in North Africa for magic, CE; a capital charge
judge is the governor (proconsul) Claudius Maximus, a Stoic philosopher
he had married a rich widow, Pudentilla; her son died
she accused him in a letter of using love-charms
he had knowledge of magic; a statue of Mercury; a boy collapsed
15 slaves testified

8. Marcus Aurelius ( )
Hadrian when adopting Antoninus Pius had him adopt at the same time this young man (age 16) and someone else
Co-ruler with adopted brother Lucius Verus: 2 Augusti
Best known as a philosopher

9. Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (his private diary of Stoic thoughts, written in Greek)

10. Marcus Aurelius

11. (after the 5 Good Emperors:) Commodus ( ), the first emperor “born in the purple”. Commodus depicted as Hercules:

12. Commodus (today)
Gladiator

13. “Antonine Constitution”
212 AD/CE, by Caracalla: all free persons in R.E. are Roman citizens
Citizenship is a legal status. Far removed from Classical Greek citizenship (participation in running a polis, city-state)

14. Classical period of Roman Law, c. 31 BCE – 235 CE (High Roman Empire)
Under Hadrian, the praetor’s edict was codified and did not change.
Jurists: rise of legal experts, often on staff of Emperor and Governor
This is high point of jurists, whose work is later collected (codified): next 2 weeks
Ulpian, jurist, c. 200 CE: the emperor’s word is law
after the Classical period, changes appear in 3rd Century: emperor more autocratic.

15. DECIUS, 249-251 Acclaimed by troops Persecution of Christians
Killed fighting Goths

16. Libellus from Egypt, 250 CE/AD
To those in charge of the sacrifices of the village Theadelphia, from Aurelia Bellias, daughter of Peteres, and her daughter, Kapinis. We have always been constant in sacrificing to the gods, and now too, in your presence, in accordance with the regulations, I have poured libations and sacrificed and tasted the offerings, and I ask you to certify this for us below. May you continue to prosper.
(2nd hand) We, Aurelius Serenus and Aurelius Hermas, saw you sacrificing.
(3rd hand) I, Hermas, certify.
(1st hand) The 1st year of the Emperor Caesar Gaius Messius Quintus Traianus Decius Pius Felix Augustus, Pauni 27.

17. PS on history of Romans & Christianity
Great Persecutions, CE
Constantine,: 313 CE: Edict of Milan
ends the persecutions of Christians. Makes Christianity legal.
A Christian Empire, 4th century CE on -

18. Justinian (525-565) codified Roman law the Digest (law code): 533 AD/CE
More than 9,000 excerpts of Roman jurists, mainly classical.