NOTE: you don’t need to know anything about law or about Greek history to learn and profit and have fun in this course.
This course is an introduction to ancient Athenian law. We shall read real court speeches from real trials. Topics will range from homicide to commerce and banking, from citizenship to assault, from slavery to inheritance, from religion to sexuality, from taxes to torture.
We shall explore, through in-class discussion, the theory and practice of Athenian law, aspects of social, economic, political, and cultural history as visible from the surviving court speeches, the relationship between Athenian law and Athenian democracy.
Whether you are planning to go to law school, interested to learn about ‘public policy’ in an alien and distant culture, keen to think about legal aspects of social, cultural, political, or religious life, or just want to learn a bit of ancient history through a neat lens, this should be a fun and fruitful course!
