Law in the Ancient World

The course is concerned with legal texts from the ancient world, beginning with a Sumerian murder case (19thcent. B.C.) and ending with the Burgundian Law Code (6th A.D.). The main work of the course is writing, one paper each week (ca. 500 words) that studies a text or a situation--e.g. analyzing its implied legal principles, criticizing its arguments or assumptions, or outlining a rebuttal speech. The goal is to understand the evolution of early legal thought, procedures, institutions, and methods, from the ancient Near East through the Greek city-states and the Hellenistic kingdoms to Rome and late antiquity; and to work up skills that are useful for legal analysis and forensic argument

No prior knowledge of ancient history is expected. The course should be of interest to potential law students, historians, but also students who want to find out more about ancient societies and how they worked