Crime and Punishment in Ancient Rome

367 Pages·1996·1.32 MB·English

by  Richard A. Bauman

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT IN
ANCIENT ROME
CRIME AND
PUNISHMENT IN
ANCIENT ROME

Richard A.Bauman

London and New York

For Sheila and Nicola
First published 1996
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004.
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

© 1996 Richard A.Bauman
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilized in any form or by an electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known
or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this
book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in
Publication Data Bauman, Richard A.
Crime and punishment in ancient Rome/Richard A.Bauman.
p.
cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Punishment (Roman law) 2. Criminal law (Roman law)—
Philosophy. I. Title.
KJA3612.B38
1996
345′.00937′6–dc20
[342.509376] 96–21587
CIP

ISBN 0-203-42858-7 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-73682-6 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-11375-X (Print Edition)

CONTENTS
Preface
ix
List of Abbreviations
xi
1 INTRODUCTION
1
Crime and Punishment
1
Punishment: The Greek Experience
2
Roman Punishment in Theory and Practice
3
Criminal Courts and Punishments
4
Humanitas, Saevitia and Punishment
6
2 TRIAL BY MAGISTRATE AND PEOPLE
9
The Early Poena Legis
9
The Iudicium Populi: Procedure and Penalties
10
Punitive Assessments by Tribunes
11
Punitive Assessments by Aediles
13
Humanitas and Punishment: Voluntary Exile
13
The Limits of Voluntary Exile
16
Humanitas and Capital Punishment
18
Conclusion
20
3 TRIAL BY JURY
21
The Decline of the Iudicia Populi
21
The Quaestiones Perpetuae
22
Verdict and Sentence in the Quaestiones Perpetuae
24
Humanitas: The Alternative Capital Penalty
26
Sub-Capital Penalties
29
Mixed Penalties: Parricidium
30
Mixed Penalties: Adulterium
32
Conclusion
34
CONTENTS
4 CICERO ON PUNISHMENT
35
Cicero and Pragmatic Conceptualization
35
Cicero in Theoretical Mode
36
Humanitas and Utilitas Publica
38
Cicero in 63: The Background
41
The Trial of Rabirius
42
The Conspiracy of Catiline
45
Cicero in 63: The Aftermath
48
Conclusion
49
5 THE NEW COURTS: AUGUSTUS AND TIBERIUS
50
The Cognitio Extraordinaria
50
Augustus and Punishment: The Senate
52
Augustus and Punishment: The Emperor’s Three Hats
53
The Senatorial Court under Tiberius
57
‘All The Laws In Good Shape Except One’
61
Conclusion
64
6 THE MATURING COGNITIO: CALIGULA AND
CLAUDIUS
65
Consolidation of the Emperor’s Court
65
Caligula: Punishment and Precedent
66
Black Comedy and Punishment
68
Caligula and Arbitrary Cognitio
69
Claudius, Parricidium and Humanitas
70
Claudius: Other Uses of Humanitas/Aequitas
73
‘The Pumpkinification of Claudius’
75
Conclusion
76
7 NERO AND THE STOICS
77
The Two Faces of Stoicism
77
Seneca on Clemency
78
Nero and Clemency: The Pedanius Case
81
Nero and Clemency: Insults to the Emperor
83
Nero and Clemency: The Deflection of Odium