Roman Law Before the Twelve Tables: An Interdisciplinary Approach - Paperback

by Sinclair W. Bell (Editor), Paul J. Du Plessis (Editor)

Bringing together a team of international experts from different subject areas - including law, history, archaeology and anthropology - this book re-evaluates the traditional narratives surrounding the origins of Roman law before the enactment of the Twelve Tables. Much is now known about the archaic period, relevant evidence from later periods continues to emerge and new methodologies bring the promise of interpretive inroads. This book explores whether, in light of recent developments in these fields, the earliest history of Roman law should be reconsidered. Drawing on the critical axioms of contemporary sociological and anthropological theory, the contributors yield new insights and offer new perspectives on Rome's early legal history. In doing so, they seek to revise our understanding of Roman legal history as well as to enrich our appreciation of its culture as a whole.

Back Jacket

Challenges current orthodox views about the origins of Roman law Bringing together a team of international experts from different subject areas - including law, history, archaeology and anthropology - this book re-evaluates the traditional narratives surrounding the origins of Roman law before the enactment of the Twelve Tables. Much is now known about the archaic period, relevant evidence from later periods continues to emerge and new methodologies bring the promise of interpretive inroads. This book explores whether, in light of recent developments in these fields, the earliest history of Roman law should be reconsidered. Drawing upon the critical axioms of contemporary sociological and anthropological theory, the contributors yield new insights and offer new perspectives on Rome's early legal history. In doing so, they seek to revise our understanding of Roman legal history as well as to enrich our appreciation of its culture as a whole. Key Features - Re-evaluates current debates surrounding the origins, nature and legacy of Roman law - Brings together an international and interdisciplinary range of contributors - Looks beyond the solitary context of Roman law's origins by drawing upon the critical axioms of anthropological theory - Includes an up-to-date study of legal texts from other early Italic societies, incorporating important recent archaeological discoveries Sinclair W. Bell is Professor of Art History at Northern Illinois University. His research focuses on Etruscan and Roman art and archaeology. Paul J. du Plessis is Professor of Roman Law at the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses predominantly on the multifaceted and complex set of relationships between law and society in a historical context. Cover image: (c) Museo Nacional del Prado Cover design: [EUP logo] edinburghuniversitypress.com ISBN 978-1-4744-4396-8 Barcode

Author Biography

Sinclair W. Bell is Professor of Art History at Northern Illinois University. His research interests include art and archaeology of the Etruscans, spectacles in the Roman imperial period and the visual representation of slaves and foreigners in Roman imperial art. Sinclair currently the Editor of the Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome. He is co-editor of 12 books, including Companion to the Etruscans (Wiley, 2016) and Free at Last: The Impact of Freed Slaves on the Roman Empire (Bloomsbury, 2012).

Paul J. du Plessis is Professor of Roman Law at the University of Edinburgh. His research focuses predominantly on the multifaceted and complex set of relationships between law and society in a historical context. Paul is an experienced editor and author. He is co-editor of the following publications: The Making of the Ius Commune: From Casus to Regula (EUP, 2010), Beyond Dogmatics: Law and Society in the Roman World (EUP, 2007), Reassessing Legal Humanism and Its Claims (EUP, 2015) and The Oxford Handbook of Roman Law and Society (OUP, 2016). He is also editor of New Frontiers: Law and Society in the Roman World (EUP, 2013), Cicero's Law: Rethinking Roman Law of the Late Republic (EUP, 2016) and Borkowski's Textbook on Roman Law (OUP, 2015).