Database: The Risks of Stealing

Since houses in ancient Greece were built with mud bricks, thieves were known to dig through walls to get inside. Anyone who stole anything at night could be killed without incurring punishment for the murderer or could be arrested in private and handed over, as was normally the case, during the day to Athenian officials. The latter could immediately order the execution of the criminal if he confessed. Anyone who could plausibly deny the crime was brought to court with the ultimate threat of capital punishment. It appears that in many cities a lawsuit for theft was aimed at enforcing the return of the object, with a fine. In Athens, in the event of theft, the courts could impose a loss of honor in addition to a fine.
Category:Abstergo Cloud database entries