The litigious Athenian
By: Matthew R. Christ.
Series: Ancient society and history
Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Baltimore
Language: eng
Number of pages: 317
Subjects: Adversary system (Law) -- Greece -- Athens -- History.; Justice, Administration of -- Greece -- Athens -- History.
Description: The democratic revolution that swept Classical Athens transformed the role of law in Athenian society. The legal process and the popular courts took on new and expanded roles in civic life. Although these changes occurred with the consent of the "people" (demos). Athenians were ambivalent about the spread of legal culture. In particular, they were aware that unscrupulous individuals might manipulate the laws and the legal process to serve their own purposes.

Indeed, throughout the Classical period, when Athenians gathered in public and private settings, they regularly discussed, debated, and complained about legal chicanery, or "sukophantia". In The Litigious Athenian, Matthew Christ explores what this ancient discussion reveals about how Athenians conceived of and responded to, problematic aspects of their collective legal experience.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [277]-296) and indexes.