LET-GESM4304
Roman Law and Society
Course infoSchedule
Course moduleLET-GESM4304
Credits (ECTS)5 - 10
Category-
Language of instructionEnglish
Offered byRadboud University; Faculty of Arts; History;
Lecturer(s)
Contactperson for the course
dr. E.E.J. Manders
Other course modules lecturer
Lecturer
prof. mr. H.L.E. Verhagen
Other course modules lecturer
Coordinator
prof. mr. H.L.E. Verhagen
Other course modules lecturer
Examiner
prof. mr. H.L.E. Verhagen
Other course modules lecturer
Academic year2021
Period
PER 3-PER 4  (31/01/2022 to 30/08/2022)
Starting block
PER 3
Course mode
full-time
Remark
In the academic year 2021-2022 it is possible to earn 5 EC extra by adding a paper. For questions contact professor.
RemarksAccessible to exchange students
Registration using OSIRISYes
Course open to students from other facultiesYes
Pre-registrationNo
Waiting listNo
Placement procedure-
Aims
After completing the course, students are able to:
  • master the main principles of Roman private law;
  • apply these principles to cases contained in the Corpus iuris civilis;
  • understand why analysing Roman legal sources can provide valuable insights into Roman society;
  • understand why Roman law must be considered as one of the most valuable Roman legacies to modern Europe.
Content
There are more and more ancient historians who recognize the importance of legal rules and institutions for understanding the functioning of Roman society. However, using Roman legal texts for answering historical questions implies a "necessary grasp of legal technicalities" (Jill Harries). One of the main aims of this course is to introduce historians to the analytical methods that lawyers deploy when looking at Roman legal sources. On the basis of writings by Roman lawyers, we will discuss Roman legal institutions such as possession, ownership, mortgages, contracts and delicts. We will examine whether the 'law in books' (Corpus iuris civilis) corresponded with the 'law in action', as derived from epigraphic materials (e.g. writing tablets, papyri, inscriptions). In particular we will look at documents (loans, mortgages, auction announcements, writs of summons) from the so-called 'archive of the Sulpicii', the only surviving archive of a Roman bank. In doing so, we will also pay attention to the role of freedmen, slaves and women in the economic life of the first century AD.
Level

Presumed foreknowledge

Test information

Specifics

Assumed previous knowledge
Note for exchange students: you cannot take this course if your English proficiency level is not at least B2 (TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC or Cambridge). A statement from your home university won't be accepted.

Required materials
Book
David Johnston, Roman Law in Context, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 1999
Book
B. Nicholas, An Introduction to Roman Law, Oxford 1962 (or later reprints)
Reader
Reader Roman Law and Society (Radboud University)

Instructional modes
Seminar

Tests
Written Exam
Test weight100
Test typeWritten exam
OpportunitiesBlock PER 3, Block PER 4

Minimum grade
5,5

Additional paper for extra credits
Test weight100
Test typeProject
OpportunitiesBlock PER 3, Block PER 4

Minimum grade
5,5

Remark
In the academic year 2021-2022 it is possible to earn 5 EC extra by adding a paper. For questions contact professor.