Women, crime, and punishment in ancient law and society / Elisabeth M. Tetlow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Tetlow, Elisabeth Meier, 1942-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Law--Middle East--History.

Law.

Law, Ancient.

History.

Middle East.

Physical Description:

volumes : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Continuum, c2004-

Summary:

Crime and punishment, criminal law and its administration, are areas of ancient history that have been explored less than many other aspects of ancient civilizations. Throughout history women have been affected by crime both as victims and as offenders. In the ancient world, customary laws were created by men, formal laws were written by men, and both were interpreted and enforced by men. This is the second of a two-volume work that explores the role of gender in the formation and administration of ancient law and examines the many gender categories and relationships established in ancient law, including legal personhood, access to courts, citizenship, political office, religious office, professions, marriage, inheritance, and property ownership. Thus it focuses on women and crime within the context of women in the society.

The ancient period of Greek history, to which this volume is devoted, began in the late Bronze Age in the second millennium and lasted almost to the end of the first century BCE, when the last remnant of the Hellenistic empire created by Alexander the Great was conquered by the Romans. Extant texts of actual laws are few and often found embedded in other sources, such as the works of orators and historians. Greek literature, from the epics of Homer to the classical dramas, provides a valuable source of information. However, since literary sources are fictional portrayals and often reflect the times and biases of the authors, other more concrete evidence from archaeology has been used throughout the volume to confirm and contextualize the literary evidence about women, crime, and punishment in ancient Greece.

Contents:

v. 1. The ancient Near East

v. 2. Ancient Greece.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

0826416284

0826416292

OCLC:

56608178