This course studies the practice of law in ancient Athens. About 100 forensic speeches survive from the 4th century, B.C.E., in which Athenians contested everything from wills and property disputes, to the worthiness of political candidates for office and the proper conduct of domestic and international affairs. Study of these speeches illuminates not merely the procedural organization of law in the Athenian democracy, but also the nature of political, social and cultural structures in Athens. Consequently, the course concentrates as much on the various methodological approaches scholars have applied to the orations as on learning the mechanics of Athenian legal procedure.
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