Paper's abstract

Michel Humbert, The Roman Trial: a Sociological Approach
At the end of the Roman Republic, the motives for action refer back to behaviours dominated by pietas and fides as far as the parties are concerned and by the wish to constitute a network of clienteles as far as the orators are concerned. Therefore, the trial plays an essential part in the moral cohesion and the socio-political structure of the City. On the other hand, the purely legal function (claiming a right, condemning a culprit, securing obedience to the law) appears subsidiary, maybe even incidental.

Key Words : Rome, trial
t. 39, 1994 : p. 73-86

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