Rome AD43 to C410
Roman Britain

AD. 43 Romans invade Britain

C. 410 Collapse of Roman Empire, withdrawal from Britain

Roman Law We know that they had a wide range of laws so we can presume that they had a wide range of crime. EG Selling underweight bread to assassination of the emperor. Petty theft was the most common crime.

As societies developed and communities became more stable, there was a need for a framework of laws and rules. Early societies such as Babylon, had their own code of conduct but it was only with the advent of the Roman Empire that a set of rules covering a very large area was seen for the first time. The Roman Empire took much of the middle east and each new conquest became subject to Roman Law. Roman law was not based on religion and it tried to ensure there was fairness in its approach. Laws were written down, originally on tablets of stone (the twelve tables). The Romans did appreciate that laws should change as societies evolves. Eventually all of the laws were brought together in what was called the digest of Roman law in the 6th century AD. It was completed under the orders of the emperor Justinian.

Roman attitude to crime Mainly reflected those of the powerful groups or classes who had the power (and the literacy) to make and enforce the laws. Their interests and concerns were often given special protection by the laws they passed and the lower classes were not. For example killing a slave was not considered murder.

Therefore the most serious crimes those that threatened the authority. E.G. rebellion (Boudicca) and the Iceni tribe in east Anglia 60 E. and religious non-conformity. Christians refused to worship the Emperor above their God.

Individuals were held totally responsible for their crimes, no matter what the circumstances were. E.G. unlike C. 20th. No attempt to understand the causes of crime and try to prevent it.

Women were seen as inferior and were treated unequally by roman law. They were often punished more harshly than men.

Theft-stealing money or property was the most common crime. From looking at other times we can conclude that poverty can cause desperation and or greed and can lead to crime. Roman Britain saw huge divisions between rich and poor. It was regarded as a minor crime as it did not affect the majority of people.General riots at games, chariot races and gladiatorial contests also took place form time to time.

Boudicca

Queen of the Iccini-half of fathers fortune- half to empire
Rome took the lot- Boudicca caused uprising 60 AD.
Destroyed Colchester the capital of Roman Britain. Then destroyed London.
Defeated by a highly skilled Roman army.

Why was rebellion the most serious crime in Roman Britain?

Because the Romans had such a large empire rebellion would destabilised the empire.
It threatened Roman rulers in Britain (The rulers were the ones who made the laws so it was treated as a serious crime.)

Roman Attitudes to Punishment Over time Roman punishments became increasingly violent, including amputation of limbs or death by pouring molten lead down a convicted persons thought. Roman punishment were designed to deter others using fear.

Punishment for the crime was dependent on the offenders position in society and the severity of the crime.
Slaves were hung for most crimes.
Citizens were often executed however they were sometimes punished corporally or had to pay fines.
Nobles were treated less harshly , they were exiled for all but the most serious crimes.
Prisons were only used for debtors and those awaiting trial.

Romans used capital and corporal punishment to deter others from committing the same crime. Also if the punishment was corporal in some cases and capital in all cases it physically prevent the person from committing the same crime again.

Roman Law

Roman laws were made by the Emperor and the Senate to protect their interests — Rome's strong central government and good system of communications meant these laws were enforced across the Empire and therefore Roman Britain.
The governors of Britain relied on Britons to help them govern Britain so unless they were outrageous or contradicted Roman Law they would have allowed local people to uphold their local customs.
They were written down in detail, often updated and covered a wide range of crimes, even to improve public health e.g. dumping waste in the River Tiber (where Rome's drinking water came from) was illegal
The first recorded laws were the Twelve Tables, C. 450 BC. School children had to learn them by heart and they were publicly displayed on metal sheets in every town Centre (although of course, not everyone could read Latin!)
The greatest Roman law code was the work of Emperor Justinian, 533 AD. although this was written after the Romans had left Britain, he had gathered together all the laws from across the Empire so we can presume they included laws that had been in place in Roman Britain.

Roman Law Enforcement

The Praetorian Guard - were used to protect the Emperor himself. Rome was served by urban cohorts (300 soldiers) to prevent riots and Vigiles (7000 men) who patrolled at night to stop crimes/chase runaway slaves/put out fires

The Provincial Governor - was appointed by Rome. He dealt with all major cases and would call a jury to decide serious cases, such as murder. It was his job to keep peace and therefore to put down rebellions using the army. He could give the death penalty to non-Roman citizens but had to ask the Emperor's permission to pass the death sentence on a Roman citizen.

Magistrate - appointed by Rome but could be a Briton. Legal assistants to the Governor dealt with minor cases in small courts where both sides presented their evidence and the defendant was innocent until proven guilty.

Roman legions I.E. divisions of the army were used to police the villages and towns(instead of a costly police force). Centurions would look at evidence that individuals brought to him and decide whether the case should go to court and be tried. Centurions could hear and judge very minor cases.

Individuals — if someone felt they had been the victim of a crime, they had to take the suspect to the local centurion and collect their own evidence (this often lead to more violence). If they were wealthy they could afford to employ their own lawyer.

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Notes for crime and punishment AD43 to C410.