Crime and Punishment- Ancient Rome Summary

Crime and Punishment-Ancient Rome 1st Century CE - 5th Century CE

Crimes in Ancient Rome : Theft (e.g. of clothes), demolition of buildings, burning down a building-arson, protesting against appalling housing, high taxes and food shortages which led to riots-Rebellion against the Emperor, murder, patricide (killing your Father), runaway slaves, selling underweight bread, not cleaning the streets, mugging, assault and libel, stealing farm animals, robbing temples, Dumping waste in the River Tiber.  Punishments in Ancient Rome : Punishment depended on your SOCIAL STATUS and the CRIME COMMITTED - Slaves and soldiers punished harshly. whereas Noblemen were allowed to go into exile.        Minor Crimes: flogging, beating, whipping, fines, burned at the stake, confiscation of property, repaying cost of goods       Major Crimes: Amputation       Serious Crimes: Execution, exile (Mainly for Noblemen)       Treason/Defiance: Crucifixion, gladiator (Fight in the arena) Policing : NO POLICE FORCE   BUT          Vigiles - Arrested anyone who caused a fire. Also captured runaway slaves.         Aediles - Checked people kept the streets clean. They also checked shops to see if bread was being sold at the correct weight.         Praetorian Guard - The Emperors household guards. They were used only in emegencies to protect the Emperor from riots.         Urban Cohorts (3000 soldiers) - Their main job was to keep order by stopping riots. They did not patrol the streets.      If a roman was attacked or robbed then you had to catch the criminal yourself with help from neighbours and friends and take them to court.                        THESE TECHNIQUES OF DEALING WITH CRIMINALS CAUSED A LOT OF VIOLENCE AND IN AD6 EMPEROR AUGUSTUS SET UP FORCES TO POLICE ROME BUT,          THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF FIGHTING. THE CORE OF THE POLICE WERE RIOT TROOPS. The Romans did not believe that large sums of money should be spent either on a professional police force or on punishing criminals. therefore the role of controlling the province was undertaken by the roman legions stationed in Britain. If someone felt they had been robbed, they had to take the subject to the local Centurion who then decided, on the evidence provided, whether the case should be tried.  Laws : Twelve Tables - First recorded Roman laws. Were written down around 450BC. Children learned them off by heart at school. Over the next 1000 years many new laws were added as rulers tried to stop crimes. As the Roman Empire grew many of these laws started to spread to other parts of the Empire such as Britain.Justian Code - Greatest Roman law code. It was the work of Emperor Justinian. Written in AD533. Justinian brought all the different laws together, simplifying and organising     them into one system. Basic principles which underpin our system today: innocent until proved guilty, right to a fair trial, right to present evidence. Trials and Juries :    Minor Crime - Theft was regarded a minor crime because it did not affect the ruler or the majority of the people. If you were burgled you had to catch the criminal yourself. You had to collect the evidence. You had to summon the accused to the MAGISTRATES COURT. At the court a Judge was chosen ( he was not a lawyer but he could take advice from a lawyer ) and both sides would present their evidence. Then the Judge would reach a decision.       Major Crime - Different system for more serious cases e.g. murder. Cases tried by MAGISTRATES with a JURY. ANYONE could bring a case to court for trial.        1. Suspect appeared        2. Both sides gave evidence       3. Jury decided verdict - guilty or not guilty ?       4. The Magistrate then decided the sentence.           There were three basic principles at work in Roman trials: Any Roman citizen could bring a case to court The defendant was innocent until proved guilty The defendant had the right to present evidence Prison sentences were not used as punishments, prisons were only used for people in debt or those awaiting trial or in execution. Roman punishment became more violent as time went by, e.g amputation of limbs, death by pouring molten lead down the convicted person's throat and CRUCIFIXION for Christians and Jews who refused to recognise the Emperor as a God.  Anyone convicted of PATRICIDE was tied in a sack containing snakes and thrown into the river to drown. The most violent punishments were reserved for those who rebelled against the Empire.  Christians who refused to worship Roman gods were executed, some by crucifixion, other were thrown into the beasts in the Colosseum The government did little to improve the problems o poverty and overcrowded housing which played a part in causing crime. The government did not establish an effective police force. The government did not see it as its job to catch criminals. Besides, a police force would have been too  expensive. So if the criminals were not caught, then even the best trials and the most ferocious punishments could not work because they only dealt with a small proportion of criminals. Ancient Rome was HIERARCHICAL and PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY. It was up to the Father how his family were treated.  At times there were severe shortages of food if harvests were bad.  The temptation to resort to crime was made greater by the fact that there was no proper police force to prevent crime or arrest suspected criminals.  Roman Emperors had the power to make and enforce laws. The twelve tablets of the laws of Rome were carved onto metal sheets and displayed in town centres 500 years before the Romans had invaded Britain. Most frequent crimes = small scale theft or selling underweight bread or street crimes e.g. simple street violence. General riots at games, chariot races and gladiatorial contests were also quite common. Harsh, physical punishments and executions were often used and carried out in public as a deterrent.  Rebellions often took place and were a threat to authority of those in power . The most severe and gruesome punishments were reserved for those who rebelled or plotted against the Emperor. In Britain the most serious rebellion against the Romans was in 60CE when the Iceni tribe in East Anglia rose under their Queen, Boudicca.  RELIGIOUS NON-CONFORMITY - Although people who were under the reign of the Emperor were allowed to continue worshipping their gods, they had to worship the Emperor as though he was a god as part of the official civic religion. When Christians refused to do this they were severely punished. 

New Page