Crime and Punishment in the Ancient World

Question 1

Neolithic Revolution

Answer 1

Gave birth to ;
- Written laws
- Agriculture

Question 2

Hammurabi Code

Answer 2

-1750 B.C
- Ancient Mesopotamian (Babylonian) law code
- 282 civil & criminal laws
- One of First written law codes
- Favored strict justice and retribution (an eye for an eye)
- Especially strict for women and the poor
- Reveals a rigidly hierarchical society
-> divided by social class,
-> strictly regulates the behavior of
women
- strict sense of justice, punishments differed according to one’s social class
-> Many offenses punishable by death

Question 3

Offenses punishable in the Hammurabi Code

Answer 3

• Adultery = Drowning
• Theft = cut a hand
  -> Death or Disfigurement/mutilation

Question 4

Mosaic Law

Answer 4

• More Egalitarian: Applied equally to all people (Both men/women and poor/rich)
• More humanitarian than the Hammurabi Code
• Ten Commandments
• Punishable by Death = HOMICIDE (1st degree murder)
• Most frequent form of execution is Stoning
  (- Mutilation was less common than in Hebrew)

Question 5

Offenses punishable by death in Mosaic Law

Answer 5

• Murder
• Adultery
• Witchcraft
• …

Question 6

Ten Commandments

Answer 6

An Ancient Hebrew series of ethical and moral laws (ie.: Thou shall not kill)
-> Forms of the basis of legal systems throughout the world

Question 7

Ancient Greek Law, Crime and Punishment

Answer 7

• Not static, evolved to reflect popular consent
• Draco and Solon
• Most serious crimes of murder and treason = death
  Punishment: Stoning, Falling, Poison

Question 8

Draco

Answer 8

• 7th Century B.C
• Athenian legislators imposed capital punishment for almost every offense
• His name used to describe very strict punishment : “Draconian”

Question 9

Solon

Answer 9

• Late 6th Century B.C
• Changed Draco’s code
• Reduce punishment for only the crimes of treason and murder
  -> Started the 1st jury courts in Athens
• more democratic syst. of justice

Question 10

Stoning

Answer 10

Death punishment
accused dies from blunt trauma from people trowing stones at them

Question 11

Falling

Answer 11

Consisted of throwing individuals from great heights to their deaths

Question 12

Poison

Answer 12

More human form of execution (made famous by the Ancient Greek philosopher Socrates)

Question 13

Ancient Roman Law, Crime and Punishment

Answer 13

Republican Period
- Twelve Tables
- Augustus
- Parricide
- Crucifixion

Question 14

Twelve Tables

Answer 14

• 450 B.C
  Public display of Ancient Roman laws
  -> Dealt w private disputes and individuals. Established the principle of equality before the law for patricians and plebians

Question 15

Augustus

Answer 15

27 B.C - 14 B.C
First Roman Emperor
Created the first police system
- Rise of Augustus and Roman Empire = start of organized law enforcement in Rome

Question 16

Parricide

Answer 16

Serious crime in which children killed their parent(s) Punishable by death
-> Punishable in Roman Empire by bounding the accused in a leather sack with a dog, snake and rooster, and then thrown into the river

Question 17

Crucifixion

Answer 17

Most Common Roman capital punishment
- Often used for Lowly criminals by nailing the accused to a cross. Accused eventually died from suffocation of hunger