Lives Behind the Laws

Serena Connolly is Assistant Professor of Classics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick.

"The diverse material from the CH, its description, analysis, and proposed contextual explanation, will pique different curiosities in different readers, and Connolly's carefully argued and overall persuasive book will satisfy them all to some extent."—The European Legacy"This is truly a fine book, as readable and engaging as it is insightful. . . . [I]t should surely be on the shelves of every Roman social and legal historian"—Bryn Mawr Classical Review"The clear analytical design, up-to-date and well-researched bibliography, and demonstrated capacity for logistic analysis make this a valuable contribution to the social and administrative history of the later Roman Empire.116.1, February 2011"—American Historical Review"[A] highly thought-provoking as well as finely written and carefully argued work, which will doubtlessly prove useful to those studying the Roman legal system and Diocletian's reign."—Phoenix"A very interesting contribution to our picture of the imperial system of petition and response. . . . Connolly gives us . . . a synoptic view of what was arguably the most important role of the Roman emperor during the Early Empire."—Michael Peachin, New York University

• AbbreviationsPrefaceIntroduction1. Seeking Justice in the Roman WorldPetitioning in the Roman World2. The Rescript SystemThe Codex HermogenianusThe Rescript System in MotionThe Work of the scrinium libellorum3. The Rescript System in ContextPetitionersPlaces4. Using the System"With the Law""Before the Law""Against the Law"5. The Emperor and his PetitionersPetitioners in Need: The New Understanding of PovertyThe Roles of the EmperorLimits on the EmperorThe Nexus of Power: Emperor, Officials, PetitionersConclusionAppendix 1Appendix 2MapNotesBibliographyIndex