Download Greek Law & Justice

Greek Law & Justice
Draco’s reforms
• Besides reforming the government, Draco
also reformed law and justice
• His task was to organize a set of laws and
punishments that would be fairer to all
Athenians.
Draco’s Code of Laws
• Only one of Draco’s laws survived and it
deals with homicide (murder)
• A court had to determine if a murder was
accidental or intentional.
• If the verdict was accidental, the victim’s
family could grant a pardon to the
accused.
Where does the word “draconian”
come from?
• Historians have suggested that Draco’s
laws were very severe.
• It is from this that that we get the word
“draconian” which means extremely
severe or oppressive
Athenian police
• Athenians had foreigners police their laws.
• They could not accept the idea of one
Athenian policing another
• They enlisted foreign slaves who
maintained order (ironic because
foreigners could not vote)
Trial by Jury
• One of the great Greek innovations was
trial by jury
• A Greek jury range in size from 201 to
1501 (not like today’s 12!) This made it
next to impossible to bribe jurors
Greek Court
• There was no public prosecutor like today.
Instead, citizens had to prosecute others
or defend themselves, even for such
serious crimes as murder.
• Cases were tried in front of the jury.
• Jurors expressed the disapproval or
approval by shouting, stamping, and
groaning throughout the trial.
The verdict
• The jury determined the verdict by a vote.
• Each juror dropped a mussel in one of two
jars (one for guilty and one for not guilty).
Sentencing
• Punishments varied from fines, to loss of
citizenship (the right to vote), to exile or
death.
• Athenians did not favor imprisonment
because they did not have the means ($)
to keep people in jail long.
1. What contribution did Draco make to the
legal system in Athens?
2. How does the Athenians’ legal system
reflect the value they placed on direct
democracy and equality?