Law and Drama in Ancient Greece

The relationship between law and literature is rich and complex. In the past three and half decades, the topic has received much attention from literary critics and legal scholars studying modern literature. Despite the prominence of law and justice in Ancient Greek literature, there has been little interest among Classical scholars in the connections between law and drama. This is the first collection of essays to approach Greek tragedy and comedy from a legal perspective. The volume does not claim to provide an exhaustive treatment of law and literature in ancient Greece. Rather it provides a sample of different approaches to the topic. Some essays show how knowledge of Athenian law enhances our understanding of individual passages in Attic drama and the mimes of Herodas and enriches our appreciation of dramatic techniques. Other essays examine the information provided about legal procedure found in Aristophanes' comedies or the views about the role of law in society expressed in Attic drama. The collection reveals reveal how the study of law and legal procedure can enhance our understanding of ancient drama and bring new insights to the interpretation of individual plays.

Contributors: Roger Brock (Senior Lecturer in Classics, University of Leeds); Chris Carey (Professor of Greek, University College, London); Maria de Fatima Silva (Professor of Classics, University of Coimbra); Maria do Ceu Fialho (Professor of Classics, University of Coimbra); Edward M. Harris (Professor of Greek History, Durham University); Delfim F. Leao (Professor of Classics, University of Coimbra); Douglas M. MacDowell (Professor Emeritus of Greek, University of Glasgow); F.S. Naiden (Assistant Professor of History, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill); P.J. Rhodes (formerly Professor of Ancient History, now Honorary Professor, University of Durham); Alan H. Sommerstein (Professor of Greek, University of Nottingham).