Ancient Justice: Trial and Judgment in Ancient Greece

In this course, we will investigate the nature and mechanics of justice in Ancient Greece.  Our investigation will proceed by way of interrogation of two important concepts in Greek intellectual and juridical history, krisis (judgment/trial) and dikê (justice).   We will begin by assessing the mythological origins of justice (Hesiod’s Theogony, Aeschylus’ Eumenides) and the role that these aetiologies played in the formulation and legitimation of systems of justice in Greece.  Next, we will discuss how the development of argument and rhetoric, with appeal to the notorious figure Helen of Troy (Gorgias’ Encomium of Helen, Isocrates’ Helen, Aristotle’s Rhetoric), established performative and discursive paradigms for civic actors in the law courts (Lysias’ Orations).  Finally, we will synthesize our understanding of the mythical and rhetorical modalities of justice in our analysis of Greek eschatology, which receives striking treatments in Greek ritual texts (The Orphic Gold Tablets), comedy (Aristophanes’ Frogs), and philosophy (Plato’s Republic and Gorgias). 

Undergraduates are required to do two in-class presentations and a final paper (8-10 pages).  Graduate students are required to do three translation quizzes (out of four; one can be dropped) and a final paper (12-15 pages). Undergraduates are expected to read texts in translation, while Graduate students are expected to read selections of the texts in Greek.  I should also like to note that, for interested Graduate students, the texts have been selected from the Reading List for the Greek Translation exam in order to complement (and not to overlap with) the readings from Professor Martin's and Professor Nightingale's survey courses.