Human Rights in Ancient Rome

208 Pages·2012·2.177 MB·English

by  Bauman, Richard

HUMAN RIGHTS IN ANCIENT
ROME

HUMAN RIGHTS IN
ANCIENT ROME

Richard A.Bauman
London and New York
First published 2000 by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001

Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group

This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.

© 2000 Richard A.Bauman
The right of Richard A.Bauman to be identified as the Author
of this Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means,
now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or
in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Bauman, Richard A.
Human rights in ancient Rome/Richard A.Bauman
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Civil rights—Rome. 2. Human rights—Rome. I. Title.
JC85.C55B38 1999 99–24401
323’.0937–dc21

ISBN 0-203-01244-5 Master e-book ISBN

ISBN 0-203-70823-7 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-17320-5 (Print Edition)
For Sheila, Adrian and Sandra

CONTENTS

Preface x
List of abbreviations xii
1 Introduction 1
‘Homo sum: humani nihil a me alienum puto’ 1
The meaning of ‘human rights’ 2
Questions of terminology 5
The enforcement of human rights 6
Structure and scope 7
Evaluation 8
2 Human rights: the Greek experience 10
Preamble: the meaning of philanthropia 10
Philanthropia: the Athenian model 11
Philanthropia: the defining moments 15
The Hellenistic period 16
Evaluation 19
3 Humanitas Romana 20
Preamble: the meanings of humanitas 20
The concept of humanitas Romana 21
Humanitas Romana: a first appraisal 23
The role of Panaetius 24
The debut of the word ‘humanitas’ 25
Humanus: Terence and universalism 26
Evaluation 27
vii
CONTENTS
4 Human rights prior to Humanitas Romana 28
Preamble 28
Early Rome: ius humanum 28
The Scipionic age: humanitas and maiestas 30
The Scipionic age: philanthropia 32
The Scipionic age: domestic humanitas 33
Primacy in humanitas: rival contenders 34
Evaluation 35
5 Human rights in the Late Republic: Cicero 36
Preamble 36
Cicero and universalism 37
Humanitas and punishment: the death sentence 41
Humanitas and punishment: exile 44
Humanitas and the law 46
Evaluation 50
6 Human rights in the Late Republic: curbs on
ill-treatment 51
Preamble 51
Maiestas, morality and humanitas 52
Curbs on rapacity: early attempts 53
Statutory relief for non-Romans: the lex Calpurnia 57
The problem of mass enslavement 62
Additional statutory relief: repetundae and maiestas 63
Evaluation 65
7 The new image of Humanitas: part one 67
Preamble 67
Humanitas and clementia: Augustus and Tiberius 68
Humanitas and clementia: Seneca 69
Humanitas and clementia: Flavians, Antonines, Severans 72
Clementia Caesaris: Julius Caesar 75
Clementia Caesaris: Augustus and Tiberius 77
Clementia Caesaris: Seneca and Nero 79
Clementia Caesaris: Domitian to Alexander 82
Evaluation 86
viii
CONTENTS
8 The new image of Humanitas: part two 87
Curbs on rapacity: jurisdiction 87
Curbs on rapacity: some cases 89
Universalism: the merits 96
Universalism: the demerits 100
Freedom of speech 101
Social welfare: the alimenta 109
Evaluation 110
9 Man’s inhumanity to man 112
Preamble 112
Genocide 112
Slavery 115
Racial prejudice 120
Death at the games 122
10 Conclusion 126
Notes 130
Select bibliography 168
Index to sources 179
General index 187

ix