Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction -- Roman history : the brief version -- Sources of Roman law -- Sources for Roman law -- The legal professions -- Legal education -- Social control -- Legal (in)equality -- Writing and the law -- Status -- Civil procedure -- Contracts -- Ownership and possession -- Other rights over property -- Inheritance -- Women and property -- Family law -- Delict -- Crimes and punishments -- Religious law -- Law in the provinces -- Conclusion.

"In this book, Andrew Riggsby offers a survey of the main areas of Roman law, both substantive and procedural, and how the legal world interacted with the rest of Roman life. Emphasising basic concepts, he recounts its historical development and focuses in particular on the later Republic and early centuries of the Roman Empire. The volume is designed as an introductory work, with brief chapters that will be accessible to college students with little knowledge of legal matters or Roman antiquity. The text is also free of technical language and Latin terminology. It can be used in courses on Roman law, Roman history, or comparative law, but it will also serve as a useful reference for more advanced students and scholars"-- Provided by publisher.