Introduction -- pt. I. The world of belief. The use and value of Greek legal documents ; Roman perceptions of Roman tablets: aspects and associations ; The Roman tablet: style and language ; Recitation from tablets ; Tablets and efficacy -- pt. II. The evolution of practice. Roman tablets in Italy (AD 15-79) ; Roman tablets and related forms in the Roman provinces (30 BC-AD 260) ; Tablets and other documents in court to AD 400 ; Documents, jurists, the emperor, and the law (AD 200-AD535) -- Conclusion
Summary
The Romans wrote solemn religious, public, and legal documents on wooden tablets. This book investigates the historical significance of this practice: its power to order the human realm and cosmos and to make documents efficacious; its spread to the provinces; and its influence on the evolution of Roman law
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 299-340) and index
