Crime and Punishment
What were laws and law enforcement really like in ancient times? This has been a question in my own games for years – decades even. Unusually , I go with some sort of pseudo-modern style with what I imagine things might be like in a fictional setting.
I finally decided to fix that and do a deep dive on the actual laws and legal practices of several ancient societies.
This book is the result of that research. It answers those questions by summarizing the laws of ancient Athens, Rome, Egypt, Persian, and Scandinavia. With this guide, GMs can model their societies on one of these or mix and match elements to create their own legal systems.
I want to stress that none of this is fiction. The legal content of this book is derived entirely from history. This title is one of the most heavily researched titles I’ve written. Sources include the Grey Goose Laws of Iceland, the Twelve Tablets of Rome, and several research papers about Egypt and Persia. I’ve also taken notes form other sources including the Norse sagas. Although this is not a history book, it draws heavily from history and contains some astounding statements – some would seem completely implausible if they weren’t actually true. Such as:
- Bardic magic is outlawed in Rome
- In Athens, there is an all female police force dedicated to protecting the female citizens
- There are no lawyers in Egypt or Persia. Instead, justice is found through other means
- Holmgangs are a legal way to settle disputes in Scandinavian lands
- Insults or merely talking to the wrong person can be justification for legal homicide
- Relying on oracles, spirits, and magic is sometimes necessary to solve crimes
- In Greek lands, all murders must be solved, else the community face the curse of misama
- In the gangland of Rome, law enforcement is nonexistent. Instead, your family looks out for you
- In some towns, strangers are not welcome and if they ask for anything, they might be killed
- Egyptian police use apes to help aprehend criminals
- In Greece, some court juries have up to 5000 members deciding a case
- In Persia, law enforcement is surprisingly modern and frighteningly thorough
Coming Soon to Kickstarter!
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