"Close readings of juristic opinions and Republican or imperial legislation allow the contributors to find the rationale behind rules and decisions in order to explain practices and mentalities of the elite within a larger social context. From these independent case studies, the editors draw the conclusion that Roman law was not divorced from the realities of daily life, even though some jurists might have been working with hypothetical cases.".

"SPECVLVM IVRIS: Roman law as a Reflection of Social and Economic Life in Antiquity addresses the thorny complexities of a broad range of critical legal issues. It will be a valuable tool for classicists and ancient historians alike, as well as for legal, social, and economic historians, sociologists, and anthropologists."--BOOK JACKET.