A History of Exile in the Roman Republic

Roman senators and equestrians were always vulnerable to prosecution for their official conduct, especially since politically motivated accusations were common. When charged with a crime in Republican Rome, such men had a choice concerning their fate. They could either remain in Rome and face possible conviction and punishment, or go into voluntary exile and avoid legal sentence. For the majority of the Republican period, exile was not a formal legal penalty contained in statutes, although it was the practical outcome of most capital convictions. Despite its importance in the political arena, Roman exile has been a neglected topic in modern scholarship. This 2006 study examines all facets of exile in the Roman Republic: its historical development, technical legal issues, the possibility of restoration, as well as the effects of exile on the lives and families of banished men.

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Review of the hardback: '… not only a history of exile, but also an analysis of many important developments in the history of Rome from the mid-second century to the death of Caesar; this is a book which will be of interest to anyone working on the history or politics of the Late Republic, and indispensable to anyone working on exile or the history of the Roman criminal law.' Journal of Roman Studies

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Product details

• Date Published: April 2007
• format: Hardback
• isbn: 9780521848602
• length: 274 pages

• dimensions: 229 x 152 x 19 mm
• weight: 0.49kg
• availability: Available