The Roman Officials

It is argued that the presence of the Roman governor had a far-reaching effect on how the litigants conducted their cases, both in and out of court. The use of the Roman court system was, therefore, rather more complex than just appeal in the hope of judgment. In fact, it was probable that these litigants engaged in private negotiations at the same time as they pursued justice through the Roman system. The motivation behind such behaviour lay in the atmosphere of uncertainty that surrounded the governor’s court and his decision-making processes: this atmosphere is demonstrated through a wider examination of the actions and decisions of governors throughout the Roman empire. The Roman system thus appears to have been deployed as a bargaining chip in more informal negotiations, and it is possible that Babatha and her fellow litigants never fully intended for their cases to be adjudicated by a Roman judge.

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