Conflicts Over Gender in Civic Courts
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23607482 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Carol Lansing (University of California, Santa Barbara, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Pages | 118-132 |
| Publication date | 2012-12-28 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | CHAPTER |
| Venue | The Oxford Handbook of Women and Gender in Medieval Europe (SOURCE_BOOK) |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199582174.013.005 |
| OpenAlex | W2624493180 |
| ISBN | 9780199582174 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 1 |
Civic court records are a rare source for medieval social experience and attitudes, including low-status people who do not appear in most records. Because the requirements for proof in Roman law included fama, reputation, and status, witnesses in court discussed and at times differed over which aspects of a person’s behavior determined their honesty and respectability. This could become an implicit debate over gender expectations. Can a concubine be considered an honest woman? The article explores a 1295 case in which a wealthy politician was charged with the rape of a woman who lived as a concubine. The case hinged on the complex medieval legal understandings of rape. It is also a vivid example of a power struggle waged in and out of the court, involving both bribery and judicial torture. Ultimately, it reveals how class and gender expectations for men and women influenced the court process.
Criminology · Law and economics · Political science · Sociology · Gender Politics and Representation · Law
| Highly cited | No |
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