Introduction 1
1 Seeking Justice in the Roman World 16
Petitioning in the Roman World 22
2 The Rescript System 39
The Codex Hermogenianus 39
The Rescript System in Motion 47
The Work of the scrinium libellorum 55
3 The Rescript System in Context 63
Petitioners 67
Places 83
4 Using the System 98
“With the Law” 102
“Before the Law” 112
“Against the Law” 129
5 The Emperor and His Petitioners 137
Petitioners in Need: The New Understanding of Poverty 138
The Roles of the Emperor 140
Limits on the Emperor 154
The Nexus of Power: Emperor, Officials, Petitioners 155
Conclusion 159
APPENDIX 1.THE SKAPTOPARA INSCRIPTION 167
APPENDIX 2.CATALOG OF EXTANT ENTRIES FROM THE CODEX HERMOGENIANUS 175
MAP 205
NOTES 207
BIBLIOGRAPHY 245
INDEX 261