Lecture Series

Lecture series organised by the Würzburg Centre for Classical Studies in the winter semester 2026/27

Full details of the event can be found on the WAZ homepage

Murder, theft, fraud – crime has existed and continues to exist throughout the ages. Where norms are breached, questions arise about guilt and responsibility, about right and wrong, about punishment, retribution and justice. At the same time, crime has always held a particular fascination, as demonstrated by the enduring popularity of crime novels, television series and true-crime programmes. These stories are recounted, examined from psychological and legal perspectives, and invite us to search for motives and perpetrators.

Ancient cultures, too, were familiar with such forms of criminality. Written and material sources record spectacular cases as well as everyday legal disputes, offering different perspectives on perpetrators, victims and the societies in which these offences were dealt with. It is important to bear in mind that historical records are selective and give voice only to certain perspectives. At the same time, these accounts offer valuable insights into how society dealt with breaches of the law, as well as into the systems of norms and values of ancient cultures.

The lecture series ‘Crime Scene: Antiquity’ explores the various aspects of crime, criminality and law from the perspectives of different disciplines within classical studies. It examines the legal systems of ancient cultures as well as individual criminal cases.

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