The ancient world that Alexander the Great transformed in his lifetime was transformed once more by his death. The imperial dynasties of his successors incorporated and reorganized the fallen Persian empire, creating a new land empire stretching from the shores of the Mediterranean to as far east as Bactria. In old Greece a fragile balance of power was continually disturbed by wars. Then, from the late third century, the military and diplomatic power of Rome successively defeated and dismantled every one of the post-Alexandrian political structures.

The Hellenistic period (c. 323-30 BC) was then one of fragmentation, violent antagonism between large states, and struggles by small polities to retain an illusion of independence. Yet it was also a period of growth, prosperity, and intellectual achievement. A vast network spread of trade, influence and cultural contact, from Italy to Afghanistan and from Russia to Ethiopia, enriching and enlivening centres of wealth, power and intellectual ferment.

From Alexander the Great's early days building an empire, via wars with Rome, rampaging pirates, Cleopatra's death and the Jewish diaspora, right up to the death of Hadrian, Chaniotis examines the social structures, economic trends, political upheaval and technological progress of an era that spans five centuries and where, perhaps, modernity began.

How successful were the Athenians and other Greeks in bringing about the rule of law? What did the Greeks recognize as 'law' both in the polis and internationally? How did the courts attempt to implement this ideal, and how successful were they? This collection of essays sets out to answer these questions, concentrating on the following themes: law, religion and the sources of legitimacy; substance and procedure; legal arguments in court; documents and witnesses; and law in an international context. There is much here to interest not only specialists in Greek law, but also those concerned more generally with both Greek history and the history of law.Contributors include: Christopher Carey, Angelos Chaniotis, Michael Gagarin, Edward Harris, Adriaan Lanni, Frederick Naiden, Robert Parker, Peter Rhodes, Lene Rubinstein, James Sickinger.

Inhalt: Voraussetzungen und Umfeld: Alter Orient und A"gypten - Von der Antike in die Neuzeit und zurA1/4ck - Kulturelle Geographie - Gegenwelten in Bildern: Griechenland - Gegenwelten in Bildern: Rom Die Griechen haben, seit der frA1/4hen archaischen Zeit, ihre Welt in einem eminenten MaA in Bildern begriffen. In Bildern von sich selbst und Gegenbildern zu sich selbst. Die Selbstbilder sind seit Jahrhunderten bewundert und analysiert worden. Hier geht es um die Gegenbilder. Weitgehend waren es Wertvorsstellungen der eigenen Kultur, die dann durch neue Normen und Verhaltensmuster in die Gegenwelt der groAen Antipoden projiziert wurden. Gerade weil es abgedrAngte Ideale und latente MAglichkeiten der eigenen Kultur waren, gewannen sie solche Faszination und AktualitAt.

Wissentlich oder unwissentlich sind wir st ndig mit berzeugungsstrategien konfrontiert: in Werbung, Politik und Alltagskommunikation. Vertreter eines weiten F cherspektrums (u. a. Philosophie, Sinologie, Literatur-, Musik- und Rechtswissenschaft, Psychologie und Biologie) untersuchen in dem Band verschiedene Arten von berzeugungsstrategien von der Antike bis heute. Im Zentrum stehen die vielf ltigen berzeugungsmittel und deren konkrete Umsetzung und Wirkung in verschiedenen historischen, politischen, kulturellen und rechtlichen Kontexten.

SEG LIII covers the publications of the year 2003, with occasional additions from previous years that we missed in earlier volumes and from studies published after 2003 but pertaining to material from 2003. This volume will be published in two parts, with volume LIII-1 containing Attica.