02.06.2026 Workshop vom 12.–13. Juni 2026: “Le rite réalise le droit“? – Rituals and the Law in the Ancient World

In ancient studies, it has become commonplace to emphasise the legal dimension of rituals. Whether in court-like proceedings before the divine judge Šamaš in Babylonian-Assyrian purification rituals or in the legal authority of divine decisions established through divination, rituals frequently employ legal terminology and invoke judicial settings to lend legitimacy to their concerns. Conversely, the role of ritual elements in legal contexts as a means of clarifying and legitimising decisions has received far less systematic attention. Nevertheless, ancient sources document ritual acts such as throwing metal lumps into the sea to confirm an oath, river ordeals, or the punishment of perjurers by pouring lead into their mouths. Other examples include mock trials conducted in court to effect the transfer of property (in iure cessio and related procedures), mancipatio, nexum, and solutio per aes et libram, as well as the communal consumption of spelt bread in marriages (confarreatio).

Programm:

Friday 12th June 2026

14:00
Introduction
Nils Heeßel (Marburg) and Constantin Willems (Marburg)
14:30
The Legal Value of Contractual Rites in Mesopotamia
Sophie Démare-Lafont (Paris)
16:00
The Performative Nature of Sealing Clay Tablets
Steffen Jauß (Frankfurt)
17:00
In Search of the Lost Ritual. Ritual(s) and the implementation of Assyrian adê
Lionel Marti (Paris)

Saturday 13th June 2026

09:00
The Role of Ritual in the Roman Legal Process
Grzegorz Blicharz (Cracow)
10:30
Formal Contracts in Roman Law and in the New Belgian Civil Code
Jean-François Gerkens (Liège)
11:30
Final Discussion, Conclusions
Nils Heeßel (Marburg) and ConstantinWillems (Marburg)