Exploring Ancient Justice: Professor Matthew Leigh Visits Dean Close

On Tuesday evening, the Classics Department were delighted to welcome Professor Matthew Leigh from St Anne's, University of Oxford.

Professor Leigh addressed pupils from Dean Close and Kingham Hill, as well as other schools from within Cheltenham, on the topic of one of Cicero's first major criminal defences, Pro Roscio Amerino. He discussed the context of the case, the main arguments presented by Cicero, and the holes which Cicero found in the prosecution's case, as well as revealing who Cicero accused of conspiring to actually commit the murder.

It was an incredibly comprehensive and well-thought presentation, providing pupils with a lot of useful insights into the ancient world of law courts, particularly useful as our pupils are studying Cicero as one of their set text authors.