Read about the evidence
Demosthenes (Dem. 54).

This article was originally written for the online discussion series “Athenian Law in its Democratic Context,” organized by Adriaan Lanni and sponsored by Harvard University’s Center for Hellenic Studies. Its purpose is to give a brief overview of the structure and procedures of the Athenian legal system, and some discussion of the nature and peculiar challenges of the sources for our knowledge of it, to serve as a background for the more detailed articles of this series that will focus on specific aspects of Athenian law. Suggested Reading: Demosthenes 54, “Against Conon.”