Writing for students and educated lay readers, Versteeg (New England Law, Boston) describes the development of the legal systems of ancient Greece and Rome (with the focus of the chapters on Greece settling primarily on ancient Athens in the Fifth and Fourth Centuries B.C.E.). For each, he includes a "Background and Beginnings" chapter discussing the historical context and introducing relevant principles of jurisprudence; a chapter on procedural aspects of the law, such as court structure, judges, trial procedure, evidence, and legislations; and a chapter on substantive legal topics such as property, contracts, family law, and criminal law. Throughout, he draws attentions to the connections and influences of social, cultural, economic, philosophical, and political forces. Also included are short sections on the law in literature, which discuss, for example, the legal philosophies found in Cicero's De Legibus and Caesar's De Bello Gallico. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)