Giovanissimi colpevoli? Studi sulla responsabilità penale degli impuberi in Roma antica

To what extent is a prepubescent individual held accountable for committing crimes or torts? This subject has raised problematic questions not only today, as shown by the frequently debated regulations nowadays, but also in ancient times and it is characterized by problematic aspects today as in the past. In fact, the legal system expects ever-increasing degrees of awareness from a growing subject, assessing differently, from birth to puberty, the development of the will for the purpose of attributing the offence to its perpetrator, and this also depends on the nature of the offence committed. By examining the sources, which are not particularly numerous on this topic, the aim is to provide an evolutionary overview of the Roman rules and principles, from the archaic period to the late classical era, which regulated the accountability of individuals who had not yet reached puberty.