Horrible Histories Magazine ¹17: The Vile Victorians – Crime & Punishment
Horrible Histories is a series of illustrated history books. They are designed to get children interested in history by concentrating on the unusual, gory, or unpleasant.Horrible Histories has sold over ten million copies in the UK alone, and sold over 20 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into 31 languages which has gone on sale in 37 countries worldwide.
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.
Crime and punishment have concerned humanity since the beginning of social life. Their manifestations in ancient Rome remains a fascinating topic, as the law of most European countries today is derived from ancient Roman law. Richard A. Bauman tells the history of punishment from the Roman Republic to the late Empire, shedding light on some decisive aspects of Roman history. He assesses punishment according to its innate humanity and cruelty, traces the changes in Roman attitudes, laws and practices during this era.
In this brilliant work, the most influential philosopher since Sartre suggests that such vaunted reforms as the abolition of torture and the emergence of the modern penitentiary have merely shifted the focus of punishment from the prisoner's body to his soul.
