Most modern accounts of how the classical Romans sued each other tend to show the opponents willingly cooperating under the guidance of a magistrate, until thei... » 

Most modern accounts of how the classical Romans sued each other tend to show the opponents willingly cooperating under the guidance of a magistrate, until their case was ready for trial. This view of relatively polite and orderly initiation of suits was based on tiny amounts of evidence. Metzger examines a flood of new evidence, painting a picture of litigation that is far less polite and far less orderly. He examines how the rules of procedure coped with the typical pretrial delays that the Roman system, and indeed any legal system, faces. «