Treason In The Roman Era

Throughout American history, very few people have actually been convicted of treason. In fact, some have argued that the law against committing treason is outdated and would no longer be used as an indictment because it is too hard to prove. As modern technologies become more advanced, some people who previously thought that about treason are revoking their opinions. Things like, “the ability to transmit photos, videos, and documents over the internet and to preserve and duplicate them means that the evidence of treason is more likely to be available today than it was in the World War II era.” Unlike the times when the American law against treason was written, most people have access to an electronic device that takes photos or videos. This makes proving a person’s guilt or innocence easier. As this law becomes imminently relevant, more people, like Edward Snowden, are being brought to question on whether their actions are treasonous.
Not only has the relevance of the law against treason been brought into question, but also its punishments have been challenged. The punishment for traitors has varied in degree from fines, to life imprisonment, to even the death penalty. According to the House of
In the ancient Roman era, the concept of treason took form in what the Romans called, “crimen laesae majestatis.” The law, established by the Republic, stated that no injury may come to the emperor’s authority. This meant that if a Roman harmed the emperor in any way, he would be charged with treason. Many years later, England adopted its own laws for treason. The English defined treason as “treachery or betrayal of established trust.” By this, one could be convicted of treason if a subject killed his or her spouse or lord. This was called petit treason. The other way one could be convicted of treason was if a citizen betrayed the country of England as a whole. This was called high