Since classical Greece was not politically united, modern scholars have questioned whether one
Greek law existed or every city-state (polis) had its own. The latest contribution by Gagarin
(2005) denies unity in substantive law, but finds it in legal procedure. This article shows that under
the surface of highly differentiated legal institutions within Greek city-states one can find
general juristic conceptions. It just depends on the observer, not on the object observed. Looking
at general conceptions is necessary also for a deeper understanding of any city-states’ particular
law, substantive or procedural. From Homer to Athens and Gortyn legal procedure developed
in secularizing decisive oaths. A process from horkos to psêphos, from decisive oaths
to the voting pebbles used by the Athenian judges, can thus be reconstructed.
