The trial of Quidam in the light of Roman law

Abstract

The article is an attempt to analytically portray the scene of the trial of three Christians, taking place on the Capitol Hill, in front of the temple of Jupiter in Norwid’s poem Quidam. This monumental fresco, divided into many smaller sequences, clearly distinguishes itself from intimate shots prevalent in the text, narrowed to small spaces, small groups of people. The analysis focuses here primarily on the reconstruction of the trial from the perspective of Roman law. Ultimately, this leads to the recognition of historical legal awareness of Norwid, who, upon constructing one of the fundamental visions of his work, drew on the knowledge and literature of the mid-19^th-century concerning the role and significance of Roman law.