Aequum et iustum
The relationship of Roman judges to native law has recently been discussed extensively by Alonso (2013) from a juristic perspective. This chapter explores the subject from a more historical viewpoint: What were the underlying principles of Roman legal administration in the provinces, and what place was assigned to pre-Roman legal traditions? The province of Egypt, extensively documented through papyri, can serve to illustrate the general conditions faced by governors throughout the empire: environmental features, local knowledge, and a diverse group of advisers all determined the way justice was administered. Overarching ideals can nevertheless be identified. Roman conceptions of justice included the acknowledgment of non-Roman legal traditions, as long as these were not deemed to violate fundamental principles of humanitas.