Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Why don't you take this opportunity to talk about the arbitration case you've been involved in? If it's something interesting, I think it will cheer me up."

Samael, who was eager to cultivate a good relationship with this hidden bigwig, readily agreed. While recounting amusing anecdotes about the rulings, he intentionally or unintentionally interspersed his explanations of the principles of the rule of law, refining what was essential and discarding what was not.

Themis, the goddess of justice, listened intently, her beautiful eyes sparkling, and she began to set aside her reserve, frequently asking questions and discussing the matter.

Even when it came to specific cases and issues, the two sides held opposing views and engaged in heated debates.

The strange feeling of this time and space intersecting and coexisting with culture reminded Samael of the scene in the classic painting "The School of Athens," and a pleasant smile appeared on his lips.

Outside the door, it was just as lively and noisy.

Tina, now the leader of the children, is leading two little nymphs, Krina and Daphne, chasing after darting rabbits and toddler eagles, running all over the yard and having a great time.

Chapter Thirteen: Judgment Under the Stars (1/4)

In the Cilician marshes, with the Milky Way hanging in the sky and the night as still as water, Themis leaned back in her wicker chair, engrossed in examining the cases on the parchment scroll in her hands.

The story goes that the father killed his daughter as a sacrifice, the mother, harboring resentment, conspired with her lover to kill the father, and the son, seeking revenge, killed the mother.

The arbitration resulted in the son being acquitted.

This righteous revenge should be forgiven.

"I cannot agree with this ruling."

After a long period of contemplation, Themis raised her head and solemnly shook her head.

Samael picked up the flower cup, took a sip of the crystalline dew, and raised an eyebrow.

"In the son's eyes, his mother was just the murderer of his father, an enemy, and he had no concept of a mother."

"Shouldn't avenging one's father be considered a righteous act?"

Themis then entered into a righteous and stern response.

"If the son is innocent, then what wrong has the mother done in avenging her daughter?"

"There is no need to whitewash his act of patricide. If the sins of both parties cancel each other out, he has only killed an innocent woman."

The ancient serpent sat opposite and opened its lips to refute.

"The father is the true sower, and the mother is merely the vessel for conception; the father is more important than the mother."

"The son's righteous act of avenging his father is far more noble than the mother's despicable act of venting her personal grievances!"

The goddess of justice slid her fingertips across the parchment scroll, her expression serene and solemn.

"In raising children, the father provides the seed, and the mother provides the greenhouse; these successors share the same blood!"

"Moreover, procreation and protecting one's maternal instincts are the foundation of the world's existence. Shouldn't a mother's act of seeking justice for her daughter be even more noble?"

Then, Themis seemed to realize something, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

"Moreover, if judged from the perspective of justice in the parental position..."

"A child can live without a father, but not without a mother."

"Even the heavenly father Uranus was a product of parthenogenesis by the earth mother Gaia."

"Mother created Father!"

Upon hearing this, Samael's expression turned strange, and the playful emotion in his eyes was quite subtle.

This case is actually based on the play "Orestes" by the ancient Greek writer Aeschylus, which adapted a mythological story.

In the famous Trojan War, the army led by King Agamemnon, the commander of the ancient Greeks, encountered a storm. To quell the storm brought by the sea god, the father killed his daughter Iphigenia and sacrificed her to the sea god.

Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, sought revenge for her daughter's death. She committed adultery and, ten years later, assassinated Agamemnon in their home upon his triumphant return. Her lover then seized power.

Agamemnon's youngest son, Orestes, was only 12 years old at the time. He fled to another country, vowing to avenge his father when he grew up. Years later, Orestes did indeed return home and, together with his sister Electra, murdered his mother and her lover.

Having avenged his mother, Orestes went mad after being implicated in the heinous crime of matricide. He was repeatedly tormented by the Furies and could find no peace, so he had to flee from place to place.

Finally, Apollo guided him to Athens to seek the fair judgment of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.

The sun god who defended Orestes claimed that the father was the true sower, and that a person could have only a father and no mother, just as Athena was born from the head of Zeus.

Ultimately, Athena, forced to choose sides, cast the crucial vote, and Orestes, who had murdered his mother, was declared innocent and released, returning to Mycenae to ascend the throne.

If this goddess of justice were also involved, and threw Apollo's argument that Gaia, the Earth Mother, created Uranus, the Heavenly Father, in the face, the sun god's expression would surely be quite interesting.

After all, fathers are created by mothers, so shouldn't it be more commendable for mothers to kill their fathers?

Don't forget, that God Father was castrated by his son Cronus at Gaia's behest.

If Apollo dared to suggest that the father's status was higher than the mother's, or that avenging the father was more righteous, he would be slapping the face of that Greek grandmother.

Brilliant! Brilliant!

He secretly wrote down the words for future use, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"So you agree that your son should be sentenced to death?"

Themis, the goddess of justice, shook her head again, frowned, and pondered for a moment before giving her reply.

"If I were to be tried, I would choose exile over the death penalty."

"Oh? Why? That's a serious crime of matricide."

Samael, a faint smile playing on his lips, inquired about the reason with curiosity.

Themis gently stroked the parchment scroll with her five fingers, which were as white as scallion roots, exuding a tranquil temperament, and pursed her lips in contemplation.

“It is understandable for a mother to seek revenge for her daughter.”

"However, she put her lover on the throne, and the twelve-year-old prince naturally became a thorn in the side of the rebels."

"The reason given for avenging his father is indeed untenable."

"But when one's own life is threatened, the excessive actions taken in self-defense should be met with justice and forgiveness."

The goddess of justice paused, her brow furrowing slightly, her tone gentle and calm.

"However, the prince was threatened in his childhood, but eventually escaped safely. He came to take revenge as an adult and killed his mother and her lover."

"This exceeds the time limit and scope of self-protection, so while it is reasonable to sympathize with the perpetrator, it cannot completely absolve them of their guilt."

"However, he had been cursed and tormented by the goddess of vengeance for several years before his trial, so his sentence should be appropriately reduced."

"Considering all the above factors, stripping him of his right to the throne, which is the most precious thing besides his life, and exiling him forever is the most appropriate arbitration result I can think of."

The trial ended, and Themis breathed a sigh of relief. But as she recovered, she suddenly realized that everything around her was completely silent.

The mysterious gaze of her companion across from her made the Goddess of Justice subconsciously raise her hand to touch her cheek. An inexplicable blush rose from her ears, and her delicate body twisted slightly uncomfortably.

"What's wrong? Did I make a wrong judgment?"

Samael snapped out of his daze, shaking his head frantically as he exclaimed in genuine amazement.

"No, no! Yes! Absolutely right!"

"Your understanding and intuition for legal arbitration are simply beyond my imagination!"

Goodness, in such a short time, she has already introduced concepts such as "legitimate self-defense" and "excessive self-defense" into the case, and the logic of the judgment is self-consistent.

Even in a legal society with a more complete legal system in the previous life, the result would probably be similar.

The Mycenaean prince attributed this to an act of matricide bordering on excessive self-defense, compounded by a history of mental illness.

At most, he would be deprived of his political rights for life, plus a life sentence. He might even be granted medical parole, stay in a mental hospital, and be isolated from the world in a single room.

Doesn't this amount to exile and the abolition of inheritance rights?

In the primitive age of gods, one can actually witness judgments that resemble those of a modern court.

What else could he say? Samael mentally typed out a string of "66666" to cheer for this goddess of justice.

Goddess of Justice.jpg

Chapter Fourteen: Samael, the Outlaw (2/4)

Themis humbly shook her head, looking at her companion with even greater reverence.

"Compared to your breadth and depth, I am but a humble introducer."

"In reality, truth is my teacher."

Samael quickly waved his hand. Facing a true legal expert, he naturally dared not pretend to be a big shot and complained half-jokingly.

"Teacher, forget it. Just share your brilliant ideas as a friend. That would be much more convenient and easier."

"After all, a student like you is not easy to teach; you're too smart."

The goddess of justice smiled serenely, exuding a beautiful elegance and grace, and gently extended her delicate hand in response with a playful remark.

"Then, please take care of me from now on, my friend."

Samael smiled and shook hands with this hidden bigwig in a friendly manner, taking their relationship to the next level.

After guessing Themis's identity, the ancient serpent, catering to her interests, used case law during its leisure time while playing chess to introduce the concept of natural law that originated in Greece.

Of course, Samael did a lot of work in order to better portray himself in the Age of Gods.

For example, based on Solon's reforms, which stated that "laws should be made so that no one is superior or inferior, and everyone should be treated equally, and the path should be straight so that everyone gets what they deserve," he proposed "written laws" and "equality in the judiciary."

The discussion shifts from Plato's "philosopher-king" concept of "wise men politics" to a debate on the merits and demerits of "cultivating professional legal talent" and "nationally emotional referendums."

Based on Aristotle's view that "rule of law" is superior to "rule of man," we can interpret the specific advantages of the rule of law.

……

In addition, pure ideas are naturally not a good reference for arbitration.

Samael also gradually formed a system of corresponding laws by presenting half of them during their daily tea parties, allowing Themis to complete and regulate the other half.

In order to point out the loopholes and loopholes in the law through rebuttal, Samael has more than once played the role of "Zhang San, the outlaw who wanted to escape legal sanctions."

The content cited, taking into account factual factors, is naturally not too advanced.

The contents of the Roman Twelve Tables, which shared the same legal origins as Greek law, and the Mesopotamian legal code, which was already in its early stages, became topics of discussion between the two.

Moreover, within the Mesopotamian world, Samael had nearly a year of experience serving as the King of Uruk, and he possessed a considerable understanding of Sumerian law that would later influence the Code of Ur-Nammu and the Code of Hammurabi.

After all, he had exonerated himself from Gilgamesh by exploiting loopholes in the law.

For months, the two sides engaged in heated debates and arguments, each time arriving with high spirits and leaving thoroughly satisfied.

Themis excels in talent and keen insight, but Samael also possesses a cunning intuition that allows him to exploit loopholes, as well as erudition that transcends the understanding of his time.

The clash between the goddess of justice and the outlaw is truly spectacular.

The interesting court arbitration came to an end, and Themis, who had gained a lot, organized the parchment scrolls containing her notes.

But near the end, the goddess of justice still felt some regret about the fate of the Mycenaean queen and prince, and murmured something to herself.

"To prevent such tragedies, such private revenge should be prohibited, and acts of brutally taking lives should be severely punished by the gods."

Does this negate the legitimacy of private revenge and entrust the power of judgment to a "divine court" similar to a state?

This would indeed curb the rampant violence and bring about a more stable situation.

The idea is great, but…

Samael pursed his lips and shook his head, glancing at Themis with a meaningful look.

"If the gods are to judge and punish, then who will verify their qualifications to uphold the law?"

Themis suddenly realized what her friend meant.

The Titans of Mount Otrothus were no saints; by the standards of the law, most of them would be sentenced to death or higher.

What right do these rulers, who usually act recklessly, have to judge criminals whose crimes are even less serious than their own in the name of justice?

As a goddess of justice, I dare not say that I will judge those brothers and sisters. At most, I can say a few words of justice, which is the limit.

Thinking of this, the Goddess of Justice felt a pang of loss and helplessness, and murmured to herself.

"Is it really impossible to implement an order based on justice and law?"

Samael shook his head slightly, gathered his thoughts, and offered gentle words of comfort with a soft laugh.

"Don't even think about it. Your ideas are ahead of their time."

"Based on the primal nature of the Titan bloodline, it is far simpler for those who create problems than to solve the problems themselves."