ВОПРОСЫ ПЕРВОГО ТУРА
всероссийской дистанционной олимпиады по английскому языку для студентов-юристов
«Just Train Your Brain»
Благодарим всех конкурсантов, принявших участие в первом туре! Здесь мы публикуем САМЫЕ ИНТЕРЕСНЫЕ ответы на вопросы олимпиады.
1. Why should every community have a certain set of rules of behaviour, in other words laws?
I think that every community should have a certain set of rules of behaviour, because a state cannot survive without any kind of law (from traditions, primitive rules to modern sophisticated law codes). There are always people, who have different interests, which are usually colliding, and the function of law is to regulate this situation. (Максим Шуваев, Пермский Государственный Университет)
2. Why is it impossible to produce laws which would be entirely satisfactory?
Each society consists of many social groups and each of them has its own political, economical and other interests which can be different and even contradictory. These circumstances make the adoption of laws which would be entirely satisfactory impossible. (Сергей Бурлаков, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
3. What areas of human life did the earliest laws deal with?
Laws are supposed to regulate the relations and protect the values which are considered by the society and the state as the most important at a particular time. The earliest laws dealt with compensation for body injuries, slavery, etc. (Сергей Бурлаков, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
4. What is the origin and the meaning of the word «draconian»?
The word «draconian» means very severe, extremely harsh measures. This term arises from the code of laws of Draco, where death penalty was the main punishment for almost all criminal offenses. (Дарья Кривошея, Белгородский Государственный Университет)
5. In your opinion, why did Hammurabi decide to have his laws carved into a stone pillar set up in a temple?
To my mind, Hammurabi decided to have his laws carved into a stone pillar set up in a temple, because the stone allowed his laws to live forever. The stone also symbolized that Hummurabi’s laws were as durable as stone, and setting up of the pillar in a temple asserted that his laws were divine and represented the will of God. (Марина Агальцова, Южно-Уральский Государственный Университет)
6. How do you understand the principle «an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth»?
This is the principle of revenge, according to which the punishment should fit the crime. That’s why those who steal, should be deprived of their property those who kill should be killed. (Марина Агальцова, Южно-Уральский Государственный Университет)
7. What is the Latin name for the «Act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas»?
The Latin name for the «Act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas» is the «Habeas Corpus Act».
8. How do you understand the principle of limited government?
The principle of «limited government» was introduced by the Magna Carta and meant the restriction of absolute monarchic power in the economic sphere, in the sphere of human rights and legal proceedings. According to this document certain taxes could not be collected without popular consent, the unlawful loss of life, liberty and property was forbidden. (Антон Рапенок, Пермский Государственный Университет)
9. In your opinion, were the punishments of the ancient world harsher than those of our time? Justify your view.
I consider, that punishments of our time are not so harsh, as they were in ancient times, because we are trying to make them more humane, respecting intrinsic individual rights. Moreover, nowadays many states have abolished death penalty and use imprisonment as the most common punishment, unlike ancient times, where the Talion principle was observed. (Марина Агальцова, Южно-Уральский Государственный Университет)
10. What is the essential difference between the codes of Solon and Draco?
The most essential difference between the codes of Solon and Draco is that in comparison with the code of Draco the code of Solon was more humane. (Максим Шуваев, Пермский Государственный Университет)
11. What facts support the statement that Solon was a more popular ruler than Draco?
Solon was one of the Seven Wise Men of Greece, a noted poet and the Athenian people of all classes turned to Solon hoping to solve their problems in a satisfactory way. (Екатерина Кривошапова, Белгородский Государственный Университет)
The main indication of a statesman’s popularity is that people trust him and support his activities. Athenians believed in Solon and relied on him in times of political crisis and possible revolution because they supposed that he would be able to find a wise solution to the problems. (Сергей Бурлаков, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
12. What political situation necessitated the granting of the Magna Carta?
The struggle for power between the English King and the nobility and the threat of civil war necessitated the adoption of the Magna Carta, one of the oldest written constitutional papers. (Юрий Анцыферов, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
13. What was so remarkable about Napoleon’s law code?
Napoleon’s code is the excellent model of civil law codification which is characterized by a very high level of judicial technique that makes it understandable for ordinary people. Having abolished previous privileges of different social groups and having given people equal rights, Napoleon created an immortal code of laws. (Сергей Бурлаков, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
14. In which national emergencies can the Habeas Corpus Act be suspended?
The Habeas Corpus Act can be suspended only in extraordinary situations such as rebellion or invasion, which is declared in Article 1 of the American Constitution. In England and Scotland such a measure has not been applied since 1818.
(Антон Рапенок, Пермский Государственный Университет)
15. How do you understand the concept of «natural law»?
The concept of «natural law» means that some rights of persons are given to them not by their states, but by nature. So the state and its bodies can’t confine the people or deprive them of these rights. (Алла Ксенюк, Белгородский Государственный Университет)
16. How were the rights of the monarch limited by the Bill of Rights?
The monarch couldn’t dispense with the law in certain cases, completely suspend laws without the consent of Parliament, levy taxes and maintain army in peacetime without specific parliamentary authorization. (Дарья Кривошея, Белгородский Государственный Университет)
17. Which prominent leader remarked: «The heart of a statesman must be in his head». What did he mean by this?
The phrase «The heart of a statesman must be in his head» was said by Napoleon Bonaparte. I suppose Napoleon wanted to express the idea, that taking public decisions a statesman must follow the common sense, think logically in the interests of his state, not taking into account his own feelings and attitudes. (Антон Рапенок, Пермский Государственный Университет)
…To my mind, Napoleon wanted to emphasize that each statesman should remain cold-minded under most strenuous circumstances and subordinate all his feelings to his duty of a statesman. (Юрий Анцыферов, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
18. What is the influence of the Bill of Rights on political thinking in America?
The Bill of Rights (1689) proved that the state system of each country should be based on the recognition of law as the main means of protection of human life, on the recognition of the main rights and freedoms of people. It was one of the reasons which caused the adoption of American Constitution (1787) and the ten amendments to it which soon received the same name as the constitutional document in England because it largely referred to the same matters. (Юрий Анцыферов, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
19. Why is it difficult to know the nature of laws that were in effect before the 3rd century BC?
The difficulty of examining the laws that were in effect before the 3rd century BC is explained by the fact that writing originated in about 3500 BC. That is why there are no written sources to be analyzed. (Сергей Бурлаков, Ивановский Государственный Университет)
… a lot of legal documents of that period have been lost or destroyed. We can make our suppositions only according to some legal memorials, which are undoubtedly insufficient for the reconstruction of the comprehensive system of ancient law. (Антон Рапенок, Пермский Государственный Университет)
20. Why did The Code Napoleon (1804) become the basis of European and, in part, the American legal systems?
I think that The Code Napoleon became the basis of European and, in part, the American legal systems because it was the first document which granted all citizens equal rights before the law, without regard to their rank. (Максим Шуваев, Пермский Государственный Университет)
… I suppose that Napoleon’s Code (1804) spread in European and, in part, in American states due to the human rights proclaimed in it and its plain language — that is why it could be read and understood by ordinary people. Maybe it spread due to the political authority, which Napoleon had in the first quarter of the XIX century. (Антон Рапенок, Пермский Государственный Университет)
21. Why do contemporary law students give historical legal documents such careful consideration?
In my opinion, we should know the origins and development of law in order to be successful and professional lawyers. Moreover, many legal ideas and principles of the past times are in effect nowadays. (Людмила Клюева, Саратов)
…ancient law is the basis of modern legal system of all countries, the legal system of every state has a special connection with ancient law. And, of course, through the history of legal documents we can see the history, the state system and the way of living of our ancestors. (Максим Шуваев, Пермский Государственный Университет)
…Of course, we need to know the history of the law, as History is the great teacher that can prevent us from making the mistakes of our predecessors. The development of world legal system helps us to reconstruct the whole picture of world law. (Марина Агальцова, Южно-Уральский Государственный Университет)
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© Just English
*** You can watch the animated video version of this article here.
Language is a funny thing and no language is as funny, weird, or baffling as English. Perhaps more than any other tongue, English has been influenced by almost every culture and language it has come into contact with. The purpose of this series is to highlight some of the more interesting instances where an event, cultural practice, or person has entered the vocabulary of the modern English speaker.
First thing’s first. What does ‘draconian’ actually mean? Well, the Oxford English Dictionary defines ‘draconian’ as ‘laws themselves or their application being excessively harsh or severe.’
Now I’m sure that there are more than a few of you who thought the word must be somehow related to dragons. There’s no point in denying it.
Unfortunately for everyone, ‘draconian’ has less to do with dragons and more to do with an Ancient Greek individual by the name of Draco. Whose name means ‘dragon’. Sooo there is that.
Anyway, Draco hailed from the city-state of Athens, the birthplace of democracy. He was what is sometimes referred to as a ‘lawgiver’, that is, someone who is responsible for establishing substantial civic laws or reforms.
Other notable Greek lawgivers include his contemporary Solon of Athens and the semi-legendary Lycurgus of Sparta, the man supposedly responsible for establishing the famously militaristic Spartan social system.
Very little is known about Draco’s life. We don’t know when he was born or who his family was or even what he did for the majority of his life.
What is known is that Draco was the first recorded legislator in Athenian history and we know he is the first recorded legislator because it was Draco who laid down the very first written legal constitution of Athens.
Indeed, he first appears on the historic record in 622 or 621 BCE, when Draco established the legal code that is referred to by historians as the Draconian Constitution.
This revolutionary legal code transitioned the Athenian judicial system away from oral laws and the practice of blood feuds to a codified system of laws that were enforceable solely by a court of law.
So how then does someone who transformed the Athenian legal system become associated in modern English with laws that are excessively harsh or severe?
Well, the term draconian in the sense that we now use it is derived from the fact that Draco’s laws were indeed notably harsh. The death penalty was used liberally, even for the most minor offences, such as stealing a piece of fruit. According to some historians, Athenians later claimed that the death penalty was the only punishment for those who broke Draco’s laws.
The ancient historian Plutarch recounts an encounter during which Draco explained the reason for his preference for capital punishment.
“And Draco himself, they say, being asked why he made the death penalty for most offences, replied that in his opinion the lesser ones deserved it and for the great ones no heavier penalty had yet been found.” – Plutarch, Life of Solon
However, despite its historic reputation for harshness, the Draconian Constitution was notable for one reform that is still an integral part of modern legal systems right down to the present day, 2600 years later.
Draco is the first known lawgiver to make a distinction between murder and involuntary homicide, with the difference being the innovative legal concept of ‘intent’.
This so-called Homicide Law has its legacy in many modern legal systems as the crimes of murder and manslaughter, with the former requiring what is known as ‘malice aforethought’, or the clear intention to kill.
However, perhaps Draco’s most enduring influence on Athenian democracy came in the form of the Council of Four Hundred, also known as the Boule, which was established in the Draconian Constitution but is often incorrectly attributed to Solon of Athens. This Council, chosen by lot, was responsible for setting the legislative agenda of the Assembly (or Ekklesia) of all Athenian citizens. By the 5th Century, the Boule was the predominant governmental body in Athenian democracy.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the incredible harshness of Draco’s laws led to intense discontent and unrest within Athenian society. In fact, every single Draconian law was by repealed by Solon in 594 BCE, with the notable exception of the Homicide Law.
The so-called Solonian Constitution essentially reformed the Athenian legal code into a system of laws that remained substantially unchanged until the decline of Athenian democracy in the 3rd Century BCE. Not for nothing is Solon considered the greatest Athenian lawgiver of them all.
As for Draco, well, as far as historians and classicists can tell, at some point his fellow Athenians drove him into exile. He took refuge on the nearby island of Aegina, where he apparently remained until his death.
Interestingly, the significance of the Draconian Constitution, as the first written constitution of Athens, was actually unknown to historians. No contemporary sources described its revolutionary nature. Until, that is, the discovery of Aristotle’s Constitution of Athens in 1898, in which the great philosopher explicitly mentions the unprecedented nature of Draco’s legal code and highlights the man’s position as one of ancient Athens’ most important reformers. This increased awareness of Draco and his constitution precipitated the entry of the word Draconian into the English lexicon with its current definition of excessive harshness in a legal setting.
So there you have it. The word draconian has nothing to do with dragons, which was a great disappointment to me, and everything to do with a man who apparently thought execution was an appropriate punishment for stealing a cabbage. No wonder they gave him the boot.
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Last Update: Jan 03, 2023
This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!
Asked by: Dorothy Spinka
Score: 4.1/5
(6 votes)
Draco, also called Drako or Drakon, was the first recorded legislator of Athens in Ancient Greece. He replaced the prevailing system of oral law and blood feud by a written code to be enforced only by a court of law.
What does it mean if someone is called draconian today?
Draconian describes something as very strict or harsh. It comes from the Athenian lawmaker Draco, whose laws were extreme. For example, theft carried the death penalty. While it was previously capitalized, because Draco is a name, most do not capitalize it today.
What is an example of draconian?
The definition of draconian is laws or punishments that are extremely severe or cruel. … When someone is put to death for stealing $1, this is an example of a draconian punishment.
What does draconian refer to?
1 law : of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him. 2 : cruel also : severe draconian littering fines.
What does it mean to take draconian measures?
(dreɪkoʊniən , drə- ) adjective. Draconian laws or measures are extremely harsh and severe.
29 related questions found
What laws did Draco create?
Draconian laws, traditional Athenian law code allegedly introduced by Draco c. 621 bce. Aristotle, the chief source for knowledge of Draco, claims that his were the first written Athenian laws and that Draco established a constitution enfranchising hoplites, the lower class soldiers.
What is draconian penalty?
punishment so severe as to seem excessive for the crime being punished.
Does draconian refer to dragons?
It was first used in English in the late 18th century. Spotting the word draconian in a headline I wondered idly if it had anything to do with dragons. It does, indirectly. … Draconic is not much used nowadays, and when it is it tends to mean ‘relating to dragons’.
What does Draco mean in Greek?
Derives from the ancient Greek Drakon, meaning «dragon» or «serpent». Draco is also the name of a constellation of stars that’s said to resemble a dragon.
What did Draco contribute to democracy?
Though, Draco wasn’t the first person to document a complete system of laws, he was the first democratic legislator in recorded history, given that he was the first lawgiver to write a codes of law following overwhelming request from the citizens of any ancient city-state.
How do you use the word draconian?
Draconian in a Sentence ?
- Giving someone a life sentence for stealing a loaf of bread is a draconian consequence.
- To many, capital punishment is a draconian practice.
- In the movie, the draconian villain killed not only his enemies but also their children.
What is draconian drug laws?
As a result of the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980’s, Congress imposed draconian maximum sentences on all drug-related statutes. Draconian meaning excessively harsh and severe consequences that can be traced back to Draco the Athenian who gave heavy punishments for small offenses.
Why did Draco change the old constitution?
The Draconian constitution, or Draco’s code, was a written law code created by Draco near the end of the 7th century BC in response to the unjust interpretation and modification of oral law by Athenian aristocrats. … This enactment of a rule of law was an early manifestation of Athenian democracy.
Can you learn draconic?
Learn Draconic can be obtained through Descent of Dragons card packs, or through crafting.
Where is Draconia?
Draconia was a floating archipelago of cities on the continent of Wildemount, southeast of the Ashkeeper Peaks. It was a Dragonborn kingdom and the home of Tiberius Stormwind.
Why do they call it a Draco?
Draco is the Latin word for serpent or dragon.
Is Draco Malfoy evil?
Draco may have been the epitome of evil for a long time in the Harry Potter series, but things turned around for the better. Even still in adulthood, Draco has the ability to effect the world negatively, but he no longer acts on it as he used to, or as his father did.
Who was Draco’s first kiss?
«Goodnight Draco,» Harry said, blushing as he awkwardly patted him on the head. Draco turned over and gave him a little smirk. «Goodnight Potter.» He leaned forward and kissed Harry gently.
How old is the word dragon?
The word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century from Old French dragon, which in turn comes from Latin: draconem (nominative draco) meaning «huge serpent, dragon», from Ancient Greek δράκων, drákōn (genitive δράκοντος, drákontos) «serpent, giant seafish».
What does the word dissent?
1 : to withhold assent or approval. 2 : to differ in opinion Three of the justices dissented from the majority opinion. dissent. noun.
Who was the Greek Draco?
Draco, also spelled Dracon, (flourished 7th century bc), Athenian lawgiver whose harsh legal code punished both trivial and serious crimes in Athens with death—hence the continued use of the word draconian to describe repressive legal measures.
Who created Greek law?
The Law in Ancient Greece. The traditions of Athens and Sparta say that the laws were given to them by Solon and Lycurgus, legendary figures who served as leaders of their city-states long ago. The two traditions agree that the laws are made by the Assembly and approved by the Senate.
What laws did Solon make?
He forbade the export of produce other than olive oil, minted new Athenian coinage on a more universal standard, reformed the standard of weights and measures, and granted immigrant craftsmen citizenship. Reforms also affected the political structure of Athens.
What was the first Greek code of laws?
Athens. One of the earliest dateable events in Athenian history is the creation of the Draconian law code by Draco, c. 620 BC.
Have you heard of Draco? No, not the Harry Potter character. This 7th-century law maker made waves with his terrible, horrible, no-good constitution. In fact, his laws were so out of pocket that the word draconian was created to describe something that’s way too harsh.
Learn more about this interesting term below!
What Does Draconian Mean?
According to the dictionary of the English language, the term draconian is an adjective that describes something as very severe or harsh. It comes from Draco, an Athenian law scribe whose laws were extreme. For instance, those who committed theft faced the death penalty.
While the term draconian was previously capitalized because it derives from a name (Draco), most do not capitalize it today, often spelling the word with a lowercase “d.”
The Origin of Draconian
Draconian originated from Draco — the name of a 7th-century B.C. Athenian legislator who created an extremely strict code of law — also called Drakon or Drako. Now, this is not to be confused with British wizard and (occasionally) beloved Hogwart’s alumni, Draco Malfoy.
Referred to by historians as the Draconian Constitution, Draco’s severe code of laws was intended to clarify the existing laws, but its severity is what made it really memorable. The death penalty was used liberally— even for the most minor offenses — and it was said that the Draconian laws were written in blood, rather than ink.
That being said, it should be noted that draco is also a Latin word that means snake or dragon. There is often some confusion with the word draconic, which originally meant pertaining to dragons, but was commandeered after Draco came onto the Athens political field. Therefore, draconic carries both meaning and one must use contect to identify the definition.
On the flip side, dragonian does not come from draco, but instead derives from the word dragon and most definitely pertains to dragons.
Synonyms of Draconian
To help further your understanding of the word draconian, we’ve put together a list of words with the same or nearly the same meaning. These are called synonyms. Learning the synonyms of words is a great way to broaden your English vocabulary.
Synonyms of draconian provided by Thesaurus.com:
- Cruel
- Drastic
- Heavy-handed
- Oppressive
- Severe
- Strict
- Brutal
- Exorbitant
- Extreme
- Rough
- Very Severe
- Merciless
- Savage
Antonyms of Draconian
In addition to synonyms, learning words that have the opposite meaning of the term draconian can also help sharpen your overall sense of language. These are called antonyms.
Antonyms of draconian, include:
- Mild
- Lenient
- Amenable
- Calm
- Easy
- Easy-going
- Merciful
- Accommodating
- Sympathetic
- Lax
- Gentle
- Liberal
- Soft
- Indulgent
- Loose
- Compromising
How Is Draconian Used in a Sentence?
Now that you know what draconian means, let’s take a look at how the term can be used in a sentence:
“To control population growth, draconian measures have been implemented by the mayor.”
“If you ask me, this seems a bit draconian.”
“To many, capital punishment is viewed as a draconian practice.”
“Giving someone a life sentence for stealing a piece of fruit is a draconian consequence.”
“If your parents make you do chored for fives hours every day, they are being draconian.”
“To control the spread of the Coronavirus, Hong Kong authorities said that draconian measures would have to be implemented in China.”
“Did you know that the Greek statesman Draco laid down the draconian laws for Athens 621 B.C.E., mandating death as punishment for minor crimes?”
“Sure, that may seem a bit draconian to some, but the data shows these specific measures worked to save lives in the UK.
“There were some crazy draconian budget cuts today.”
“Sentencing someone to twenty years in prison for littering would be draconian.”
“Many people think Singapore’s chewing gum ban is draconian.”
“The harsh code of laws put in place sound draconian, but I guess there’s a reason for them.”
“He went to jail last Monday due to the heavy punishments mandated by draconian law.”
“They criticized the draconian measures being taken to control the spread of the disease.”
Does Draconian Have Any Other Meanings?
Although draconian is widely known as a strict code of laws made by Athenian lawmaker Draco, the term may also refer to:
- A Gothic Doom Metal band called Draconian from Säffle, Sweden formed in 1994.
- A computer game called Draconian written by Mike Hughey and published via “Tom Mix Software” in 1984.
- An extraterrestrial race known as the Draconians featured in the British science fiction TV series Doctor Who.
- A fictional species called Draconian (Dragonlance) in the Dragonlance setting.
- A humanoid race known as the Draconian Empire in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV series.
- A school magazine of the Dragon School in Oxford, England called The Draconian.
In Summary
So, what does draconian mean?
Pertaining to the famous lawgiver of Athens, Draco, who was infamously known for making harsh laws, the term draconian is an adjective meaning “of great severity.” The Draconian laws were most noteworthy for their harshness, with death often prescribed as the punishment for almost all criminal offenses.
Draco’s code was soon repealed by the archon (magistrate) Solon, who published new laws in 594 B.C.E., retaining only Draco’s homicide statutes. To this day, Solon is considered one of the greatest Athenian lawgivers of all time.
Sources:
- 16 Synonyms & Antonyms for DRACONIAN | Thesaurus.com
- Draconian laws | Definition & Facts | Britannica
- Solon Put Athens on the Road to Democracy | Constitutional Rights Foundation
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do’s and don’ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.