Was there freedom of expression in the Roman Republic?

More or less, yes. The penal system of the Republic was quite simple: it had laws for important crimes like murder, personal injuries, arson, theft, etc [1]. read more

Basically, “freedom of expression” in the Roman world (and the Greek world) was constrained (as it is among us) by social norms and expected patterns of behavior. You weren’t free to do just as you liked, because societal opinion and family opinion molded behavior into following traditional prescribed types of actions. read more

The values of the Roman Republic included freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Concepts of freedom of speech can be found in early human rights documents. England's Bill of Rights 1689 legally established the constitutional right of 'freedom of speech in Parliament' which is still in effect. read more