Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges

When ancient authors talk about the law or the laws, they usually do so in a positive way. They rarely criticise individual laws or even the law in general. This article discusses two of the exceptions. It takes as its starting point the conspicuously negative statements about the law in Paul's letters (e.g., Rom 6:14; 7:14-21; 8:2; 1 Cor 15:56; Gal 3-4). The excursus on the historical development of Roman law in Tacitus' Annales (Tac. Ann. 3.26.1-3.28.2), a text with a remarkably sceptical attitude towards laws, is then analysed. Finally, the critical assessments of the law in Tacitus and Paul are compared.