The Great Trials of World History and the Lessons They Teach Us

Surveying some of history's greatest trials with a visit to ancient Athens; in 399 B.C., Socrates undergoes his trial for corrupting Athenians and disrespecting their gods; In the process, he lectures his jurors on the duty of seeking the truth.

To save the Roman Republic, Cicero charges Gaius Verres, a provincial governor, with crimes against the people; Cicero's Actio Secunda aims to educate the Roman public about the corruption and rot in its political system.

Studying three strange trials from the Middle Ages; the first involves a dead pope put on trial; the second involves an accused adulterer's walk over red-hot ploughshares. The third involves a battle whose victor is vindicated as a matter of law.

Traveling back to Westminster Hall on July 1, 1535, when Sir Thomas Moore stands on trial for his refusal to acknowledge King Henry VIII as head of the Church of England; one of England's most revered men ends up on the chopping block.

Giordano Bruno's ideas on natural philosophy are dangerous to 16th-century thought; his execution represents a failure of the Roman Inquisition to perform its mission to admonish, not punish; the impact of this trial on another heresy case.

According to Professor Linder, the Salem witchcraft trials illustrate the danger of drawing conclusions ahead of evidence; gaining a greater understanding of the legal basis for a travesty that accuses hundreds of people of practicing witchcraft.