Question
How was Germanic law, with its use of trial by ordeal, a step backwards for Western Europe?
Germanic law required the use of more judges and lawyers than Roman law.
Germanic law could be applied to fewer classes of people than Roman law.
Germanic law was less effective in promoting prosperity than Roman law.
Germanic law was not based on the use of reason or evidence to determine guilt.
Germanic law required the use of more judges and lawyers than Roman law.
Germanic law could be applied to fewer classes of people than Roman law.
Germanic law was less effective in promoting prosperity than Roman law.
Germanic law was not based on the use of reason or evidence to determine guilt.
Answers
GPT-5 mini
Correct answer: Germanic law was not based on the use of reason or evidence to determine guilt.
Explanation: Trial by ordeal relied on supposed supernatural judgment (hot iron, water, etc.) rather than testimony, documentary evidence, or legal reasoning. That made outcomes unpredictable and arbitrary, undid the Roman emphasis on written procedure and evidence, and slowed the development of a rational, consistent legal system needed for fair justice, commerce, and centralized governance.
Explanation: Trial by ordeal relied on supposed supernatural judgment (hot iron, water, etc.) rather than testimony, documentary evidence, or legal reasoning. That made outcomes unpredictable and arbitrary, undid the Roman emphasis on written procedure and evidence, and slowed the development of a rational, consistent legal system needed for fair justice, commerce, and centralized governance.