Question

Under Roman law, someone accusing another person of a crime needed

belief that the accused was guilty.
proof that a crime had been committed.
a lawyer willing to take the case to trial.
a witness to vouch for the accuser’s character.

Answer 1

Proof that a crime had been committed.

Under Roman procedure prosecutions were typically private and required evidence (witnesses, facts) to support the charge; false or groundless accusations could be punished (calumnia). A lawyer or mere belief in guilt alone was not sufficient.