In ancient Greece, court witnesses were not crossexamined and the jury, selected from the citizenry, received no guidance on points of law; thus, it was extremely important for litigants to make a good impression on the jurors
For this reason, courtroom oratory by litigants is a good source of data on the common conceptions of morality held by the citizens of ancient Greece
Litigants believed jurors were likely to render their decisions based on a good understanding of the law.