She is known for examining ancient law by relating it to modern legal issues through law and society perspective. She has researched subjects involving the legal and social history of sexuality, women's conditions, criminal law and capital punishment. She has written many books, which have been translated into several languages, including English, French, German and Spanish. She is also editor of Dike. International Journal of Greek Law and member of different editorial boards such as Apollo. Bollettino di Musei provinciali del Salernitano, Dioniso, Crime, histoire et Societés, Revista des estudios latinos, CADMO Revista de História Antiga da Universidade de Lisboa. She has been professor of Roman law and ancient Greek law at the State University of Milan, Italy. She has been dean of the Law School of the University of Camerino. She also taught and gave lectures at many universities in Europe and the United States. She has been appointed Global Professor at New York University Law School. She has argued that penetration was normal in ancient Greek pederasty.
With Andrew Lear, Images of Ancient Greek Pederasty: Boys Were Their Gods. London, Routledge, 2008.
"Pandora's Daughters. The Role and Status of Women in Greek and Roman Antiquity", Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987; 2nd Printing, hardcover and paperback 1989; 4th printing 1993
"Bisexuality in the ancient Word". Yale, University Press, 1992, reprinted 1993; first paperback edition 1994; trade paperback ed. 2002.
Authored books
"La fideiussione reciproca. Allellegue e mutua fideiussio", Milano, Giuffrè,1965,
"Studi sull'omicidio in diritto greco e romano", Milano,Giuffrè, 1976
"Norma e sanzione in Omero", Milano, Giuffrè, 1979.
"L'ambiguo malanno. Condizione e immagine della donna nell' antichità greca e romana, Roma, Editori Riuniti 1981 ; English translation: Pandoras Daughters. The Role and Status of Women in Greek andRoman Antiquity, Baltimore, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1987; 2nd Printing, hardcover and paperback 1989; 4th printing 1993; Spanish translation: La calamidad ambigua. Madrid, Ediciones Clasicas, 1991; Greek translation: Oi gynaikes tes archaias Elladas, Athens, Papademas, 1998
"Tacita Muta. Le donne nella città antica", Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1985
"Secondo natura. La bisessualità nel mondo antico", Roma, Editori Riuniti, 1988 ; French translation Selon la nature, l' usage et la loi. La bisexualitè dans le monde antique, Paris, La Decouverte, 1991; Spanish translation Segun la natura. La bisexualidad en el mundo antiguo, Madrid, Akal Universitaria, 1991; English translation Bisexuality in the Ancient Word. Yale, University Press, 1992, reprinted 1993; first paperback edition 1994; trade paperback ed. 2002
"I supplizi capitali in Grecia e a Roma", Milano, Rizzoli, 1991; French translation: Les supplices capitaux en Grece at a Rome, Paris, Albin Michel 2000
"Passato prossimo. Donne romane da Tacita a Sulpicia", Milano, Feltrinelli, 1996; Spanish translation: Pasado proximo, Mujeres romanas de Tacita a Sulpicia, Valencia, Editiones Catedra, 1998
"El peso de Roma en la cultura europea", Madrid, Ediciones Akal, 1996
"Phonos, Antologia di oratori attici sull’omicidio", Milano, Mursia, 1989
"Pompei. I volti dell’amore", Milano, Mondadori, 1998; German translation, Pompeji, Berlin,1999; French translation Pompeji, les visages de l’amour, Paris 1999
"Un giorno a Pompei. Vita quotidiana", cultura, società, Napoli, Electa, 1999; English translation Napoli, Electa, 2004
"Itaca, Eroi, donne, potere tra vendetta e diritto", Milano, Feltrinelli 2002; French translation Ithaque. De la vengeance d’Ulysse à la naissance di droi, Paris, Albin Michel, 2002
"L’amore è un dio", Milano, Feltrinelli 2007
"Il ritorno della vendetta", Milano, Rizzoli, 2007
