Writing Greek law / Michael Gagarin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gagarin, Michael, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Law, Greek.

Law, Greek--Language.

Written communication--Greece--History.

Written communication.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 282 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The use of writing in the development of Greek law was unique. In this comparative study Professor Gagarin shows the reader how Greek law developed and explains why it became so different from the legal systems with which most legal historians are familiar. While other early communities wrote codes of law for academic or propaganda purposes, the Greeks used writing extensively to make their laws available to a relatively large segment of the community. On the other hand, the Greeks made little use of writing in litigation whereas other cultures used it extensively in this area, often putting written documents at the heart of the judicial process. Greek law thereby avoided becoming excessively technical and never saw the development of a specialised legal profession. This book will be of interest to those with an interest in the history of law, as well as ancient historians.

Contents:

Introduction: Writing Greek law

Law before writing

Writing and written laws

Why the Greeks wrote laws

Why Draco wrote his homicide law

Oral and written in Archaic Greek law

Writing laws in fifth-century Gortyn

Writing the Gortyn Code

Writing law in classical Athens

Writing Athenian law : a comparative perspective

Writing law in Hellenistic Greece

Conclusion: Writing Greek law.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 262-276) and indexes.

ISBN:

1-107-18684-6

1-281-38380-5

9786611383800

0-511-39802-6

0-511-48277-9

0-511-39883-2

0-511-40080-2

0-511-39652-X

0-511-39725-9

OCLC:

437209195