Law Code of Gortyn
Law Code of Gortyn
Thought to date to the 6th or 7th century longest law code ~600 lines long re-assembled from seats of an amphitheater dating ~450 BCE boustrophedon – writing left to right one line then right to left then next surviving portions concerned with: sexual offences divorce inherence how parentage affects the status of slaves adoption
Rape
Punished by a fine
Amount depends on social status of rapist and victim
Free man rapes a free man or woman – 100 staters
Slave rapes a free person – 200 staters
Free person rapes a slave – 2.5 staters
Adultery
Also punished by a fine
Depends who the man is sleeping with and where
No mention of women being fined for adultery
Parentage and Status of Slave
If a male slave marries a free women and they have children the children are free if they live in her house but slaves if they live in his house
Adoption
Women can’t adopt. Men can adopt by making an announcement of the adoption in the marketplace. He can repudiate the adoption by making an announcement of such in the same place.
Adoption was not only of children but also teens and adults, frequently males sought as heirs.
Divorce
After a divorce a wife can keep the property that she brought to the marriage and half the produce of that property if there is any. She also gets to keep half her weaving
If the husband caused the divorce she gets 5 staters
If the wife takes anything belonging to the husband she has to pay 5 staters and must return what she took
The father is considered the parent of the children and they stay with him
If a woman is pregnant at the time of the divorce she must bring the child to the husband. If he doesn’t want it she can either raise the child or expose it.
The father controls the property of the family and must be safeguarded for the children
Inheritance
When a father dies his property goes to his children. His widow may remarry and take with her anything her husband gave her in front of
Thought to date to the 6th or 7th century longest law code ~600 lines long re-assembled from seats of an amphitheater dating ~450 BCE boustrophedon – writing left to right one line then right to left then next surviving portions concerned with: sexual offences divorce inherence how parentage affects the status of slaves adoption
Rape
Punished by a fine
Amount depends on social status of rapist and victim
Free man rapes a free man or woman – 100 staters
Slave rapes a free person – 200 staters
Free person rapes a slave – 2.5 staters
Adultery
Also punished by a fine
Depends who the man is sleeping with and where
No mention of women being fined for adultery
Parentage and Status of Slave
If a male slave marries a free women and they have children the children are free if they live in her house but slaves if they live in his house
Adoption
Women can’t adopt. Men can adopt by making an announcement of the adoption in the marketplace. He can repudiate the adoption by making an announcement of such in the same place.
Adoption was not only of children but also teens and adults, frequently males sought as heirs.
Divorce
After a divorce a wife can keep the property that she brought to the marriage and half the produce of that property if there is any. She also gets to keep half her weaving
If the husband caused the divorce she gets 5 staters
If the wife takes anything belonging to the husband she has to pay 5 staters and must return what she took
The father is considered the parent of the children and they stay with him
If a woman is pregnant at the time of the divorce she must bring the child to the husband. If he doesn’t want it she can either raise the child or expose it.
The father controls the property of the family and must be safeguarded for the children
Inheritance
When a father dies his property goes to his children. His widow may remarry and take with her anything her husband gave her in front of