Petroglyph from Gortyna, its origin and place in the system of ancient law sources

Abstract

The Gortyn inscription, its origin and place in the system of ancient law sources, was studied. Stone blocks with the text were discovered in Crete. This petroglyph of the ancient Greek law dating back to the archaic period is the largest ever found, in terms of content and physical parameters. The legal norms, conventionally named the code, regulate inheritance and family matters, adoption, divorce, as well as the fate of illegitimate children and the system of benefits between spouses. The law also controls sales, mortgages, debts, personal freedom, and the rights of slaves. The law’s inscription contains procedural provisions. The legislative text was investigated in the context of social relations between the territorial space of Crete and continental Greece and the mutual influence of the Doric cities of Sparta and Gortyna. A hypothesis about primary origin and the first location of the inscription or part of it was put forward. The preamble of Gortyn law was analyzed. The deductive, inductive, historical-linguistic, formal-legal methods along with description, analysis, synthesis, and non-stationary research were used. The great significance of the Gortyn legislative petroglyph in the system of ancient law sources was confirmed. Directions for further research on this issue were defined.

Keywords

• gortyna
• sparta
• petroglyph
• oath
• doric dialect of greek language
• mnemon
• starter
• boustrophedon
• dodecatheon
• sources of ancient law