Dictionary Entries by Peter Candy
Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2018
The lex Laetoria (or Plaetoria) was a law of the late 3rd or early 2nd century BCE that gave spec... more The lex Laetoria (or Plaetoria) was a law of the late 3rd or early 2nd century BCE that gave special protection to minors. The law gave an action against persons who were alleged to have fraudulently induced a minor to enter into a transaction. The praetor built on this protection by allowing a defence to be raised on the basis of the law. By the late Republic, the praetor had also stated in his Edict that he would grant a remedy known as in integrum restitutio to minors who had been taken advantage of. The practice of minors using curators to reassure potential creditors that they were entering into transactions on sound advice was formalised by the emperor Marcus Aurelius. By the post-classical period, the rules concerning the protection of minors (cura minorum) became closely assimilated to those concerning guardianship (tutela). The lex Laetoria (or Plaetoria) was a law granting special legal protection to persons who were regarded as minors. The law was probably enacted during the last decade of the 3rd century or first decade of the 2nd century BCE, though its method of promulgation is unknown (see LEX [1], CATEGORIES OF ROMAN LAW). 1 Its first possible attestation is by Plautus in the play Rudens (Rud. 5.3.24-27), which is thought to have been first performed in the last decade of the 3rd century BCE. 2 The reference here is, however, by no means certain, and the law's first definite mention occurs in another Plautine play-Pseudolus (1.3.77-8)-which was first performed in 191 BCE. 3 This latter date, at the very least, represents a secure terminus ante quem. The law is variously referred to in the sources as the lex Laetoria or Plaetoria. 4 The lex established an action-the so-called actio legis (P)Laetoriae-which could be raised on the premise that a minor had been fraudulently induced to enter into a transaction. The age at which the law ceased to offer protection is disputed: the interpretation of minores viginti quinque annis turning on whether it included or excluded those who had not yet completed their 25th year. 5 At any rate, all those who were under twenty-five at the relevant time were definitely included. The lex Iulia municipalis (Tab. Heracl. 112) appears to indicate that the lex introduced two actions, but in all likelihood,
Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2018
The lex Cincia, most likely a plebiscite of 204 BCE, was a law that placed restrictions on the gi... more The lex Cincia, most likely a plebiscite of 204 BCE, was a law that placed restrictions on the giving and receiving of gifts. It contained both an absolute prohibition on gifts made to advocates for the pleading of cases and a general prohibition on gifts exceeding a certain (unknown) value. The general prohibition did not, however, apply to persons who enjoyed a specifically exempted relationship. The law was probably intended to curb the extortionary abuse of gift giving by social and economic elites who, after the devastation of the Second Punic War, were motivated to extract ever-more considerable gifts from their clients. The lex Cincia probably served an expressive function more than anything else, since it made no provision for voiding gifts and only provided for sanctions in limited circumstances.
Handouts by Peter Candy
Handout for the Second International Seminar on Roman Maritime Trade (Gdansk, April 2019)
Accompanies text: 'Female shippers in the Roman Empire?'
Sessions and conferences by Peter Candy
The ancient Roman Empire utilized, promoted and relied upon long-distance maritime trade in a sca... more The ancient Roman Empire utilized, promoted and relied upon long-distance maritime trade in a scale unprecedented in the ancient world. This led to the development of both trade networks that made possible the growth of urban centres, water-related infrastructures and economic specialization, but also a normative framework, which enabled trade and commerce across political, linguistic and cultural boundaries. The purpose of this workshop is to explore the emergence of the Roman system of maritime trade both as a logistical and a normative enterprise. The technology of transportation, from the ships to the ports and warehouses, developed in tandem with the rules that governed that trade. The conference will benefit of communications that place legal theory versus daily sea practices. The organizers invite paper proposals for a number of central themes relating to the topic. The issues addressed are:-Food distribution and the annona;-Taxation;-Socio-legal structure of maritime enterprises;-Administration and regulation of port environments-Risks and hazards of seafaring (e.g. piracy)-Financing maritime trade-Stockage and warehousing-Freedom of navigation and the administration of trade (migration, control of movement)-Interaction between native and Roman law (issues of compliance and enforcement, dispute resolution) The proposals should be 400-500 words long and accompanied by a short CV of the author.
Papers by Peter Candy
Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte. Romanistische Abteilung, 2021
Principle and Pragmatism in Roman Law, B Spagnolo and J Sampson (eds) (London: Hart), 2020
Journal of Roman Archaeology, 2020
Uploads
Dictionary Entries by Peter Candy
Handouts by Peter Candy
Sessions and conferences by Peter Candy
Papers by Peter Candy