Gortyn code

The Gortyn Code is an ancient and significant archaeological treasure located on the island of Crete, Greece. Etched into the stones of the Odeon, or music hall, in the city of Gortyn, this code is one of the oldest and most complete sets of law codes from ancient Greece, dating back to the 5th century BCE.

Spanning twelve columns and over 600 lines of text, the Gortyn Code provides a fascinating glimpse into the legal and social practices of the time. It covers a wide range of civil matters, including marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, as well as crimes and their corresponding penalties. Notably, the code is written in a Dorian dialect of Greek and uses a boustrophedon script, which means that the lines are read alternately from left to right and from right to left.

The discovery of the Gortyn Code was a landmark event for historians and archaeologists, as it offered an unprecedented level of detail into the legal workings of an ancient Greek city-state. The comprehensive nature of the laws suggests that Gortyn was a sophisticated and well-organized society.