| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Encyclopedia of Ancient History |
| Editors | Roger S. Bagnall, Kai Brodersen, Craige B. Champion, Andrew Erskine, Sabine R. Huebner |
| Place of Publication | Malden, MA |
| Pages | 3941-3945 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Volume | 7 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781444338386, 1444338382 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2012 |
Abstract
In the Ptolemaic period, royal legislation had the ultimate legal authority. What the king decreed had to be followed, notwithstanding any conflicting provisions elsewhere. Yet no Ptolemaic king aimed at creating an exhaustive law code, covering all aspects of everyday legal activities, comparable to those available in Greek city-states: rather, in the sphere of private law, royal legislation focused on key issues, whose regulation was indispensable for the country's peace and prosperity, as well as for the administration of justice.
Keywords
- Egyptian history
- Greek history
- Roman history