Private Law in the Province of Dacia

Abstract

Beginning from the late 18th century and until the mid-19th century, several wax tablets were unearthed in the locality of Roşia Montană in what is today Romania. They record, among other things, various contracts drafted during the time of the Roman Empire. They constitute a priceless database which attests to the application of Roman law in the Province of Dacia. This study is dedicated to briefly presenting the significance of the content of these tablets from the perspective of legal history. The major conclusions which can be drawn from the legal operations documented in them are presented regarding the status of persons and various types of contracts. Based on the content of the wax tablets, it can be concluded that the living application of Roman law in the province of Dacia differed in part from the norms indicated in contemporary sources, in local use some institutions being distorted and ‘adapted’ to local conditions and Hellenistic influence.