The Concept of a Fair Contract in the Law of the Ancient World

The article shows the implementation of the principle of equity in a civil contract in the sources of law of the Ancient East, in particular, in the sources of law of Ancient Babylon and Ancient India, as well as antiquity. Using the example of the Code of Hammurabi, the Laws of Manu (Dharmaśāstra Manu), the Arthashastra by Kautilya, the Institutes of Gaius and the Digest of Justinian, the author of the article considered an attempt to assert the category of “fair contract” through the prism of “proportionality” and “equal scale”, establishing a certain “balance of freedom” and a balance of interests of the parties, as well as protecting the “weak” side in civil-legal agreement. The methods of suppression by ancient legislators and jurists of abuses by any party in contract, both at its conclusion and in its content, as well as during execution of contract, are analyzed. The limitation of amount of usurious interest and the fight against abuse of creditors in regulation of loan agreement; the suppression of various abuses by sellers and buyers in purchase and sale agreement; employers and those employed in personal employment contracts; custodians in the custody agreement in the sources of law of Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient India and Ancient Rome are considered. The article analyzes the implementation of the “аequitas” concept in Roman law of the classical and postclassical periods. Special attention is paid in the article to the consideration of the influence of religion, ideology, legal culture, and value attitudes of a particular ancient society on solving the problem of establishing a “fair” civil law contract.

Keywords

Ancient world, Ancient East, antiquity, law, civil law, contract, spiritual culture, legal culture, religion, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient India, Ancient Rome, Roman law, Code of Hammurabi, Laws of Manu, Dharmaśāstra, Arthashastra by Kautilya, Institutes of Gaius, Digest of Justinian

Received

27.11.2023

Publication date

15.06.2024

Number of characters

36403

Cite

GOST	Lysenko O. The Concept of a “Fair” Contract in the Law of the Ancient World // ISTORIYA – 2024. – V. 15. – Issue 4 (138) [Electronic resource]. URL: https://history.jes.su/S207987840030902-1-1 (circulation date: 24.07.2024). DOI: 10.18254/S207987840030902-1
MLA	Lysenko, Olga "The Concept of a “Fair” Contract in the Law of the Ancient World." ISTORIYA 15.4 (138) (2024) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840030902-1
APA	Lysenko O. (2024). The Concept of a “Fair” Contract in the Law of the Ancient World. ISTORIYA 15(4 (138)) DOI: 10.18254/S207987840030902-1

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