Rhodian Sea Laws

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Rhodian Sea Laws

 

a collection of regulations governing navigation and maritime trade compiled in the Byzantine Empire in the seventh and eighth centuries and preserved as an appendix to the Ecloga. Traditionally the laws are associated with the island of Rhodes, which was a major trading center.

The legal customs that developed with ancient and medieval trade and those that were established by Roman jurists were collected in the Rhodian sea laws. Included were regulations regarding shipbuilding and navigation, transport of cargoes and passengers, chartering of ships, and jettisoning of cargo in case of emergency. Some regulations contained in the Rhodian sea laws continued in use in international trade until the 15th century.

The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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