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.

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References in periodicals archive ?

The Rhodian Sea Laws were the first attempt at codifying maritime law, which consisted of the customs that long outdated this effort by the Greeks between 800 and 900 B.

The pre-history of piracy as a crime & its definitional odyssey

The Rhodian Sea Laws have had such a strong tradition that the origins of modern maritime law in many jurisdictions can be traced to these ancient laws.

The seamen who have walked the plank on statutory negligence remedies: the pilot's dilemma

The first of these was a code developed by the ancient Greeks, about 400-300 BC, called the Rhodian Sea Laws which were influential in the Mediterranean for about 1000 years.