Gravity of the Greco-Egyptian legal punishments (III BC)
Although law and economy are the best explored areas of the Greek-Egyptian history, gravity of the legal punishments has not been examined so far. This paper answers two questions: 1) How heavy legal punishments were in comparison with population welfare; 2) How fine payments disability resulted (as fines and compensations were the main legal punishments) The paper is limited to the III BC due to the stable economical life and nice sources on the legal fines of the period, namely: Revenue Law of Ptolemy II (p. Rev.Law), Alexandrian Dikaiomata (p.Hal.I), a decree about army billeting (COrdPtol. 5), a decree about slaves registration (COrdPtol. 22). Data on the prices and wages are gleaned in order to define population welfare (p.Cair.Zen.2.59296, p. Cair.Zen. 4.59763, P.Mich.1.2 at alias). Even the lowest fine was obviously ruinous if we compare punishments (from 100 drachmas up to 5 talents) and average wages (10-30 drachmas per month). Therefore public sales were very widespread (p. Hal.I. 11). While Ptolemaic government resisted enslavements in the empire (p. Hal.I.219-220, COrdPtol.22), payments disability could not result but imprisonment. Imprisonment was not a punishment itself, it lasted until debtor guaranteed further payments (PSI 532).