SURVEY OF LITERATURE 1950 - 1951
249
R o s a m a r i a R o s s i , Ψιλοί τόποι ( A e g y p t u s X X X fasc. 1 (1950)
pp. 42—56).
T h e term, ψιλός τόπος occurs in almost t w o h u n d r e d d o c u m e n t s of t h e G r e c o - R o m a n E g y p t . T h e a u t h o r e x a m i n e s t h e m a n d expla-ins t h e i r m e a n i n g in generality a n d in single cases.
P a r t e i H a l i s t e , Das Servitut der Wasserleitung in Platen's „Ge-setzen," (Eranos vol. X L V I I I fasc. 4 (1950) p p . 142 — 149).
A m o n g t h e Servitutes in t h e P l a t o ' s S t a t e t h e Servitute of а с q u a e d u c t u s deserves a special a t t e n t i o n , I n t h i s respect P l a t o refers t o t h e existence of old excellent laws (παλαιοί και καλοί νόμοι) which should n o t fall i n t o oblivion, a n d quotes t h e c o n t e n t s of t h r e e such laws. One of t h e s e refers t o a general Servitute of aquaeductus b y which also p r i v a t e persons could p r o f i t . On page 144 n o t e 1 t h e a u t h o r h i n t s a t t h e servitude of aquaeductus in G r e c o - R o m a n E g y p t where t h e provisions corresponding t o those in P l a t o ' s L a w s are t o be f o u n d .
W . F . L e e m a η s, The Old-Babylonian Merchant, his Business and his Social Position, Leiden E . J . Rrill 1950.
I n t h i s book t h e a t t e m p t is m a d e t o shed m o r e light on t h e cen-t r a l f i g u r e in all cen-t r a d e s in R a b y l o n i a , cen-t h e m e r c h a n cen-t . I n R a b y l o n i a this m e r c h a n t was called t a m k a r u m ( S u m e r i a n d a m k a r a ) . T h e stu-d y is stu-divistu-destu-d i n t o t w o p a r t s . I n t h e f i r s t p a r t t h e a u t h o r e x a m i n e s in w h a t business t h e t a m k a r u m was concerned. This is done in t h e course of discussing those p a r a g r a p h s of t h e Code of H a m m u r a -bi in which t h e t a m k a r u m figures, a t t h e s a m e t i m e ascertaining if these p a r a g r a p h s reflect t h e a c t u a l practice f o u n d in c o n t r a c t s a n d letters. T h e second p a r t deals w i t h t h e social position of t h e t a m k a r u m a n d considers t h e p a r t p l a y e d b y t h e g o v e r n m e n t a n d t h e king. A l t h o u g h t h i s excellent dissertation m a k e s no use of t h e p a p y r i , I m e n t i o n it here t o suggest a similar investigation on t h e
m e r c h a n t in G r e c o - R o m a n E g y p t .
A. C h r i s t o p h i l o p o u l o s , 'Αθάνατος en droit grec (Revue inter-nationale des droits de l'antiquité I V p. 297—301).
Ms. В о 11 a h a s e x a m i n e d t h e clause α θ ά ν α τ α which occurs in t h e p a p y r i f r o m P t o l e m a i c a n d R o m a n E g y p t a n d h a v i n g a reference t o t h e leases of w e t nurses a n d animals. T h e t e r m m e a n s in t h e legal field „ w h a t is p e r m a n e n t , i n v a r i a b i l e " . В о 11 a emphazises t h a t t h e
250 JOURNAL OF PAPYROLOGY
term αθάνατα figures on the -well-known inscription of Cyrene, which dates from 332 and 306 B. C. The author remarks that this term figures also in other juridical inscriptions, and that the latter furnished by themselves the most solide bases for the precise interpretation of the term in question. Whence it follows that the riches αθάνατα which are alone taken into consideration for the acquisition of Cy-renean citizenship are those that remain in a permanent and firm po-ssesion of the beneficiary.
F. P r i n g s h e i m , The Greek Law of Sale, 1950 (Weimar, Her-mann Böhlaus Nachf.).
As the author points out it was not his intention to write a sys-tematic treatise on the whole Greek law of sale. His main task con-sisted in the intepretation of Greek texts and he presents what he has learned by reading them. The book consists of three parts. Part I Introduction with three chapters: Ch. I Greek private law, Ch. II Greek law of ownership, Ch. III Greek law of contract. In this chapter he examines the questions: a) did consensual contracts exist? b) contract of loan for consumption. Part II deals with the Greek law of sale, its history and theory. This part consists again of 10 chapters. Ch. I comparative law of sale. Ch. II the character of the Greek law of sale. Ch. III the history of the Greek law of sale, first period. Ch. IV History of Greek sale. Forms and names. Second period. Ch. Y History of Greek sale Theory. Ch. VI Agreement to buy and sell creates only a duty without liability. Ch. VII Ώνή as acquisition of ownership. Ch. VIII Payment of pri-ce. Ch. I X Παράδοσις. Ch. X Cooperation of the city and the state. Part III deals with with Greek Law of Sale Practice in six chapters Ch. I Sale on credit. Ch. II Contracts for cash payment with deferred delivery. Ch. III Contracts giving the purchaser a right of seizure. Ch. IV arrha. Ch. V Yarrants against eviction and against secret defects. Ch. VI Void and voidable sale. In his presentation of the Greek law of sale the author frequently refers to the papyri cf. p. 115 on ώνή in Ptolemaic Egypt; p. 123 on πράσι,ς used in Boman Egypt; p. 142 on the law of Alexandria; p. 194 on Ptolemaic and later papyri on payment of price; p. 239 on cooperation of the state slaves. The most references to the papyri however are to be found in any chapter of the third part.
E r n s t S c h ö n b a u e r , Ein hellenistisches ,,Lösungsrecht" nachge-wiesen? (Aegyptus X X X fasc. 2 (1950) pp. 198-208).
