What Was Lex Salica?

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It was the oldest Frankish law also known as the Salic Law of the Franks or simply the Salian Law.

Lex Salica was the first common law that included family, inheritance and moral issues. It was written in Latin by the first Frankish King, Clovis (466-511 AD), in the years 507-511 AD.

King Clovis I (c. 466 – 511) was the first King of the Franks to unite all the Frankish tribes under one ruler, changing the leadership from a group of royal chieftains, to rule by kings. Right: Baptism of Clovis I

Lex Salica was an important Frankish civil law code that remained throughout the early Medieval period, when the Merovingian dynasty that ruled the Franks in the middle of the 5th century and for a period of about 300 years in a region.

This law system, which even influenced future European legal systems, contained the list of 60 to 70 articles dealing with criminal and court law, processes, regulations related to this, and more. Much in the Lex Salica normalized social and family life, laid the foundations for the development of feudalism and was undoubtedly a breakthrough in the history of European countries.

King Clovis dictates the Salic Law surrounded by his military chiefs. Image via wikipedia

The basic rights were: the possibility of leaving the family, moving to neighboring communities. The law of inheritance and ownership of land has appeared. In terms of homicide - the law allowed ransom, as a form of punishment, instead of bloody revenge.

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The amount of the penalty depended on the property, status and nationality.

Lex Salica relatively harshly judged women who were not covered by the majority of rights, for example, in the inheritance of land. There were relatively many such restrictions; however, this law system was a huge step forward, even though it was still based on ancient tribal structures that undoubtedly required future changes.

One of such restrictions was, for example, the ban on the settling of strangers.

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