Debt in Late Antique Egypt, 400-700 CE : approaches to a time in transition
Modern scholars are deeply divided over the extent to which early Byzantine provinces such as Egypt adopted imperial Roman law. This thesis undertook a diachronic study of the published debt acknowledgements from Egypt and Nessana for the fifth through seventh centuries CE to examine the degree of adoption of imperial legal changes. The debt acknowledgements are one of the largest sets of papyri documents for this period, consisting of 283 Greek and fifty-seven Coptic documents. Having created a database of these documents, in their original Greek or Coptic plus an English translation and information from the major commentaries, I had an unparalleled opportunity to analyse change, both legal and socio-economic. The research shows that while many legal changes, including the requirement for regnal dating and changes in the liability of co-debtors, were generally adopted, there was resistance to other changes. For example, the interest rate reduction ordered by Justinian I in 528 was clearly disseminated because some documents reflect the reduction. Most people, however, continued to charge the earlier higher rates. Furthermore, some sectors of the population appear to have struggled with the imperial changes.
Buchanan, Elizabeth Fuller
Roman law--History ; Debt ; Finance--Egypt--History ; Commerce--Egypt--History ; Egypt--History--30 B.C.-640 A.D
Debt in Late Antique Egypt, 400-700 CE : approaches to a time in transition. Modern scholars are deeply divided over the extent to which early Byzantine provinces such as Egypt adopted imperial Roman law. This thesis undertook a diachronic study of the published debt acknowledgements from Egypt and Nessana for the fifth through seventh centuries CE to examine the degree of adoption of imperial legal changes. The debt acknowledgements are one of the largest sets of papyri documents for this period, consisting of 283 Greek and fifty-seven Coptic documents. Having created a database of these documents, in their original Greek or Coptic plus an English translation and information from the major commentaries, I had an unparalleled opportunity to analyse change, both legal and socio-economic. The research shows that while many legal changes, including the requirement for regnal dating and changes in the liability of co-debtors, were generally adopted, there was resistance to other changes. For example, the interest rate reduction ordered by Justinian I in 528 was clearly disseminated because some documents reflect the reduction. Most people, however, continued to charge the earlier higher rates. Furthermore, some sectors of the population appear to have struggled with the imperial changes.
debt late_antique egypt approach time transition modern_scholar deeply divide extent early_byzantine province egypt adopt imperial roman_law undertook diachronic_study publish debt acknowledgement egypt examine degree adoption imperial legal change debt one_large set papyri document period consist greek fifty coptic document create_database document original greek coptic plus english_translation information major commentary unparalleled opportunity analyse change legal socio_economic show many legal change include requirement dating change liability generally adopt resistance change example interest rate reduction order clearly disseminate document reflect reduction people however_continue charge earlier high_rate furthermore sector population appear struggle imperial change