Legal Definitions - lex Poetelia

LEX POETELIA

Lex Poetelia is a law in ancient Roman law that was passed before 300 B.C. This law abolished the right of a creditor to treat their debtor like a slave.

Before the passing of Lex Poetelia, if a debtor could not pay back their debt, the creditor had the right to reduce them to slave-like treatment. This meant that the debtor could be forced to work for the creditor until the debt was paid off. However, after the passing of Lex Poetelia, this practice was abolished, and creditors could no longer treat their debtors like slaves.

For example, if a farmer borrowed money from a wealthy landowner and could not pay it back, the landowner could force the farmer to work on their land until the debt was paid off. This was a form of slavery, and it was allowed before the passing of Lex Poetelia. However, after the law was passed, the landowner could no longer treat the farmer like a slave and had to find a different way to collect the debt.

Another example is if a merchant borrowed money from a moneylender and could not pay it back. Before the passing of Lex Poetelia, the moneylender could force the merchant to work for them until the debt was paid off. However, after the law was passed, the moneylender could no longer treat the merchant like a slave and had to find a different way to collect the debt.

These examples illustrate how Lex Poetelia abolished the practice of treating debtors like slaves and protected their rights.