La «ley del mar»: la legislación romana en tema de naufragios

To go by sea in ancient times could be very dangerous. To the risks of the sea were added the threats of men, no less devastating. Not only the pirates, but also individuals and entire communities benefited from the wreck of the ships. A true 'shipwreck industry' flourished in many Mediterranean locations. For many peoples the remains of wrecked ships, the cargo, the same crew were considered property of those who seized them. Rome, instead, not only renounced to exercise the ius naufragii, but endeavored to combat such a phenomenon, particularly harmful to maritime trade. There are numerous Roman normative interventions intended to protect the shipwrecked and their property from the robberies of coastal populations. The paper examines, in particular, the lex Rhodia de iactu, known by the title 14.2 of Justinian’s Digest