Roman Law
The "Laws of Caesar"
The "Laws of Caesar"
~ Treaty of Friendship and Reciprocal Military Alliance Between the Roman People and the Lycian Federation, including the Criminal 'Laws of Caesar,' International Law, and Law of Jurisdiction. ~
The treaties between the Romans and their allies were the cornerstones of the Roman Empire, and were one of the main causes of their military success and stability over centuries.
The present treaty is the only one of these that has survived in its original form.
Gaius Julius Caesar (100-44 BC), after the victory over Pompeius and his forces at Pharsalus, travelled through western Asia Minor en route to Egypt, receiving delegations from Greek cities and communities who were anxious to make their peace with the new master of the Roman world.
Clearly the Lycians were among these, and their diplomacy was rewarded by the new treaty. It represents the genius of a legal system that was invented more than 2,000 years ago, and continues to influence legal thinking and legal practice to this day.
See: The Schoyen Collection