Define: Lex Poetelia

The lex Poetelia, enacted before 300 B.C., was a law in ancient Rome that prohibited creditors from treating their debtors as slaves.

The Lex Poetelia, a law in ancient Roman law enacted before 300 B.C., eliminated the creditor’s ability to treat debtors as slaves. Prior to this law, if a debtor was unable to repay their debt, the creditor had the authority to subject them to slave-like treatment. This meant that the debtor could be compelled to work for the creditor until the debt was settled. However, with the implementation of the Lex Poetelia, this practice was abolished, and creditors were no longer permitted to treat debtors as slaves. For instance, if a farmer borrowed money from a wealthy landowner and could not repay it, the landowner could previously force the farmer to work on their land until the debt was cleared. This constituted a form of slavery, which was permissible before the Lex Poetelia. Nevertheless, after the law’s enactment, the landowner could no longer treat the farmer as a slave and had to seek alternative methods to collect the debt. Similarly, if a merchant borrowed money from a moneylender and was unable to repay it, the moneylender could previously force the merchant to work for them until the debt was settled. However, after the law’s implementation, the moneylender could no longer treat the merchant as a slave and had to find a different approach to recover the debt. These examples demonstrate how the Lex Poetelia abolished the practice of treating debtors as slaves and safeguarded their rights.

This site contains general legal information but does not constitute professional legal advice for your particular situation. Persuing this glossary does not create an attorney-client or legal adviser relationship. If you have specific questions, please consult a qualified attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.

This glossary post was last updated: 16th April 2024.