What is the Gortyna Code?

The longest inscription in the ancient world is the fascinating Gortyna Code found at the ancient city of Gortyn on the island of Crete.

What Else is Special About the Gortyna Code?

The inscription is written in a continuous script called boustrophedon. This type of writing goes left to right in the first line, then right to left during the second line, requiring the reader to be adept at reading backwards half the time.

It is said to follow the style of plowing a field, where the oxen and the plow turn at the end of each row.

What does the Gortyna Code Contain?

While it dates from about the Hellenic period or about the 6th century B.C.E., this long document detailing the legal rights of the citizenry is believed to retain some of the spirit of the law code of Rhadamanthys, once a king of Crete associated with nearby Phaistos, and, in later accounts, a judge of the dead and ruler of the Elysian fields.

Why is the Gortyna Code Important?

This gives a fascinating look into what was important to citizens living in a major town 2500 years ago. One of the "highlights" are visible changes in the inscription gradually diminishing some of the legal rights of inheritance for women, who once enjoyed complete equality - some say superiority - during the Minoan period a thousand years previously.
Many of the surviving laws deal with the inheritance of property and the shift to brothers being favored over sisters in the transmission of wealth.

But vestiges of the possible Minoan matriarchy survive - if a man fathered children on a slave, those children were also considered slaves. But if a free woman took a slave into her house and had children with him, her status was transmitted to her offspring and those children by her were considered freeborn. This is a remarkable difference.

When was the Gortyna Code Discovered?

The Gortyna Code was found by an archaeologist named Halbherr in 1884. It was being used as part of a watermill. He finally won the right to excavate it and found twelve inscribed columns; the original number is unknown. Some odd omissions in the law code may have originally been covered on missing blocks. For example, there is no mention of a penalty for murder.

Who Wants to See the Code?

The Greek island of Kos, the birthplace of the ancient healer Asclepius, attracts more than its fair share of doctors. Gortyn, on the other hand, seems to draw lawyers and judges who like to visit a place where the laws really were written in stone.
The law code is located at the ancient city of Gortyn.

Getting to Gortyn

To travel by yourself to Gortyn, drive south out of Iraklio (Heraklion) following the road toward Mires (also spelled Moires). Keep going south. Signs will alert you to Gortyn which appears suddenly out of olive groves along the right side of the road when coming from Heraklion.
Gortyn Picture Gallery

Searching for more information? Gortyna is also spelled Gortyn and Gortys.

More at Gortyna

In addition to the Law Code, Gortyna has an extensive Roman city with remains of several temples, including at least one to the Egyptian goddess Isis, and other buildings. It's also the site of the evergreen plane tree where Zeus allegedly seduced Europa when he abducted her from across the sea. This event was commemorated on ancient coins, and it is still commemorated on a number of items at the site gift shop. Gortyn
Tickets: 4 Euro
Free admission days
Hours: Open daily from 8am to 7:30pm (but it's a good idea to check if going late in the season)
Telephone: (011 30) 28920-31144
Gortyn Website
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