Fragment of Ancient Thracian "Magna Carta"

"Magna Carta" from the Land of the Ancient Thracians (thanks to my friend, Dr. Atanas Orachev)

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Photo credit: moi, Staro Selo Thracian Tomb

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Introductory Notes:

-- This is the text of a King’s Oath found near the village of Vetren, near Pazardhzik in the North Thracian Valley, today's Bulgaria;

-- It should be dated 380-360 B.C. because it mentions King Kotis (384/3-360 B.C.);

-- It seems that the privileges and rights to life, property, and justice were to be guaranteed by the oath and that the guarantees apply not just to this kingdom and its merchants, but to others, as well;

-- Specialists differ on how large of a territory the oath covers.

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The Text [of the Oath, translated from Ancient Greek]

4. [Preamble to decision] ... Let him [take an oath] to Dionysus and let [him be] required [by his oath that]:

5-6. If any of emporitai brings any claim to another of them, let them themselves judge the matter within their kindred (συγγενεqς);

7-9. also what is owed by the Thracians of emporitai, let us not cancel debts;

10-11. Not to take away land and pasture from emporitai;

12-13. So that epaulisti shall not be accommodated among emporitai;

14-15. Not to accommodate any army in Pistir, nor assign military tasks to another folk.

16-17. [Emporitaians] shall not be taken hostages or assigned to another person;

18-19. Their property shall not be taken by him nor by his men;

20-24. [And] not to collect traffic duties on goods imported from Pistiros, and no such duties shall be levied on goods from Maroneia, and Maroneia people [and] Emporitaians shall have the right to protest such duty;

25-26. Emporitaians shall have the right to imprison and release Emporitaians;

27-31 Likewise, as with Kotis, I shall have no right to imprison, or kill, or to deprive of property neither [in] his lifetime nor postmortem, neither I, nor any of my men.

32. Also, I shall not kill anybody, nor imprison any Apoloniytsitean, or Tasosians that are in Pistir,

35. And shall not take their property while they live or postmortem, me or any of my men;

38-39. If someone of the Oyketorian ...

[14-16 points] Emporia ...

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Shared on facebook by Dr. Krassen Stanchev, edited by moi