1 The Salic Law early 6th c The Salic Law illustrates a period concerning which we have almost no other contemporary information The Salic Law was composed under Clovis and covers many branches of administration The system of landholding the nature of the early village community the relations of the Germans to the Romans the position of the king the classes of the population the regulation of family life the disposal of property the forms of judicial procedure and the ethical views of the time are all illustrated in its sixty five articles Directly and indirectly we can gather from it a great mass of information About the Money used here At this time a S here S was worth approximately 4 months wages for the average worker a VERY rough equivalent might be c 12 15 000 There were 40 denar to a S which means one denar here D was worth right around 3 days salary that is c 300 500 Remember though money values are notoriously difficult to convert you ll get a more historical sense if you compare here what offenses were worth more and what ones were worth less The Salic Law Begins 1 With the aid of God it was decided and agreed among the Franks and their notables in order that peace be established among themselves that all increase of litigation be curtailed so that just as the Franks stand out from other peoples living around them by the strength of their arms so also they shall excel them in the authority of their laws Thus they the Franks will provide an end to criminal actions according to the nature of the cause 2 Therefore from among many men four were chosen who were named as follows Wisogast Arogast Salcgast and Widogast from places beyond the Rhine named Botheim Salchem and Widoheim These men meeting together in three different courts and discussing the causes of all disputes gave judgment in each case in the following fashion Title 1 Concerning Summonses 1 If anyone be summoned before the judges by the king s law and does not come he will be sentenced to 600 D denars denarii which makes 15 S solidi 2 He who summons another and does not come himself will if a lawful impediment have not delayed him be sentenced to 15 S to be paid to him whom he summoned 3 And he who summons another will walk with witnesses to the home of that man and if that man be not at home will bid the wife or anyone of the family to make known to him that he has been summoned to court 4 But if he is occupied in the king s service he cannot summon him 2 5 But if he is inside the neighboring lands seeing about his own affairs he can summon him in the manner explained above Title 2 Concerning Thefts of Pigs 1 If anyone steals a sucking pig he will be sentenced to 120 D which makes 3 S 2 If anyone steals a pig that can live without its mother and it be proved against him he will be sentenced to 40 D 1 S 14 If anyone steals 25 sheep where there were no more in that flock and it be proved against him he will be sentenced to 2500 D 62 S Title 3 Concerning Thefts of Cattle 1 He who steals a nursing calf and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 120 D 3 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 2 He who steals a yearling calf shall be liable to pay 600 D 15 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 3 He who steals a two year old animal and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 600 D 15 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 4 If anyone steals that bull which rules the herd and never has been yoked he will be sentenced to 1800 D which makes 45 S 5 But if that bull is used for the herds of three villages in common he who stole him will be sentenced to three times 45 S 6 If anyone steals a bull belonging to the king he will be sentenced to 3600 D which makes 90 S 7 He who steals an ox and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 1 400 D 35 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 8 He who steals a bull that rules a herd and has never been yoked and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 1 800 D 45 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 3 11 He who steals a royal bull shall be liable to pay 30 600 D 90 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 12 He who steals twelve head of cattle and no more remain shall be liable to pay 2 500 D 62 1 2 S in addition to return of the animals or their value plus a payment for the time their use was lost 13 If there are more than these twelve cattle he who stole them shall be liable to pay 1 400 D 35 S in addition to return of the animals or their value plus a payment for the time their use was lost Title 6 Concerning the Theft of Dogs 1 He who steals a trained hunting dog and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 600 D 15 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 2 He who steals a dog that is a tracking hound shall be liable to pay 600 D 15 S in addition to return of the animal for its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 3 He who after sunset kills a dog that is usually tied up shall be treated as stated above he shall be liable to pay 600 D 15 S in addition to payment of the dog s value plus a payment for the time its use was lost 4 He who steals or kills a herd dog and it is proved against him shall be liable to pay 120 D 3 S in addition to return of the animal or its value plus a payment for the time its use was lost Title 9 Concerning Damage done among Crops or in any Enclosure 1 If anyone finds cattle or a horse or flocks of any kind in his crops he will not at all mutilate them …
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