Androlepsy or Androlepsia () or Androlepsion (), was an ancient Greek legal concept that served as a form of reprisal in cases of homicide. It was recognized by the international law of the Greeks; so that if a citizen of one state killed someone from another state and the perpetrator's country refused to surrender the murderer, the family of the deceased had the right to seize three citizens of the offender's state as hostages. These hostages would remain captive until the murderer was either handed over for justice or satisfaction was otherwise provided. Additionally, the property found on the hostages was confiscated, a practice known as σῦλα or σῦλαι. This right of reprisals was part of the broader international law in ancient Greece, with commanders and

trierarch Trierarch () was the title of officers who commanded a trireme (''triēres'') in the classical Greek world. In Classical Athens, the title was associated with the trierarchy (τριηραρχία, ''triērarchia''), one of the public offices or ...

s often tasked with carrying out the act. It was connected to ancient religious customs surrounding the "avenger of blood," where it was believed that the guilt from a murder was attached to the land where the crime occurred until the killer was either punished or exiled. In cases where the murderer fled to another region, the right of reprisals could prevent the harboring of the murderer, thus enforcing justice. The concept extended to familial obligations, where the right to seek justice was tied to the inheritance rights of the deceased's relatives, typically limited to second cousins. While there is uncertainty about how the hostages were treated or whether foreigners could be taken as hostages, the principle was rooted in ancient Greek ideas of justice and reparation. Some scholars describe the Androlepsia as similar to the modern extradition treaties, while others believe that it was part of the ancient

jus gentium In Roman law and legal traditions influenced by it, ''ius gentium'' or ''jus gentium'' (Latin for "law of nations" or "law of peoples") is the law that applies to all ''gentes'' ("peoples" or "nations"). It was an early form of international law, ...

(meaning the law of nations or international law) and was not based on a formal treaty or agreement between states.A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities (1890), Androlepsia
/ref> The word is formed of ''άνήρ'', "man", and ''λαμβάνω'', "I take". Some authors also use ''androlepsia'' for

reprisal A reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of international law to punish another sovereign state that has already broken them. Since the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions (AP 1), reprisals in the laws of war are extremel ...

s. The

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

had a similar law called

clarigatio In ancient Roman international law, a clarigation was a loud, clear call or summons made to an enemy to demand satisfaction for some injury received, without which there would be a declaration of war. Clarigation equates to what the Ancient Greeks ...

References

* *William Smith, from ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'', John Murray: London, 1875.

References

See also