CARRIAGE OF GOODS BY SEA AS A SPECIAL FORM OF LOCATIO-CONDUCTIO OPERIS FACIENDI IN ROMAN LAW

Carriage of goods by sea, as a special form of locatio-conductio operis faciendi contract, is becoming particularly interesting in Roman law in social surroundings in the period after Punic wars. That was the period when the Roman state expanded, and the maritime trade developed, which demanded rapid and effective conclusion of legal affairs. With uprising of maritime trade, there was a need for the existence of legal means, which would help meet the increasingly demanding trade of goods. This led to the creation of contract of carriage of goods by sea, which in Roman law was a specific form of locatio-conductio, specifically locatio-conductio operis faciendi. For the conclusion and validity of this contract, in addition to the agreement between the contracting parties, it was also necessary that the conditions regarding the subject of the contract were fulfilled. The subject of this contract was not work itself or workforce, but the final result of work (opus), ie. to transport goods from one place to another, and a fee (merces) paid for such services