Abstract
On the previous paper (Hoseishi Kenkyu, Legal History Review, vol. 25, 1975) I made a comment on the lead letter of Achillodoros, which was found on the island of Berezan in the North Black Sea, from the point of view of Yu. G. Vinogradov, epigraphist of U. S. S. R. He assigned the letter to the second half of the sixth century B. C. and concluded that the slavery system as well as commerce had developed widely.
V. P. Yailenko, the same epigraphist of U. S. S. R., published his opinion about the above-mentioned letter against that of Vinogradov. About the same time, this letter has been discussed in England by John Chadwick, famous scholar for decipherment of Linear B of Mycenae records, and in France by Benedetto Bravo, an Italian historian who asserts the early development of commerce in Greek society. Now this letter is located in the centre of interest of ancient historian world-wide. This paper is to explain opinions of these three scholars in comparison with the result of Vinogradov's research.
