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How did Greek inscriptions record business agreements and legal decisions?

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Neo-Assyrian clay tablet from the 7th century BC inscribed with dense cuneiform writing, known as the Flood Tablet from the Epic of Gilgamesh, displayed in the British Museum. — epigraphy The Flood Tablet, 11th cuneiform tablet in a series relating the Gilgamesh epic, from Nineveh, 7th century bce; in the British Museum, London.

In ancient Greece, business agreements and legal decisions were frequently recorded on durable materials like stone or metal and displayed in public spaces, such as city centers or pan-Hellenic sanctuaries like Delphi and Olympia.1

These inscriptions served as vital documentation for various formal activities:

Business and Finance: Records included contracts for services (such as medical agreements), bank deposit records—often held within temples—and collection agreements for defaulted notes. Public financial data, including detailed receipts, expenditures, and construction budgets, were also minutely inscribed to ensure transparency.21
Legal Decisions: States utilized inscriptions to document administrative and legislative decrees, which typically outlined the date, the circumstances of the action, the decision, and enforcement sanctions. Interstate disputes were often settled by third-party commissions, whose arbitration reports were similarly preserved.1
Codification: While rare, some states engaged in formal codification, most notably the laws of Gortyn in Crete. This extensive monument addressed civil law matters, including property rights, inheritance, and family law.1

These epigraphic records were essential for maintaining public order and institutional accountability in the absence of a centralized archival tradition.1