Storks' law
Preserved but no longer current.
Also seen as: Lex ciconaria
Meaning · English
A Roman law which obliged children to maintain their necessitous parents in old age, "in imitation of the stork." Also called "Antipelargia.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Storks' law” mean?
A Roman law which obliged children to maintain their necessitous parents in old age, "in imitation of the stork." Also called "Antipelargia.
Is “Storks' law” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.