[Sidenote:  Rape.]

Ravishers of women, even of slaves and freedwomen, were punished by Justinian with death; but in the case of freeborn women only did the property of the guilty man and his abettors become forfeit to the outraged victim.  A woman no longer had the privilege of demanding her assailant in marriage.[287]

SOURCES

Roman Law as cited in Chapter I, especially the Novellae of Justinian.

NOTES: 

[249] Codex, v, 17, 8 contains this rescript in full.

[250] Codex, v, 17, 10.

[251] Codex, v, 17, 11.

[252] Id.

[253] Novellae, 22, 18.

[254] Novellae, 140, 1:  Antiquitus quidem licebat sine periculo tales (i.e., those of incompatible temperament) ab invicem separari secundum communem voluntatem et consensum hoc agentes, sicut et plurimae tunc leges extarent hoc dicentes et bona gratia sic procedentem solutionem nuptiarum patria vocitantes voce.  Postea vero divae memoriae nostro patri.... legem sancivit prohibens cum consensu coniugia solvi....  Haec igitur aliena nostris iudicantes temporibus in praesenti sacram constituimus legem, per quam sancimus licere ut antiquitus consensu coniugum solutiones nuptiarum fieri.

[255] Novellae, 134, 11.

[256] Novellae, 134, 10.

[257] Novellae, 134, 10.

[258] Novellae, 22 (praefatio):  Antiquitas equidem non satis aliquid de prioribus aut secundis perserutabatur nuptiis, sed licebat et patribus et matribus et ad plures venire nuptias et lucro nullo privari, et causa erat in simplicitate confusa.

[259] The language of some of them is pretty strong, however—­matre iam secundis nuptiis funestata—­Codex, v, 9, 3 (Gratian, Valentinian, Theodosius).

[260] For these see Codex, v, 9, 1 and 2 and 3.

[261] Cf.  Codex, v, 9, 4.  Nos enim hac lege id praecipue custodiendum esse decrevimus, ut ex quocumque coniugio suscepti filii patrum suorum sponsalicias retineant facilitates.

[262] Codex, vi, 56, 5.

[263] Novellae, ii, 3:  ex absurditate legis, licet praemoriantur filii omnes, non relinquentes filios aut nepotes, nihilominus supplicium manet, et non succedit eis mater, sed expellitur ab eorum inhumane successione ... sed succedunt quidem illis aliqui ex longa cognatione.

[264] Novellae, ii, 3.

[265] Novellae ii, 3.

[266] Codex, vi, 40, 2 and 3.

[267] Novellae, 22, 44:  unde sancimus, si quis prohibuerit ad aliud venire matrimonium, etc.

[268] Codex, v, 3, 16.

[269] The osculum was a sort of “donation on account of marriage” made on the day of the formal engagement.

[270] Codex, i, 3, 54 (56).

[271] Codex, viii, 57 (58), I and 2.  Cf.  Codex, viii, 58 (59), 1 and 2.

[272] Codex, v, 3, 10.