We have already talked on several occasions about sexuality in Ancient Rome and, even so, I would like to remind you again that the concept of sex in Roman society has nothing to do with the modesty and congenital blush that this topic produces in us today. for the education received. But neither should we think that the whole mountain was oregano … and the emperor Caesar Augustus took care of it .
To restore the moral foundations of marriage and avoid scandalous behavior such as adulterium (sexual act with a married woman) and the stuprum (sexual act with a widow or a virgin) the emperor promulgated the Lex Iulia de Adulteriis Coercendis in 17 BC Typical of the time, it was a class law (it differentiated the penalties applicable to patricians and plebeians) and, in our eyes, sexist (this law was fundamentally aimed at preserving the chastity of married women...). Among many other issues, in this law the adulterium became a criminal case:
- The two culprits were punished with exile and, in addition, part of their property was confiscated.
- The father could kill his adulterous daughter and his mistress if he caught them red-handed at his house or at his son-in-law's but as long as it was at that time.
- Under these same circumstances, if it is the husband who surprises them, he could kill her wife's lover and was forced to divorce her. If the husband did not divorce he could incur lenocinium (tacit or consensual support of adultery committed by the wife)…
In addition, in the latter case, the husband could retain the lover for 20 hours to witness the shameful event, but in those 20 hours... the usual thing was that he was sodomized with a horseradish, by a slave (preferably Nubian, not I think it is necessary to explain the reason) or by himself if he so pleased .
Sources:Women Lex Iulia, Virtual Legal Library, Learning from the past – José Manuel Pina Piquer