or they ought really
to be put to death along with their fathers--but they are to receive no
inheritances. Let them be paupers forever; let the infamy of their
father ever follow them; they may never aspire to office; in their
lasting poverty let death be a relief and life a punishment. Finally,
any one who tries to intercede for these with us is also to be
infamous."[284] However, to the daughters of the condemned these
emperors graciously granted one fourth of their mother's but not any of
their father's goods. In the case of crimes other than high treason the
children or grandchildren were allowed one half of the estate.[285]
Constantine decreed that a wife's property was not to be affected by the
condemnation of her husband.[286]

[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,