THE LIBRARY OF IBERIAN RESOURCES ONLINE

The Visigothic Code: (Forum judicum)

ed. S. P. Scott



Book III: Concerning Marriage

Title I: Concerning Nuptial Contracts

Law I: Marriage shall not be Entered Into without a Dowry.
Law II: It shall be as Lawful for a Roman Woman to Marry a Goth, as for a Gothic Woman to Marry a Roman.
Law III: Where a Girl marries against the Will of her Father, while she is Betrothed to Another.
Law IV: When a Gift is made by way of Pledge, a Nuptial Contract cannot be Rescinded.
Law V: Women Advanced in Years shall not Marry Young Men
Law VI: What Property the Dowry shall consist of.
Law VII: The Father shall Exact, and Keep, the Dowry of his Daughter.
Law VIII: In case of the Death of the Father, the Disposition of the Children of Both Sexes, in Marriage, shall belong to the Mother.
Law IX: Where Brothers Defer the Marriage of their Sister, or Where a Girl Marries Beneath her Station.
Law X: Where the Items of a Dowry, relating to any kind of Property, are reduced to Writing, it shall not be Contested.

Title II: Concerning Unlawful Marriages

Law I: Where a Woman Marries within a Year after the Death of her Husband.
Law II: Where a Freeborn Woman Marries a Slave, or her own Freedman.
Law III: Where a Freeborn Woman Marries the Slave of Another, or a Freeborn Man the Female Slave of Another.
Law IV: Where a Freedwoman, or a Freedman, Marries the Slave of Another.
Law V: Where Anyone gives in Marriage his Slave, of Either Sex, to the Slave of Another.
Law VI: Where a Woman contracts a Second Marriage in the Absence of her Husband.
Law VII: Where a Master Marries one of his Slaves to a Freewoman declaring him to be a Freeman.
Law VIII: Where a Freewoman Marries without the Consent of her Parents.

Title III: Concerning the Rape of Virgins, or Widows

Law I: Where a Freeman carries off a Freewoman by Force, he shall not be permitted to Marry her, if she was a Virgin.
Law II: Where Parents remove their Daughter from the Power of a Ravisher.
Law III: Where the Parents of a Girl, who has been Betrothed, consent that she should be Carried Away by Another.
Law IV: Where Brothers, either during the Life of their father, or after his Death, consent that Anyone should Carry Away their Sister by Force.
Law V: Where Anyone Carries Away by Violence a Woman who was Betrothed to Another.
Law VI: Where a Ravisher is Killed.
Law VII: Within what Time it is Lawful to Prosecute a Ravisher; and Whether any Marriage Contract can be entered into with Him by the Girl or her Parents.
Law VIII: Where a Slave carries off a Freewoman by Force.
Law IX: Where a Slave carries off a Freedwoman by Force.
Law X: Where a Slave carries off the Female Slave of Another by Force.
Law XI: Concerning those who Deceive Girls, or the Wives of Others, or Widows; and Concerning those who Compel by Force, and without the Royal Command, any Freeborn Girl or Widow to take a Husband.
Law XII: Concerning Freemen and Slaves who are Proved to have been Implicated in the Crime of Rape.

Title IV: Concerning Adultery

Law I: Where a Woman Commits Adultery, with or without the Connivance of her Husband.
Law II: Where a Girl or Woman who has been Betrothed, is found Guilty of Adultery.
Law III: Concerning the Adultery of a Wife.
Law IV: Where an Adulterer, along with an Adulteress, are Killed.
Law V: Where her Father, or her Relatives, Kill a Girl who has been Guilty of Adultery in their House.
Law VI: It is not Lawful for Slaves to put Persons to Death who are Taken in Adultery.
Law VII: Where a Girl, or a Widow, goes to the House of Another, in order to Commit Adultery, and the Man should wish to Marry Her.
Law VIII: Where a Freeborn Woman commits Adultery with Anyone.
Law IX: Where a Freeborn Woman Commits Adultery with the Husband of Another.
Law X: Slaves of Both Sexes may be Tortured to Reveal the Adultery of their Masters.
Law XI: Whether it shall be Lawful to set a Slave at Liberty, in order to Conceal the Crime of Adultery.
Law XII: Concerning the Property of Persons who have Committed Adultery.
Law XIII: Concerning those Persons who have a Right to bring Accusations of Adultery, and what Proof of the Crime should be Made.
Law XIV: Where a Freeman, or a Slave, has been Convicted of having committed Adultery, with Violence, upon a Freeborn Virgin, or Widow.
Law XV: Where a Freeman, or a Slave, without the Knowledge of his Master, commits Adultery with the Female Slave of Another.
Law XVI: Where a Female Slave is proved to have committed Adultery with Another by Force.
Law XVII: Concerning the Freeborn Women, or Female Slaves, of Bad Character, and Where Judges Refuse to Investigate, or Punish their Crimes.
Law XVIII: Concerning the Impurity of Priests and other Ministers of Religion.

Title V: Concerning Incest, Apostacy, and Pederasty

Law I: Concerning Incestuous and Adulterous Marriages in General.
Law II: Concerning Incestuous and Adulterous Marriages and Debauchery, either with Holy Virgins, or with Widows or other Women while doing Penance.
Law III: Concerning Men and Women who Illegally Assume the Tonsure and Dress of Religious Orders.
Law IV: Concerning the Restraint of Fraud Peculiar to Widows.
Law V: Concerning Pederasty.
Law VI: Concerning Sodomy, and the Manner in which the Law should be Enforced.
Law VII: Concerning Adultery committed with the Concubine of a Father or a Brother.

Title VI: Concerning Divorce, and the Separation of Persons who have been Betrothed

Law I: Where a Woman, justly or unjustly, is Separated from her Husband.
Law II: There shall be No Divorce between Married Persons.
Law III: There shall be No Divorce between Persons who are Betrothed.