Law and Family in Late Antiquity

This is a new and thought-provoking study of marriage and the law in late antiquity, dealing particularly with the legislation on marriage enacted by the Roman emperor Constantine (AD 307-337). As the first emperor to accept Christianity, Constantine is often credited with having introduced Christian ideals and practices into Roman law, but in this book the author argues that the extent of Christian influence on Constantine's marriage legislation was limited. Rather, in many cases, it merely granted legal recognition to practices that had long been followed by many people in the Roman Empire. Whilst Constantine did not always endorse such practices, and in some cases even tried to repress them, a careful examination of his laws against the dual background of classical Roman law and early Christian attitudes towards marriage reveals much about contemporary behaviour and belief in late antiquity.