Marriage, Sex and Death: The Family and the Fall of the Roman West

255 Pages·2017·1.585 MB·English

by  Emma Southon

ESOACSITAELR WNO ERLUDRSO OPFE LAANT ES ACNRTEIEQNU ICTYU ALTNUD RTEHSE EARLY MIDDLE AGES
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of the Roman West
Marriage, Sex and Death
Social Worlds of Late Antiquity and the
Early Middle Ages
The Late Antiquity experienced profound cultural and social change: the political
disintegration of the Roman Empire in the West, contrasted by its continuation
and transformation in the East; the arrival of ‘barbarian’ newcomers and the
establishment of new polities; a renewed militarization and Christianization
of society; as well as crucial changes in Judaism and Christianity, together with
the emergence of Islam and the end of classical paganism. This series focuses
on the resulting diversity within Late Antique society, emphasizing cultural
connections and exchanges; questions of unity and inclusion, alienation and
conflict; and the processes of syncretism and change. By drawing upon a number
of disciplines and approaches, this series sheds light on the cultural and social
history of Late Antiquity and the greater Mediterranean world.
Series Editor
Carlos Machado, University of St. Andrews
Editorial Board
Lisa Bailey, University of Auckland
Maijastina Kahlos, University of Helsinki
Volker Menze, Central European University
Ellen Swift, University of Kent
Enrico Zanini, University of Siena
Marriage, Sex and Death
The Family and the Fall of the Roman West
Emma Southon
Amsterdam University Press
Cover illustration: British Library Manuscript https://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminated
manuscripts/ILLUMIN.ASP?Size=mid&IllID=21667
Cover design: Coördesign, Leiden
Lay-out: Crius Group, Hulshout
Amsterdam University Press English-language titles are distributed in the US and Canada by
the University of Chicago Press.
isbn 978 94 6298 035 8
e-isbn 978 90 4852 961 2
doi 10.5117/9789462980358
nur 683
© Emma Southon / Amsterdam University Press B.V., Amsterdam 2017
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of
this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise)
without the written permission of both the copyright owner and the author of the book.
For my parents
And Livia

Table of Contents
Acknowledgments 9
Abbreviations 11
Introduction 13
Terminology and Time Frame 17
Structure 25
Part 1 Creating New Families
1 Property, Power and Bride Price 30
2 Consent to Betrothal 41
3 Betrothal, Desire, and Emotional Attachment 51
4 Having Children 57
5 Family Planning 65
Conclusions to Part 1 83
Part 2 Marriage
1 Property and the Limits of Marriage 89
2 Sex and the Meaning of Marriage 104
3 Adultery 112
4 Divorce 123
5 Concordia 132
Conclusions to Part 2 142
Part 3 Parenthood
1 Patrimony and Fatherhood 148
2 The Role and Meaning of Fatherhood 160
3 The Legal Role of Mothers 168
4 The Nurturing Mother 173
5 Parents and Betrothal 184
6 Parents and Adult Children 189
Conclusions to Part 3 198
Conclusions 201
Appendix 1: The Law Codes 205
Liber Constitutionum 205
Pactus Legis Salicae 206
Lex Ripuaria 208
Visigothic Code 209
Lombard Law Codes 211
Appendix 2: Table of Incidence of Laws Concerning Betrothal and
Marriage 214
Appendix 3: Three Table of Incidence of Laws Concerning Parenting 215
Bibliography 217
Index 253
Names 253
Topics 254
Acknowledgments
My first and most sincere thanks must go to Drs Mary Harlow and Chris
Callow for their guidance. I also offer my thanks to Prof. Matthew Innes,
Dr. Gareth Sears, Dr Ville Vuolanto, Dr Christian Laes, Dr Lisa Alberici, Dr.
Eve Davies, Dr Lena Larsson Loven, Prof. Ray Laurence and Dr Christina
Possel for the guidance, input and constructive comments on various ideas,
theories and papers I presented them with. Finally, I thank E.T Dailey, who
was patient, supportive and endlessly helpful.
Further thanks go to all on Twitter for encouragement, laughs and terrible
distractions especially Sian Hunter, Phoebe Bird, Paul Taylor, Cameron
Davey and all my Difficult Aunts. Priyesh Shah, Luke McGarrity, Rhiannon
Blake, everyone at the Centre for Academic Writing in Coventry, Clare
Hayes-Brady, Edward Jackson, George Demetriades and Rebecca Wood,
John, Helen, Molly and Sam Freeman, Liam McLeod-Eccles, Chandler
Hamer, and Alexandrea Elbakyan all provided invaluable support at dif-
ferent points in this long process. Finally, my parents and step parents gave
all their love.
This book could not have existed without Conor Sally, who rejects all thanks
and recognition but debated every comma on every page and supported
me at every stage. I could not ask for a better friend, partner, cheerleader
or taskmaster and will never be able to express the depths of my love and
gratitude.