23. Roman Dads Had Life and Death Power Over Their Kids
The patriarchy today is nowhere near as powerful as it was in the days of ancient Rome. The degree of authority that a Roman head of household, or pater familias, exercised over the family would shock modern sensibilities. At the lower end of the spectrum, Roman law and tradition granted the family patriarch the power to reject or approve the marriages of his sons and daughters. At the more extreme end, those laws and traditions granted patriarchs a literal power of life and death over family members. In some instances, such as when it came to deformed babies, Roman law ordered patriarchs to kill infants with obvious deformities.
Roman fathers also had the legal right to sell their children into slavery. It was not done often and typically happened only in dire circumstances when hard-pressed patriarchs sought to ease their burdens. While the practice was not widespread, it did take place from time to time. However – and for what it was worth for the kids – a father’s right to sell his children was not absolute. He could only do so a maximum of three times – assuming the kids regained their freedom after each occurrence – before the thrice enslaved kids were deemed forever free from his authority.
