A common theme in the news today is how it is becoming increasingly common for the younger generations to snub the tradition of getting married and having children. This has led to scare stories about population shrinkage and the problem of aging populations. This phenomenon isn’t all that new, however. In 18 BC Rome’s first emperor, Augustus, tasked himself with tackling a similar problem. Especially in the upper classes of Rome, fewer and fewer people were getting married and having children. His solution was to bring in a range of powerful new laws that encouraged marriage and traditional Roman values. One of them, Lex Julia De Adulteriis Coercendis, even allowed Roman fathers to kill their daughters if they were unfaithful, leading to the rise of honor killings in Ancient Rome.
The Lex Julia de Maritandis Ordinibus
The first of Augustus’ marriage laws were brought in in 18 BC. While these laws are most commonly remembered for their harsh treatment of women, and how they led to Roman honor killings, some of the laws were aimed squarely at men.
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The Lex Julia de Maritandis Ordinibus was a law that Augustus brought in that forced Roman men of a certain age and social group to marry and have children. Its aim was to ensure the continuation of Rome’s “native” population and to reinforce social hierarchy .
Read more: Ancient Origins
