The Christian church ordained that marriage, a sacrament imparting divine grace, was for life. In 1857, the state enacted its first generally applicable divorce law, to be triggered only by sexual misdemeanours. Liberalisation slowly followed,and now ‘no fault’ divorce is being proposed in England. We edge closer to pre-Christian practice.
Most popular
James Delingpole
Most-read 2024: How did Wolf Hall escape the attentions of the BBC’s diversity commissars?
To generalise: in both Greek and Roman worlds, marriage was essentially an understanding between two families, with fathers on both sides agreeing to and sealing the deal (that does not mean the couple’s view was irrelevant), and the bride being given a dowry by her father. The state had no official stake in the relationship. It did not keep records of births, marriages, divorces or deaths. There were, of course, laws about the legitimacy of children — Pericles enacted a law that an Athenian citizen had to have an Athenian mother and father — but if a dispute on that matter came to court, no state-authorised documents would be available to prove or disprove the case.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in