Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index


  • Record Number: 16171
  • Author(s)/Creator(s): Elsakkers , Maríanne.
  • Contributor(s):
  • Title: Inflicting Serious Bodily Harm: The Visigothic "Antiquae" on Violence and Abortion [The author analyzes five sections on abortion along with an injury tariff. The author argues that the Visigothic laws are concerned with serious bodily harm to the mothers, not with abortion per se. The situations mostly imply violence done to a pregnant woman against her will causing miscarriages, not women voluntarily selecting abortions. Nonetheless the compensation payments required distinguished between the "unformed" and "formed" fetus. Title note supplied by Feminae.].
  • Source: Tijdschrift voor rechtsgeschiedenis. Revue d'histoire du droit. Legal History Review 71, 40180 ( 2003): Pages 55 - 63.
  • Description:
  • Article Type: Journal Article
  • Subject (See Also): Abortion Law Leges Visigothorum, Visigothic Law Code Miscarriages Pregnancy Punishment Violence Visigoths, People
  • Award Note:
  • Geographic Area: Iberia
  • Century: 6-7
  • Primary Evidence:
  • Illustrations:
  • Table: Four tables. Table One Sections of the law code which identify the victims as either free or slave women and which identify the aggressors as either male or female and as either free or slave. Table Two Penalties listed in the law code for causing an abortion to either a free woman or to a slave. The aggressor also has different penalties according to his/her free or slave status. Table Three Penalties listed in the law code for violence done to either a free man and woman or to a slave man and woman. Again the aggressors' penalties vary according to their free or unfree status. Table Four Penalties for causing an abortion, again divided by free and unfree status for both the victims and the aggressors.
  • Abstract:
  • Related Resources:
  • Author's Affiliation:
  • Conference Info: - , -
  • Year of Publication: 2003.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN/ISBN: 00407585