Consent and Coercion to Sex and Marriage in Ancient and Medieval Societies

This collection of essays addresses a number of questions regarding the role of consent in marriage and in sexual relations outside of marriage in ancient and medieval societies.

Ranging from ancient Greece and Rome to the Byzantine Empire and Western Medieval Europe, the contributors examine rape, seduction, and the role of consent in establishing the punishment of one or both parties; the issue of marital debt and spousal rape; and the central question of what is percieved as coercion and what may be the validity of value of coerced consent.

Other concepts, such as honour and shame, are also investigated.