Marriage between Romans and barbarians

[miguel]

Months ago I've read a book (which name I have forgotton). There is a section of book mentioned that marriage between Romans and barbarians was forbidden. I wonder how true this statement is and I would like to know if there are any other sources regarding this matter. If it's true, how could it be possible for Ataulf to get married with Placidia (though the marriage displeased Honorius)?

[Gaius Paulinus Maximus]

Months ago I've read a book (which name I have forgotton). There is a section of book mentioned that marriage between Romans and barbarians was forbidden. I wonder how true this statement is and I would like to know if there are any other sources regarding this matter. If it's true, how could it be possible for Ataulf to get married with Placidia (though the marriage displeased Honorius)?

 

In 1964 Rosario Soraci published a study of conubia between Romans and Germans from the fourth to the sixth century A.D. 1 Although the title of the work might suggest that its concern was to be with such marriages throughout the period, in fact its aim was much more restricted. Beginning with a law issued by Valentinian 1 in 370 or 373 to the magister equitum Theodosius (C.Th. 3.14.1), which blamed on pain of death all marriages between Roman provincials and barbarae or gentiles, Soraci, after assessing the context and intent of the law, proceeded to discuss its influence upon the practices of the Germanic kingdoms which succeeded the Roman Empire in the West.

 

Take a look at this link it gives a decent size list of Romans who married barbarians.

 

http://www.uwo.ca/english/florilegium/vol2/blockley.html

[Primus Pilus]

Keep in mind that much "social law" was dependent upon the era. For instance, in the early Republic (prior to the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC) it was forbidden for Plebes to marry Patricians. Alternatively Constantine issued a series of laws in the early 4th century that formalized marriage between citizen men and manumitted concubines, freedpersons, freepersons, etc. The formalized code included restrictions on provincial authorities marrying freedwomen that had previously only existed for Senators. Of course this is not necessarily in relation to "barbarians" per se, but presumably since many slaves were of "barbarian" origin, one can make a general correlation.

 

One might also assume that much of the Constantinian code (and later Theodosian, etc.) was in response to "social issues" that had arisen after Caracalla's citizenship incorporation of AD 212. Such a massive incorporation of provincial freepersons into citizens would have made marriage between citizens and "barbarians" an inevitable occurrence.