Legal Definitions - conubium

Definition: Conubium (pronounced kuh-NOO-bee-um) is a term from Roman law that refers to the legal capacity to marry and the collection of rights that come with marriage between people who have the ability to marry. The word comes from the Latin words "con," meaning "together," and "nubere," meaning "to marry."

Examples: In ancient Rome, not everyone had the right to conubium. Only Roman citizens were allowed to marry other Roman citizens and have their marriage recognized by the state. This meant that if a Roman citizen wanted to marry a non-citizen, they would not have conubium and their marriage would not be recognized as legal.

Conubium also came with certain rights and responsibilities. For example, if a Roman citizen got married and had children, the father had lifelong control over his children through a legal concept called patria potestas. This was a unique feature of Roman law and was one of the effects of conubium.

Explanation: Conubium is a term that describes the legal capacity to marry and the rights and responsibilities that come with marriage. The examples illustrate how conubium worked in ancient Rome and how it was limited to Roman citizens. The concept of patria potestas shows how conubium affected family relationships and the power dynamics within a family. Overall, conubium was an important part of Roman law and had a significant impact on the lives of Roman citizens.