Legal Definitions - lex Pompeia de parricidiis

The lex Pompeia de parricidiis was a law in ancient Rome that defined what murders were considered parricide. It was established in 70 or 55 B.C. and included a special punishment for those who committed parricide. The punishment involved the offender being executed by being sewn up in a sack with a dog, a rooster, a viper, and a monkey, and then thrown into the sea or a river.

An example of parricide under the lex Pompeia de parricidiis would be a son killing his father, or a daughter killing her mother. These types of murders were considered especially heinous because they involved killing a family member.

Another example would be if a husband killed his wife, or a wife killed her husband. These types of murders were also considered parricide because they involved killing a spouse.

These examples illustrate how the lex Pompeia de parricidiis defined parricide as the killing of a family member or spouse, and how it established a unique punishment for those who committed this crime.