Woman in Roman Criminal Law Abstract This thesis deals with several topics of Roman Criminal Law that pertain mainly to women, such as the criminal prosecution of adultery or the crimes of the Roman Vestal Virgins. Its main focus is on crimes where women were the only, or predominant perpetrators. Another field of interest in this study are crimes for which women used to receive different or worse punishments than men. In a wider context, this thesis focuses on the life of women in the Ancient Rome, on the many ways their status and roles in the society changed with the passing centuries, and on the ways how this was all reflected in the Roman Criminal Law. The main topics of interest include adulterium (adultery), abortus (abortion), lenocinium (pandering), stuprum (debauchery) and crimen incestum (crimes of the Vestal Virgins). Chapter One, The Changing Status of Women in Roman Society, serves as a general introduction to the main topic of this thesis. It shows the changing position of women in Roman society, with a focus on the transformation of the meek, obedient Republican matron into the wild, openly sexual creature that was the woman of the Late Republic and Early Principate. Chapter Two, Extramarital Relations, deals mainly with the topic of adultery and its punishment. Its main focus is on the...