Yeah, I suppose I shouldn’t have left out that detail. Raping an unbetrothed virgin doesn’t get the same treatment as raping another man’s wife. I’d still say paying a fine and never being able to divorce counts as “discouraging” rape, but… damn.
An “unbetrothed virgin” wasn’t a woman, Romans didn’t even give them names at birth, just a serial number like Prima, Secunda, Tertia… and they were an expenditure to maintain until they could get sold in matrimony… guess for less than 50 shekels, or it wouldn’t be much of a fine otherwise.
AFAIK they had to pay 50 shekels and marry the woman they raped right?
Yeah, I suppose I shouldn’t have left out that detail. Raping an unbetrothed virgin doesn’t get the same treatment as raping another man’s wife. I’d still say paying a fine and never being able to divorce counts as “discouraging” rape, but… damn.
An “unbetrothed virgin” wasn’t a woman, Romans didn’t even give them names at birth, just a serial number like Prima, Secunda, Tertia… and they were an expenditure to maintain until they could get sold in matrimony… guess for less than 50 shekels, or it wouldn’t be much of a fine otherwise.