Ius trium liberorum
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The ius trium liberorum (or "right of three children") was part of the social legislation of Augustus aimed at motivating larger families by granting privileges to parents of three or more freeborn children. It was part of the Lex Papia Poppaea of AD 9. For men, privileges included the advantages in political careers and freedom from jury duty. For women, the privilege freed them from the necessity of having a formal guardian (tutela) and gave her certain legal right of inheritance.
The right could sometimes be granted to reward other services. In 9 BC, for example, this privilege was given to Livia, although she had had only two children (Dio 55.2). In the case of the poet Martial, the ius trium liberorum was granted by the emperor Titus, and later renewed by Domitian, although he was unmarried. Pliny the Younger and Suetonius were also given the right undeservedly.
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[edit] Bibliography
Treggiari, S. (1993), Roman Marriage : Iusti Coniuges from the Time of Cicero to the Time of Ulpian, Oxford and New York: Clarendon Press.
