Marilyn Skinner, Ph.D: Professor of Classics Emerita, University of Arizona; Village resident
Monday, March 2, 2026, 3:00-4:00 pm, Koffler Great Room at ASA and Zoom
In 18 BCE, Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, made adultery on the part of
wives, which earlier had been a private matter settled through negotiations between the
families of the married couple, into a state crime tried in a public court and punished by
exile and confiscation of property. Previous generations of historians have pointed to
Augustus’ legislation as factual evidence of widespread immorality among elites,
particularly women. In this lecture Village resident Marilyn Skinner proposes another explanation. She argues that male apprehension over the growing existence of wealth in the hands of independent women generated anxiety about weakened marriage bonds and limited resources for young men embarking on political careers, which moralists then attributed, rightly or wrongly, to increased female debauchery.