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[German version] The dos was in Roman law the dowry. Marriage in and of itself had no influence on the property rights of the spouses. According to old custom, a dowry belonged to a marriage, although it was not prescribed by law. A wife who entered into the legal power ( manus) of her husband merged her property, as well as future acquisitions, with the property of her husband or his paterfamilias. If a wife was under the legal power of a paterfamilias, he handed over a dowry to the husband; if the woman was legally independent ( sui iuris), she transferred a dowry to her husband herself tha…

[German version] I. Ancient Orient Marriage in the Ancient Orient was always potentially polygamous, but in most cases it was monogamous in practice. Only kings had more than two wives. Marriage to members of inferior social groups was just as valid as marriage between them. Marriage between close relatives was basically forbidden, except between half-brothers and half-sisters who shared a father. A marriage could be concluded in any of four ways: 1) by a contract between the groom or his parents and…