Filicidium in Ancient Rome

In this dissertation, it was investigated that how filicide was perceived in Ancient Rome. Thus, the assertion that the right of life and death, which gives the power to kill his children to the paterfamilias, the head of the Roman family, may be restricted by social pressure has been tested. In the introduction, imperium and patria potestas, which gave a Roman father the right to kill his children legally, are introduced. In the main chapter, filicides that took place throughout the Roman History were examined in detail under two headings, and the reception of the Romans on these events were tried to be identified. In the first group, there are fathers who kill their children on the pretext of public good because they go against the political interests of the state or the moral values of the society. In the second group, there are those who kill their children for personal reasons. There is already consensus that the fathers in the second group were received quite negatively by the Romans. On the other hand, it has been claimed that fathers in the first group, who kill their children on the pretext of the interests of society, were welcomed by the Romans, and even these actions were seen as exemplary behaviors. In this research, it has been revealed that this view may be wrong, that even fathers who killed their children who betrayed Rome were highly controversial figures among the Romans and were often criticized. From this point of view, it was concluded that child murder in Rome was generally perceived negatively for whatever reason, and thus, it was concluded that the use of the right of life and death was restricted by social pressure.