The right to kiss in ancient Rome

In ancient Rome, women considered respectable were required to allow themselves to be kissed not only by their husbands, but by their closest male relatives. This practice, called Ius osculi (right to kiss) was used to check that they had not drunk wine.

Rome, 1st century BC After a morning’s work in the courts, the magistrate Marco Quincio Flaminino (fictional character) returns home. His wife receives him with a kiss on the mouth, to which he responds with a gesture of approval, not so much because of his wife’s affection, but because thanks to that he has been able to verify that she has not drunk wine in his absence, something unforgivable for a good Roman wife. Flaminino has made use of a right established by law: the Ius osculi or the right to kiss. This established that not only the husband, but the father, brothers and cousins of an “honest” woman had the right to kiss her on the mouth to ensure that her breath did not smell of wine.