Parricide

Parricide (Latin: parricida, killer of parents or another close relative) is defined as:

  • The act of killing one's father (patricide),[1] or less commonly one's mother (matricide)[2] or some other close relative.
  • The act of killing a person (such as the ruler of one's country) who stands in a relationship resembling that of a father[3]
  • A person who commits such an act[4]
  • A related adjective ("parricide treason", "parricide brothers")[5]

Historical cases

In the sixth century AD collection of earlier juristical sayings, the Digest, a precise enumeration of the victims' possible relations to the parricide is given by the 3rd century AD lawyer Modestinus:

By the lex Pompeia on parricides it is laid down that if anyone kills his father, his mother, his grandfather, his grandmother, his brother, his sister, first cousin on his father's side, first cousin on his mother's side, paternal or maternal uncle, paternal (or maternal) aunt, first cousin (male or female) by mother's sister, wife, husband, father-in-law, son-in-law, mother-in-law, (daughter-in-law), stepfather, stepson, stepdaughter, patron, or patroness, or with malicious intent brings this about, shall be liable to the same penalty as that of the lex Cornelia on murderers. And a mother who kills her son or daughter suffers the penalty of the same statute, as does a grandfather who kills a grandson; and in addition, a person who buys poison to give to his father, even though he is unable to administer it.[6]

See also

References

  1. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd. ed.: parricide: ... killing a near relative (now usually a father)
  2. "Definition of MATRICIDE". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2017-03-12.
  3. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd. ed.: parricide: ... fig.: the action or crime of killing the ruler of or betraying one's country
  4. Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd. ed.: parricide 1: A person who kills a near relative; parricide 2: The action or crime of killing a near relative
  5. examples from Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd. ed.
  6. Watson, Alan (ed.); Robinson, Olivia (tr.) (1998). The Digest of Justinian, Volume 4, Book 48. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 335. ISBN 978-0-8122-2036-0.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
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