Lex Canuleia

Roman law

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June 30, 2026

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The Lex Canuleia was a Roman law passed in 445 BCE that allowed plebeians and patricians to intermarry. Before this law, such marriages were forbidden, contributing to the social and political struggles between the two classes, known as the Conflict of the Orders. The passage of the Lex Canuleia was a significant step for plebeians in their campaign to abolish civil disabilities and gain equal rights within Roman society.1

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plebeian
…the law known as the Lex Canuleia (445 bce), they were also forbidden to marry patricians. Until 287 bce the plebeians waged a campaign (Conflict of the Orders) to have their civil disabilities abolished. They organized themselves into a separate corporation and withdrew from the state on perhaps as many…
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…the law known as the Lex Canuleia (445 bce), they were also forbidden to marry patricians. Until 287 bce the plebeians waged a campaign (Conflict of the Orders) to have their civil disabilities abolished. They organized themselves into a separate corporation and withdrew from the state on perhaps as many…
Read More