Roman Divorce Blamed Evil Demons

Some couples seeking a mutual divorce in late Roman Egypt officially blamed an "evil demon" for coming between them rather than accusing either spouse of wrongdoing. One surviving document from 391 CE says that an evil demon entered the couple's life and caused their separation, after which both parties renounced any claims against each other and were free to remarry. Scholars have suggested that blaming a demon conveniently avoided questions of culpability that could create later legal complications, although belief in such supernatural interference may also have been genuine.

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