Final answer:
In ancient Rome, the father could enact extreme authority over his children, including the right to kill under specific circumstances as per the Lex Julia on adultery. This authority stemmed from the concept of patria potestas, with the law dictating conditions to prevent abuse of this power.
Step-by-step explanation:
In ancient Rome, fathers had significant authority over their children under the concept of patria potestas. One of the most extreme examples of this authority is reflected in the Lex Julia on adultery, which allowed a father to kill his daughter and her lover if he caught them in the act within his own house or in that of his son-in-law. This power was seen as a reflection of the father's role as the pater familias, and while it may seem severe, it was put in place under very specific conditions and was thought to be tempered by the father’s affection for his children. Despite the harshness of these laws, it was believed that a father would be less likely to act in haste compared to a husband, hence the law permitted the father to take such drastic action only under certain circumstances.
The Lex Julia was recorded in the Justinian Digest and indicates how fathers during Roman times could exercise life-or-death dominion over their children. Notably, the husband did not have the same right to kill his wife due to concerns that husbands might murder their wives to claim their dowry. Therefore, it was deemed a father would make a more sound and deliberate decision when the question of his daughter's life was at stake.