The Roman government became increasingly involved in the private lives of its citizens by penalizing people who remain unmarried or childless (by attacking their eligibility to inherit wealth), or rewarding women for marrying and having multiple children by releasing them from their guardians. Laws also forbade senators to marry prostitutes, criminals, or actresses, and regulated sexuality by fining men who had homosexual relationships. Do laws exist today in the United States that are designed to regulate, penalize, or reward private behavior?
