Dialuesthai

marriage-420x420

Λύεται ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς διὰ τοιαύτας αἰτίας· ἐὰν ἡ γυνὴ πορνεύσῃ· ἐὰν ἐπιβουλεύσηται οἱῳδήποτε τρόπῳ τῇ ζωῇ αὐτοῦ, ἢ ἐπισταμένη ἑτέρους ἐπιβουλεύοντας, μὴ καταμηνύσῃ αὐτῷ· καὶ ἐὰν λωβή ἐστιν. ὁμοίως δὲ λύεται καὶ γυνὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς διὰ τοιαύτας αἰτίας· ἐὰν ἀδυνατήσῃ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ τριετίᾳ ἀπὸ καιροῦ τοῦ συναλλάγματος τοῦ γαμικοῦ τῇ οἰκείᾳ μιγῆναι γυναικί· ἐὰν ἐπιβουλεύσηται οἱῳδήτινι τρόπῳ τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῆς, ἢ ἐπιστάμενος ἑτέρους ἐπιβουλεύοντας, μὴ καταμηνύσῃ αὐτῇ, καὶ ἐὰν λωβός ἐστιν· εἰ δὲ συμβῇ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἕνα μετὰ τὸν γάμον ἢ πρὸ τοῦ γάμου ὑπὸ δαίμονος κυριευθῆναι, τούτους ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης αἰτίας ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων μὴ χωρίζεσθαι· ἄνευ τε τῶν αἰτιῶν τούτων τῶν γνωριζομένων, μὴ δύνασθαι ἀνδρόγυνον διαλύεσθαι κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον ὅτι, οὓς ὁ θεὸς ἔζευξεν, ἄνθρωπος μὴ χωριζέτω.
(Ecloga 2.9.2-4)

A husband may divorce his wife on the following grounds: if his wife commits fornication; if she plots in any way against his life, or knows another who plots against him and does not inform him; and if she is a leper. Likewise, a wife may be separated from her husband on these grounds: if within three years of the marriage the husband is unable to have intercourse with his wife; if he plots in any way against her life, or knows another who plots against her and does not inform her; and if he is a leper. And if it should happen that either of them should after the marriage be possessed by a demon, they shall not be separated from one another due to such a cause. Except on these known grounds it is not possible to dissolve a marriage, for as it is written, ‘those whom God has joined let no man put asunder.’ [Matthew 19:6; Mark 10:9] (tr. Mike Humphreys)