In ancient Rome, adultery was perceived differently than it is today for several reasons, the primary one being the disparity in treatment between men and women. It was widely accepted in society for men to engage in extramarital relations with prostitutes, slaves, and concubines. The only instances that were condemned involved affairs with free women who were either engaged or married. In contrast, adultery committed by a married woman was considered extremely serious and was severely punished throughout Roman history.  

For a long time, punishing an adulterous woman was the responsibility of her family. The woman's husband or father, if she was caught in the act, had the ius occidendi—the legal right to kill both her and her lover to avenge the dishonor and protect the family's reputation. However, there was another reason why female adultery was deemed so grave—not just for the family but for society as a whole. The Romans believed that a man's qualities—whether political, military, or intellectual—were passed down from father to son. As a result, individuals were often granted political or military positions based on their lineage. Female infidelity, therefore, not only dishonored the husband and the family but also risked corrupting the bloodline. More importantly, it cast doubt on the paternity of a child, undermining the certainty that a father’s qualities were inherited by his offspring, which could have serious consequences for both the family and the state.  

This gender disparity is evident in the history of the family of princeps Octavian Augustus. According to Suetonius, Augustus' wife, Livia Drusilla, was so accustomed to his extramarital affairs that she personally arranged for his young lovers. However, when Augustus discovered the adulterous affair of his daughter, Julia, he banished her to the island of Pandateria, off the coast of Campania. Exile to an island (relegatio in insulam) was one of the punishments prescribed for adulterous women under the Lex Iulia de adulteriis, a law enacted by Augustus himself.