valid.1 If they are unaware of its illicit nature, however, the stipulation is valid and she is entitled to its market value on the day the contract was concluded. Should he give her grape must as the dower and it later prove to have been wine, the contract remains valid and she is entitled to an equivalent amount of must.

Section

The father may marry off his daughter2 outright without naming a dower equal to that of her peers, even if she objects, and no one is obliged to make up the difference. If someone other than the father does so with her permission while she is of sound judgment, the contract is valid; but if he acts without her permission, the husband must complete the dower. If she specifies an amount to her guardian and he marries her for less, he is liable for the shortfall. Should a man marry off his son and be asked, “Your son is poor—where will the dower be taken3 from?” and he answers, “It is with me,” the liability falls upon him.

The father has no right to take possession of his mature daughter’s dower4, even if she is a virgin, except with her consent. If the husband pays it to her father, he is not discharged; she may demand it from him, and he may then seek reimbursement from her father. If she is not of sound judgment, the dower is to be delivered to the guardian of her property.

If a slave marries with his master’s permission, the marriage is valid and the master is responsible for the dower, maintenance, clothing, and lodging. If he marries without the master’s permission, the marriage is invalid; yet if intercourse takes place, a dower equivalent to that of comparable women becomes a debt upon the slave himself.