Sexual Life in Ancient India: A Study in the Comparative History of Indian Culture v2.c20.27

v2.c20.27

³ As is well known, a custom also, like the lending and exchanging of a wife, in olden and later times in the most differing places in the world. The most famous case is Cato, who gave up his Marcella to his friend Hortensius; and according to Strabo this was here also in accordance with good and old tradition (Lippert, *Kulturgesch.*, ii, 18). But in India it is often declared that the wife must not be given to any man (e.g. Bṛhaspati, xv, 2).