Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers: Series II/Volume XIV/Additional Canons 1/The Council of Ancyra/Canons/Canon XXV

Canon XXV.

who had betrothed a maiden, corrupted her sister, so that she conceived.&#160; After that he married his betrothed, but she who had been corrupted hanged herself.&#160; The parties to this affair were ordered to be received among the co-standers after ten years [of penance] according to the prescribed degrees.

Notes.

A certain body after being engaged to marry a young girl, violates her sister and then takes her to wife.&#160; The first is suffocated.&#160; All who were cognizant of the affair are to be subject to penance for ten years.

I have followed the usual translation &#8220;hanged herself,&#8221; which is the ordinary dictionary-meaning of &#7936;&#960;&#8049;&#947;&#967;&#969;, but Hefele says that it signifies any and every variety of suicides.

In this case we have many nefarious crimes committed, fornication, unlawful marriage [i.e. with the sister of one&#8217;s mistress] and murder.&#160; In that case [mentioned by St. Basil in Canon lxxviij. where only seven years penance is enjoined] there is only a nefarious marriage [i.e. with a wife&#8217;s sister].