$QG\ 3XüFĆ &ULVWLDQ 6DQGDFKH )ĆQHO 7HRGRUDüFX (GV 6H[LVP  7RSLFDO ,VVXHV &DVH 6WXGLHV 3HUVSHFWLYHV 122 THE ISSUE OF ADULTERY IN A NOVEL BY CAMIL PETRESCU. SOME PREJUDICES AND THEIR LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FROM 100 YEARS AGO $QG\ 3XúFă 1 , Cristinel Munteanu 2 Abstract: Taking as the starting point a sequence of a modern novel belonging to the Romanian writer Camil Petrescu, we have analyzed in this article the conditions, prejudices and legal basis that could have led to the formulation of a specific verdict following a trial in Romania at the beginning of the XX th century. In the literally episode in question, it is about the judgment of the Court with Juries from Bucharest to acquit, in 1916, a husband who killed his unfaithful wife. The decision is a surprising one for most public opinion, because at that time woman had already obtained certain rights, not being treated so inhumanely, as it had happened in the previous centuries. In order to understand why such a decision was taken, it was necessary to retrace a certain thinking framework, influenced by diverse customs, traditions and prejudices that justified the judgment in question. Such reconstruction we have outlined in this paper, making a brief incursion in the history of sanctioning (female) adultery in the (more or less) civilized world. Keywords: adultery; Roman law; literary realism, the status of women; prejudices; traditions 1 Associate Professor, PhD, Rector of Danubius University of Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, Corresponding author: andypusca@univ-danubius.ro. 2 Senior Lecturer, PhD, Danubius University of Galati, Romania, Address: 3 Galati Blvd., Galati 800654, Romania, Tel.: +40372361102, E-mail: cristinel.munteanu@univ- danubius.ro.