Single, footloose, and fancy-free, the bachelor life is often
portrayed as an ideal existence. According to the stereotype, single men
have few cares and responsibilities, and, in the absence of a wife or
children that require their support, are able to sustain a hedonistic,
wild lifestyle.
Yet, throughout history, governments and lawmakers have sought to place limits on the numbers of bachelors within society by using an age-old method: taxation.
For 2,000 years, bachelor taxes have periodically appeared in societies across the world,
