Page:The Ancient City- A Study on the Religion, Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome.djvu/80

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74 THE FAMILY. BOOK II To rendei this ti"uth clearer, let us trace the geneia logical table of a Roman family. L. Cornelius Scipio, died about 230 B. C. . ^ , ^ rublius Scipio. Cn. Scipio. Luc. Scipio Asiaticus. P. Scipio Afriennus. P. Scipio Nasica, Luc. Scipio Asiaticua. P. Scipio. Cornelia, P. Scip. Nasica. I I wife of Scmpr. Gracclius. 1 Scipio Asiaticus. Scip. ^milianus. | Scip. Serapio. Tib. Scmpr. Gracchus. In this table, the fifth generation, which lived to- wards the year 140 B. C, is represented by four per- sonages. Were they all akin ? According to our modern ideas on this subject, they were ; in the opinion of the Romans, all were not. Now, let us inquire if they all had the same domestic worship; that is to say, if they all made offerings to the same ancestors. Let us suppose the third Scipio Asiaticus, who alone remains of his branch, offering the funeral repast on a particular day; ascending from male to male, lie finds for the third ancestor Publins Scipio. Again, Scipio ^milianus, offering his sacrifice, will meet in the series of his ascendants this same Publius Scipio. Scipio Asiaticus and Scipio ^railianus are, therefore, related to each other. Among the Hindus they would be called sapindas. On the other hand, Scipio Serapio has for a fourth ancestor L. Cornelius Scipio, who is also the fourth ancestor of Scipio .^milianus. They are, there- fore, akin. Among the Hindus they would be called samanodacas. In the judicial and religious language of the Romans, these three Scipios are agnates — the two fii"st are agnates in the sixth degree, the third is their agnate in the eighth degree. The case is not the same with Tiberius Gracchus