Roman Families

• familia : family
• pater familas : head of the house
• sui iuris : his own master (refers to pater familia's power; independent)
• alieno iuri subiecti : subject to another's authority (dependent)
• potestas : power
• gens : households
• nomen : family name (second name)
• patres : fathers
• senatus : senate
• gentiles : members of a gens
• sacra gentilicia : religious services of the gens; required by all members
• cognomen : third name
• stirps : branch of a gens
• patria potestas : authority of pater familias over descendants
• iudicium domesticum : council of relatives and friends (called by pater familias, discussed inflicting punishment upon children)
• peculium : property assigned to children by pater familias
• patrimonium profundere : to prove untrue to a pater familias trust
• manus : the power over the wife possessed by the husband
• cum manu : wife under husband's legal control
• sine manu : wife under father's legal control
• conventio in manum : wife passed to husband's power/hand
• dos : dowry
• in loco filiae : in place of the daughter
• dominica potestas : authority of pater familias over slaves and inanimate objects
• emancipatio : head of the house releasing children to become the head of a new house
• tutor : guardian of an underage son or unmarried daughter (often older brother from same gens)