Legal Definitions - adrogation

Adrogation is a concept from ancient Roman law referring to a specific type of adoption. It involved the adoption of a person who was already an adult and legally independent, meaning they had full legal capacity and were not under the authority of another person (a status known as sui juris). Unlike the adoption of a child, adrogation meant that an individual who was already managing their own affairs, property, and legal standing was formally transferred into a new family, bringing their existing legal identity and assets with them.

• Imagine a wealthy Roman citizen named Lucius, who is an adult, owns his own land, and makes his own legal decisions. He has no children. To ensure his family name and legacy continue, Lucius decides to adopt Marcus, another adult who is also legally independent and manages his own estate. This act of Lucius adopting Marcus is an adrogation because Marcus is sui juris – he is not a child under someone else's authority, but an adult with full legal capacity who voluntarily transfers his legal status and assets into Lucius's family.

• Consider a prominent Roman senator, Quintus, who wishes to strengthen his political influence and consolidate wealth. He identifies Gaius, a successful and independent merchant who is sui juris and heads his own household. Quintus adopts Gaius, bringing Gaius's business acumen and existing assets into Quintus's family. This is an adrogation because Gaius, as an independent adult, is voluntarily transferring his legal status and assets from his original family into Quintus's, thereby becoming a legal member of Quintus's household.

• In a different scenario, a Roman woman named Julia, whose father has passed away, has inherited her family's estate and is legally independent (sui juris), managing her own property and legal matters. For strategic reasons, perhaps to secure a powerful alliance or to ensure the continuation of a specific lineage through her assets, she is adopted into the household of another prominent family. This act is an adrogation because Julia, holding sui juris status, is not under the legal power of a father or husband at the time of her adoption, and she brings her independent legal standing and assets into her new family.