Legal Definitions - gener

Gener

In the context of Roman law, a gener refers specifically to a son-in-law. This term was used to describe the husband of one's daughter.

Here are some examples illustrating the use of gener:

• Example 1: Family Succession
  A wealthy Roman senator, Gaius, had a daughter named Livia. When Livia married a promising young politician named Brutus, Brutus became Gaius's gener. In this scenario, Gaius might consider his gener, Brutus, as a potential heir or a key figure in managing his family's affairs, even though Brutus was not a blood relative.

  This example illustrates how the term identifies the husband of a daughter, highlighting the familial connection established through marriage, which could have implications for inheritance or family influence within Roman society.

• Example 2: Political Alliances
  During a period of political instability, a powerful Roman general, Quintus, sought to strengthen his position by arranging a marriage between his daughter and a respected military tribune, Valerius. Once the marriage took place, Valerius was referred to as Quintus's gener, solidifying a crucial political and military alliance between their two families.

  This example demonstrates how the relationship of a gener could be instrumental in forging strategic alliances, where the son-in-law's status and connections would directly benefit his father-in-law's political or military objectives.

• Example 3: Dowry and Property
  When a Roman woman, Cornelia, married a merchant named Decimus, her father provided a substantial dowry. Decimus, as Cornelia's husband, became her father's gener. The dowry, while legally belonging to Decimus, was often seen as a contribution from the father-in-law to his gener for the support of his daughter and the new household.

  This example clarifies the role of a gener in the context of marriage settlements and property, where the father-in-law (the bride's father) would provide resources to his daughter's husband, the gener, to establish their new family unit.