Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Term: GENS
Definition: A gens is a group of families who share the same name and are believed to have a common ancestor. They are like a big family. Members of a gens are free and have all the rights of a citizen. In ancient Rome, gens were very important, but not so much anymore.
Definition: A gens is a group of families who share the same name and are believed to have a common ancestor. In Roman law, members of a gens are considered to be part of an extended family and have full civic rights. The plural form of gens is gentes.
Example: In ancient Rome, the Julii were a gens that claimed to be descended from the mythological Trojan prince Aeneas. Members of the Julii clan included famous figures such as Julius Caesar and his adopted son, Augustus.
Explanation: The Julii were a group of families who all shared the same name and claimed to have a common ancestor. They were considered to be part of the same extended family and had full civic rights as Roman citizens. This example illustrates how a gens functioned in Roman society.