A more thorough explanation:

A prodigal is a person who has a curator managing their affairs because of their wasteful spending or bad behavior. In Roman law, a prodigal's family could be prohibited from certain legal transactions, and their estate would be put in the charge of a curator.

• After years of reckless spending, John's family had to hire a curator to manage his finances. He was now considered a prodigal.
• In Roman times, a prodigal's family could be held responsible for their debts and could even lose their property.

These examples illustrate how a prodigal is someone who has lost control of their finances or behavior and needs someone else to manage their affairs. In Roman law, this could have serious consequences for the prodigal and their family.