Legal Definitions - gens

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.