Legal Definitions - ingenuus

Term: ingenuus
Definition: In ancient Rome, an ingenuus was a person who was born free. This term was used to distinguish freeborn individuals from those who were born into slavery and later freed, known as libertini. Example: Marcus Aurelius was an ingenuus, born into a noble family and inheriting his father's position as emperor. He was not a libertini, who would have been born into slavery and later granted their freedom. Explanation: This example illustrates the definition of ingenuus by showing that Marcus Aurelius was born free, without any ties to slavery or servitude. His status as an ingenuus allowed him to inherit his father's position and rule as emperor, whereas a libertini would not have had the same opportunities due to their past as a slave.