Legal Definitions - nothus

Nothus

Nothus is a term used in Roman law to refer to a child who is born out of wedlock or to parents who are not married. This means that the child is considered illegitimate and of base birth. If the child's mother was a Roman citizen, the child would also be considered a Roman citizen. Another term used to describe such a child is spurius.

One example of a nothus is Octavian, who was the son of Julius Caesar's niece and a Roman senator. Octavian was born out of wedlock and was therefore considered a nothus. However, he later became the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

Another example is Tiberius, who was the second Roman emperor. He was born to a noble family, but his parents were not married, making him a nothus.

These examples illustrate how being a nothus did not necessarily prevent someone from achieving great things in Roman society. However, it did carry a social stigma and could limit a person's opportunities.