Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

16 ADORATIO. ADULTEPRIUM.
of very doubtful import with reference to their stretched out his right hand to the statue of the
period. After the comitia curiata fell into disuse, god whom he wished to honour, then kissed his
it is most probable that there was no formal as- hand and waved it to the statue. While doing
sembly of the curiae, and that they were repre- this he moved round his whole body, for which
sented by the thirty lictors. custom Plutarch (Nums. 14) gives some curious
A woman could not adopt a person, for even her reasons; but the true reason probably was, that
own children were not in her power. the person might be the more surely put into coinThe rules as to adoption which the legislation munication with the deity, as it was uncertain
of Justinian established, are contained in the In- where he would reveal himself as the detls
stitutes (i. tit. 1 1). praesens. It was also the practice to have the
The effect of adoption, as already stated, was to head and ears covered, so that only the forepart of
create the legal relation of father and son, just as the face remained uncovered. (Plin. NA H. xxviii.
if the adopted son were born of the blood of the 5; Mlinucius Felix, 2; Lucret. v. 1197.) The
adoptive father in lawful marriage. The adapted adoratio differed from the oratio or prayers, which
child was intitled to the name and sacra privata were offered with the hands folded together and
of the adopting parent, and it appears that the stretched out to the gods, the natural attitude prepreservation of the sacra privata, which by the scribed by nature to the suppliant, and which we
laws of the Twelve Tables were made perpetual, find mentioned by Homer. (I. vii. 177; *V7r'rawas frequently one of the reasons for- a childless arelara Xepwv, jEsch. Prom. 1004; caelo supienas
person adopting a son. In case of intestacy, the ferre manus, Her. Carue. iii. 23.. 1.) The adoration
adopted child would be the heres of his adoptive paid to the Roman emperors was borrowed from
father. He became the brother of his adoptive the eastern mode of adoration, and consisted in
father's daughter, and therefore could not marry prostration on the ground, and kissing the feet and
her; but he did not become the son of the adoptive knees of the emperor.
father's wife, for adoption only gave to the adopted ADROGA'TIO. [ADOPTO (ROMAN).]
son the jura agnationis. (Gaius, i. 97-107; Dig. ADSCRIPTI'VI. [AccErNS.]
I. tit. 7; Cic. p. Domo.) ADSERTOR. [ASSERTOR.]
The phrase of "adoption by testament" (Cic. ADSESSOR. [AssEssoR.]
B'ru. 58) seems to be rather a misapplication of ADSIGNA'TIO. [AGRARIAE LEGES and
the term; for though a man or woman might by AGER.]
testament name a heres, and impose the condition ADSTIPULA'TIO. [OBLIn ATIONES.]
of the heres taking the name of the testator or ADSTIPULA'TOR. [INTERCESSIO.]
testatrix, this so-called adoption could not produce ADULTUS, [INFANS.]
the effects of a proper adoption. It could give to ADULTER'IUM, adultery. l. GREEK.
the person so said to be adopted, the name or pro- Among the Athenians, if a man caught another:perty of the testator or testatrix, but nothing more. man iu the act of criminal intercourse (,/oLXe1a)
Niebuihr (Lectures, vol. ii. p. 100) speaks of the with his wife, he might kill him with impunity;
testamentary adoption of C. Octavius by C. Julius and the law was also the same with respect to a
Caesar, as the first that he knew of; but the pas- concubine (oraXaiaKi). He might also inflict other
sage of Cicero in the Brutus and another passage punishment on the offender. It appears that among,(Ad itst. viii. 8), show that other instances had the Athenians there was no adultery, unless a
occurred before. A person on passing from one married woman was concerned. (Lysias,'T7rEp TOV
gens into another, and taking the name of his new'EpaToode&owl 4Do'vou.) But it was lno adultery for
flamilia, generally retained the name of his old gens a man to have connection with a married womanl
also, with the addition to it of the termination who prostituted herself; or who was engaged in
anus. (Cic. ad Att. iii. 20, and the note of Vic- selling any thir.g in thle agora. (Demosth. KaTi
torius.) Thus, C. Octavius,afterwards the Emperor Neatpas, c. 18.) The Ronman law appears to have
Augustus, upon being adopted by the testament of been pretty nearly the same. (Paulus, Sent. Receit.
his uncle the dictator, assumed the name of Caius vi. tit. 26.) The husband might, if he pleased,
Julius Caesar Octavianus; but he caused the take a sum of money from the adulterer by wa{y of
adoption to be confirmed by the curiae. As to the compensation, and detain him till he found sureties
testamentary adoption of C. Octavius, see Drumann, for the payment. If the alleged adulterer had
G6eschichte Roaes, vol. i. p. 337, and the references been unjustly detained, he might bring an action
there given. Livia was adopted into the Julia against the husband; and, if he gained his cause,
gens by the testament of Augustus (Tac. Ann. he and his sureties were released. If he failed,
i. 8); and it was not stated that this required any the law required the sureties to deliver up the
confirmation. But things were changed then. The adulterer to the husband before the court, to do
Lex Julia et Papia Poppaea gave certain privileges what he pleased with him, except that he was not
to those who had children, among which privileges to use a knife or dagger. (Demosth. Karo- Neaip.
was a preference in being appointed to the praetor- 18.)
ship and such offices. This led to an abuse of the The husband might also prosecute the adulterer
practice of adoption; for childless persons adopted irn the action called txomxeiay ypa(p~. If the act of
children in order to qualify themselves for such adultery was proved, the husband could no longer
offices, and then emancipated their adopted chil- cohabit with his wife under pain of losing his
dren. This abuse was checked by a senatus privileges of a citizen (&rsgia). The adulteress was
consultum in the time of Nero. (Tac. Ann. xv. 19; excluded even from those temples which foreign
Cic. de OQ/A iii. 18, ad A tt. vii. 8; Suet. Jul. Caes. women and slaves were allowed to enter; and if
83, Tib. 2, &c.; Heinec. Sydatasgna; Dig. 36. tit. she was seen there, any one might treat her as he
1. s. 63.) [G. L.] pleased, provided he did not kill her or mutilate
ADORA'TIO (7rpototcuvqiio s) was paid to the her. (Dem. KaTa Neaip. c. 22; Aeschin. KaEa
gods il the following manner: -The person TSlLdPX. c. 36.)