AGNATION. — In Roman law, *agnation* was the bond that united all free persons who were under the authority of the same *paterfamilias*, or who would have been under his authority had he not died; that is, those who belonged to the same *familia*, or who would have belonged to it had the common *paterfamilias* not died. This bond was distinct from cognation (corresponding to our consanguinity [v.] or kinship), which united all and only those persons descended from a single ancestor. Therefore, the bond of agnation, unlike
Enciclopedia Cattolica