family devolves upon the universal successor.[14] A characteristic feature of the patriarchal family is agnation, or the system of tracing kinship through males only.[15] Agnatic relationship "is in truth the connection between members of the family, conceived as it was in the most ancient times."[16] Its foundation is "not the marriage of father and mother, but the authority of the father.... In truth, in the primitive view, relationship is exactly limited by _patria potestas_. Where the _potestas_ begins, kinship begins; and therefore adoptive relatives are among the kindred. Where the _potestas_ ends, kinship ends; so that a son emancipated by his father loses all rights of agnation. And here we have the reason why the descendants of females are outside the limits of archaic kinship." Indeed "it is obvious that the organization of primitive societies would have been confounded, if men had called themselves relatives of their mother's relatives."[17] The basis of the patriarchal family is the _patria potestas_, but in its "normal shape" it has not been and could not be "generally a durable institution."[18] Yet its former universality may be inferred from certain derivative institutions, such as the perpetual tutelage of women, the guardianship of minors, the relation of master and slave, and especially from agnation which is found "almost everywhere" and is "as it were a mould" retaining the imprint of the paternal powers after they have ceased to exist.[19] Applying this test chiefly, Maine finds evidence of the existence of the _potestas_ among the Hebrews as well as all the peoples of the Aryan stock; and he believes that it would be hard to say "of what races of men it is _not_ allowable to lay down that the society in which they are united was originally organized on the patriarchal model."[20] [8] MARQUARDT, _Das Privatleben der Römer_, I, 1. The theory is also held by BLUNTSCHLI, _Theory of the State_, 182-89; SCHRADER, _Sprachvergleichung und Urgeschichte_, 391-95; LEIST, _Alt-arisches Jus Gentium_, 113; MÜLLER, _Handbuch der klass. Alterthumswissenschaft_, IV, 18-20; GILBERT, _Handbuch der griech. Staatsalterthümer_, II, 302; MAINE, _Village Communities_, 15 ff.; _Ancient Law_, 118 ff.; _Early Law and Custom_, chap. iii; FUSTEL DE COULANGES, _Ancient City_, 111 ff.; GROTE, _History of Greece_, I, 561; THÜMSER, _Die griech. Staatsalterthümer_, 28 ff. [9] PLATO, _Laws_, Book III, 680, 681: JOWETT, _Dialogues_, IV, 209; ARISTOTLE, _Politics_, Book I, 2 ff.: JOWETT, I, 2 ff. These are followed by CICERO, _De Officiis_, I, 17.