The transfer of the adopted son from the οἶκος of his father to the οἶκος he was chosen to represent was so real that he lost all claim to inheritance in his original family, and henceforth based his relationship and rights of kinship from his new position as son of his adoptive father. This absolutely insured the childless man that his successor would not merge the inheritance in that of another οἶκος, and made it extremely unlikely that he would neglect his religious duties as they would be henceforth his own ancestral rites. Sometimes, it seems,(79) sons of an unfortunate father were adopted into another οἶκος so as not to share in the disgrace brought upon their family. In such a case presumably their father’s house would be allowed to become extinct. (M44) The inheritance of property being only an accessory to the heirship,(80) the ceremony of adoption consisted of an introduction to the kindred and to the ancestral altars, and an assumption of the responsibilities connected therewith. (M45) The process was the same as for the proclamation of the true blood of a son, and was exactly in accordance with tribal instincts. Whatever the history of the φρατρία at Athens, in it seems to have been accumulated a great number of the survivals of tribal sentiment. (M46) The adoption at Athens took place at the gathering of the phratores in order that all the kin might be present (παρόντων τῶν συγγενῶν).(81) The adopter must lead his son to the sacrifices on the altars(82) and must show him to the kinsmen (συγγενεῖς or γεννῆται) and phratores: he must give assurance on the sacrifices that the young man was born in lawful wedlock from free citizens. This done, and no one questioning his rights, the assembly proceeded to vote(83) and if the vote was in his favour, then and not till then he was enrolled in the common register (εἰς τὸ κοινὸν γραμματεῖον) of the phratria in the name of son of his adopted father. As a father could not without reason disinherit his true-born sons, so the phratores could not without reason refuse to accept them to the kinship.(84) If any of the phratores objected to the admission of the new kinsman, he must stop the sacrifices and remove the victim from the altar.(85) He would have to state the grounds of his objection, and if he could not produce good reasons, he incurred a fine. If there was no objection, the unsacrificial parts of the victim were divided up and each member took home with him his share,(86) or joined in a feast provided by the father of the admitted son.(87) (M47) The ceremonial given in the Gortyn laws is similar:— x. 33. “The adoption shall take place in the agora when all the citizens have assembled, from the stone from which speeches are made. And the adopter shall give to his own brotherhood (ἑταιρεία) a victim-for-sacrifice and a vessel of wine (πρόκοος).”