For doing this in any case a law had to be passed--or, in other words, the assent of the people must be obtained and registered.

But many conditions were necessary.

The father intending to adopt must have no living son of his own, and must be past the time of life at which he might naturally hope to have one; and the adopted son must be of a fitting age to personate a son--at any rate, must be younger than the father; nothing must be done injurious to either family; there must be no trick in it, no looking after other result than that plainly intended.

All these conditions were broken.

The pretended father, Fonteius, had a family of his own, and was younger than Clodius.