Note 57 — Chapter III · GREEK AND ROMAN CONCEPTS OF RACE
Reading edition
Mucius defines gentiles, i.e. true members of Roman gentes, as follows (ap. Cic. Topica, vi. 29): Gentiles sunt inter se qui eodem nomine sunt, qui ab ingenuis oriundi sunt, quorum maiorum nemo servitutem servivit, qui capite non sunt deminuti. Literally taken, that would exclude descendants of former slaves to the thousandth generation. But Pliny demands somewhat less even for Roman knights. The man is to be ingenuus ipse, patre, avo paterno (H. N. XXXIII. ii. 32).