The Ancient City: A Study Of The Religion, Laws... Now

: Souls were believed to live on in their tombs on family land. The living were obligated to provide food and libations to their "manes" (spirits) to ensure the family's prosperity.

Fustel argues that for the ancients, religion was the "inspiring breath" of all social organization. Every aspect of civic life—from the layout of a home to the structure of the state—evolved from the cult of the family hearth and the veneration of deceased ancestors. The Ancient City: A Study of the Religion, Laws...

: Property rights were originally sacred because land contained the family's ancestral tombs. Ownership was not a matter of choice but a religious necessity to protect these burial sites. The Evolution of Law and Institutions : Souls were believed to live on in