[German version]

A person who died without leaving a valid testament. Under Roman ius civile the estate of the deceased firstly devolved upon the  sui heredes , or else upon the agnatic relatives of the next degree (agnati proximi). According to the Law of the Twelve Tables (5th cent. AD), sui became heredes in the case of succession, agnati only acquired property (familia, XII 5.4) and became successors through  usucapio ; in classical Roman law (1st-3rd cent. AD) agnates became successors through  aditio hereditatis . From the 2nd cent. BC on, agnatic relatives in the female …