The origins of this book lie in my dissatisfaction with my own account of the gens in a previous account of early Rome. For almost a decade, I have been trying to improve upon a few sentences in an earlier book, and I am slightly horrified that the result is as long as it is. Perhaps that is a testament to my obsession, but I hope it also reflects the importance of the subject.

Over such a long period, more people have contributed in direct and indirect ways than any preface can acknowledge. Nonetheless it is a pleasure to bring to mind at least some of my debts. Early versions of parts of the argument were offered as papers to stimulating audiences at Leicester, Cambridge and St Andrews. The real impetus to put my thoughts down as a whole came from the very kind invitation from Trinity College Dublin to present this as the Stanford Lectures in spring 2001. I am immensely indebted to my friends and colleagues there for their hospitality, and the stimulating environment in which I was able to present an early version of these ideas – I hope now to have answered some of the questions so pertinently posed on those occasions. I was then fortunate enough to gain research leave from the AHRB, which gave an invaluable period of time to think, reflect and write.