Romans became very interested in the destination of their material goods, and this is well evidenced by the concerns of authors in the late Republic and early Empire. Property was generally devised by will, and this gave individuals an opportunity to express preferences for family members and others, and otherwise give utterance, usually from beyond the grave. Examples can be found, however, of individuals who preferred their dispositions to be common currency while they were still alive (Val. Max. 7.8.4); others such as Antony did not manage to keep their arrangements private until death. His will was seized from the temple of Vesta in 32 bc and read out in the Senate and assembly to damaging effect (Plut. Ant. 58.4–8; Dio 50.3.4; Suet. Aug. 17.1). When a ‘testamentary adoption’ was envisioned, it is not obvious whether the potential beneficiary habitually knew of this before the event.

The motives for wills are reviewed by Seneca in De beneficiis in a passage considered by Edward Champlin ([1991] 7):