Talk:Undocumented

"A historical outline: the earliest official registration of an individual’s personal details in the West dates back to the time of Marcus Aurelius, who made it obligatory for all fathers to register the birth of all children. This practice continued until the fall of the Roman Empire, when it lapsed, but was reintroduced in 1563. From that moment we owe the most precise records to the Church, before the introduction of the Civil State Registry Office in 1861 after the reunification of Italy." http://www.youritalianorigins.com/en/services/genealogical-research/

Some believe that "Marcus Aurelius required a birth registration. He was the f irst emperor to do so." http://department.monm.edu/classics/Courses/CLAS201/ChildhoodinRome.pdf

This is likely due to the Historia Augusta which is not considered entirely reliable.

It is almost universally accepted that Augustus began official government registration of births. [https://books.google.com/books?id=iTpa6IH3XHMC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&dq=Marcus+Aurelius+%22birth+registration%22&source=bl&ots=sYELGQBx-Q&sig=8iNDcuEXCoyNGb4TsxHoKl5FNFE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-MreVKHDMs23ogSv04HoDA&ved=0CCkQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=Marcus%20Aurelius%20%22birth%20registration%22&f=false Old Age in the Roman World: A Cultural and Social History

By Tim G. Parkin]

It is believed that Augustus offered registration of birth to Roman citizens who wanted to benefit from his new deal after the roman civil war that brought him to power and brought the Republic to its knees.

It was Marcus Aurelius that made birth registration manditory. [https://books.google.com/books?id=vh3pmAodawEC&pg=PA88&lpg=PA88&dq=Marcus+Aurelius+%22birth+registration%22&source=bl&ots=yEXjKoJwVJ&sig=irXhuLLqmVYTfbbJpUTBpcq_HWE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-MreVKHDMs23ogSv04HoDA&ved=0CDoQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Marcus%20Aurelius%20%22birth%20registration%22&f=false Debating Roman Demography

edited by Walter Scheidel]

This was only the first step in a three part process where the state would make a son a member of a civil family. It was the sacrifice of the son to the temples upon receiving his toga that finalized the process. [https://books.google.com/books?id=JbpEAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=Marcus+Aurelius+%22birth+registration%22&source=bl&ots=LpM4aibc24&sig=RPzBIP0xUlGLngLDOLhrkJY2TZk&hl=en&sa=X&ei=-MreVKHDMs23ogSv04HoDA&ved=0CD4Q6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Marcus%20Aurelius%20%22birth%20registration%22&f=false The History and Theory of Children’s Citizenship in Contemporary Societies

By Brian Milne]