Would-be rulers justified their authority on the basis of their ancestry. [Either] descent from the gods or from an earlier king or legendary hero, their legitimacy depended on the purity of their parents' bloodlines and the validity of their parents' marriages. #StephanieCoontz

Would-be rulers justified their authority on the basis of their ancestry. [Either] descent from the gods or from an earlier king or legendary hero, their legitimacy depended on the purity of their parents' bloodlines and the validity of their parents' marriages. #StephanieCoontz

— English Quotes (@english_quotes) Nov 27, 2025