If you’ve read Ovid or Livy’s account of the death of Lucretia, for example, you’ll remember that when she calls a family meeting to tell them that the prince of Rome raped her and then kills herself, she invites a random family friend. That’s how they worked. The consilium would certainly include Mum and Dad, and dad’s parents and siblings; maternal in-laws might be there too. The purpose of the family council was for the family to look after the family, which primarily meant the family name.
