The plebeians were the members of the general population. The patricians were the aristocracy. After the exile of the kings, the patricians ruled Rome. There were significant economic and political differences between the plebeian and the patrician classes. It was the abuse of power by the patricians that caused the dissent among the plebeian class. This dissent led to multiple instances of revolt by the plebeians. The first step towards removing the inequality between the classes occurred with the first secession. Subsequent hurdles were overcome as the patrician class recognized their need for the plebeian class. At the end, these revolts led to an equality between the two classes.
From a political perspective, after the monarchy
…show more content…
The plebeians returned from service to Rome only to find their farms were largely destroyed. These conditions drove the plebeians into a perpetual state of indebtedness to the wealthy patricians. If the debt was not paid, the plebeian was subject to arrest, imprisonment and potential …show more content…
The laws which governed debt were changed. All unpaid debts were declared removed, and those put in prison due to debts were released. Further, four new political positions were created. Two were called tribunes and were appointed by the plebeians. The other two were called aediles. The aediles were assistants to the tribunes and were also appointed by the plebeians. The tribunes had the power to cancel, “the act of any magistrate which bore unjustly upon any citizen”. (Morey, 1900), and while exercising their powers, the tribunes could not go to prison.
Generations would pass and many more revolts would take place before the plebeians became equals with the patricians and Rome was a united people. Some of the obstacles included the right to intermarry, the right own land and the right to be elected into high political positions. The second major secession took place in 448BC and “resulted in making the plebeians more respected than they had been before.” (Morey, 1900). True equality between the two classes was not achieved until around the time of the First Samnite War in 343
... them to acknowledge what little rights they possessed as a whole (Booms, et al., 2013). The reforms made by Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus had a long lasting effect on the Roman Republic as the reforms targeted areas that were formerly forgotten and this resulted in a build-up of tension between the plebeians and the government that would eventually contribute to its downfall.
There was a constant struggle between the plebeians and patricians as a result of grievances which resulted in enslavement and discord with the patricians. However they knew that Rome could not afford to do without the plebeians because of the constant warfare on the Italian peninsula. By the fifth century the plebeians won the right to form their own assembly and slowly gained legal equality. As a result of the plebeian revolt, around 450 B.C., The first Roman code of laws was written (called the Twelve Tablets). The plebeians received some protection against the unfair practices of the patricians. However, despite the many reforms, Rome...
The Roman Republic can be explained as the period from 509 – 27 BCE, which the ancient Roman civilization exemplified a republican form of government; where the supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. During the Roman Republic, the 2 most powerful, and main branches of government included the Consuls and the Senate. It was the Consuls who held supreme civil and military control over Rome; however the republic had precautions in place to avoid one of the consuls from exercising too much power, such as short one year terms, veto and the notion of 2 consuls to divide authority. The republic then also included the senate; where at first, senators were only chosen from the patrician class, but in time, plebeians joined their positions (Bradley, 1990). Throughout the history of the republic, the evolution of government was driven by the struggle between the aristocracy and the ordinary citizens. The demise of the republic resulted through a series of civil wars and powerful dominance of significant historical figures (Princeton.edu, 2014).
The Roman Senate and constitution was built upon the notion of ancestry. One was to do things just as the past Romans did. There was little respect for free thinkers who wished to start their own path in Roman history. Romans were filled with so much pride for their past and founding that they simply never wanted to deviate. This principle was known as mos maiorum, the unwritten code from which the ancient Romans derived their social norms (slides). However, there were people that wanted change, some Romans believed in reform and spreading the power amongst all levels, not just the senate. These people were soon labeled the populares. The populares were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who relied on places other than the head of the senate, such as the tribunes to acquire political power. The populares addressed the problems of the plebs, particularly subsidizing a grain, and in general favored limiting slavery, since slavery took jobs from poor free citizens. They also gained political support by attempts to expa...
...person, he cancelled all debts, public and private,” (Aristotle, Ath., 6). Instead of seeing the poor incapable to pay for the debts and being forcefully enslaved, Solon decided to eliminate all the current debts for the poor and forbade all the loans secured on the person. Cancelling all the current debts and forbidding future loans, Solon relieved the poor greatly from social and economical pressure. The poor no longer had to yield under the rich and their rights as citizens were raised significantly in the Athenian society. However, Solon’s reforms was a mere compromise; gratifying neither the desires of the rich nor the poor. Refusing to redistribute the land, the poor still lacked a source of income and suffered from the impertinence of his reforms. Compared to Lykurgos, Solon’s reforms were less effective and did not resolve Athen’s issues permanently.
Looking at Rome’s political struggles at the dawn of the first century B.C., it becomes apparent that the groundwork for Caesar’s Republic shattering revolt was lain down by Marius and Sulla. To be more specific, the stage was set by the class struggles between the Aristocracy, who demanded control of the Republic by virtue of tradition, and the masses, which demanded a voice.
After Rome established itself, they were determined to never again be ruled by a monarch. The Roman setup a new government called a republic. Romans thought a republic would keep any individuals from gaining too much power. Later Romans looked back with enormous pride on the achievements of the early republic. Between 509 B.C. and 133 B.C., Rome adapted the government to fit the need of the people it served. It also developed the military power to not only conqueror not only Italy, but also the entire Mediterranean world. In the early republic power was controlled by the patricians, the land holding upper class. Senators, who served for life, interpreted laws and issued decrees. In the event of a war the senate might elect a dictator who ruled for only six months in time of emergency.
In the early days of the republic, the aristocracy, or the patricians, held the most political power followed by commoners known as plebeians. Consuls, who held executive power, were advised by the most important political institution for Rome, the senate. The republic lasted for nearly 450 years. Its longevity testifies to its effectiveness. The republic’s development of a law system was one of its major accomplishments while it was still remaining. Their legal establishments included: the ius civile (civil law), ius gentium (law of the peoples), and the ius naturale (natural love). During the early times of Rome, while it was still a republic, its political system was able to last for a long time and establish important law
Patricians were the richer people in the world at the time and owned a considerably large amounts of lands. Since they had large amounts of land, which allowed them to gain power, they were deemed patricians, They were the ones who governed the city from the Senate. The Senate was the empire’s governing body during the republic and were voted into office annually by a large group of citizens and also the equites, or men who had property. Equites were people lower in ranking under the patricians (Ancient Roman Politics, Crystalinks). All the social and political power was mostly in the hands of ancient families who are: the Cornelii family, the family of the Caesars, and the Aemilii. The Senate’s power and all other things were lost under the emperors, but the patrician families still held public opinion. The Roman’s sons were sent to be great soldiers so after they became Roman citizens, they were enlisted on their first military campaign. On their return from service in the military, the son of a patrician usually always entered into politics, and sometimes the sons of equites did the same. The young man first stood for election as an aedile, also known as a city councilor. The aediles looked after the corn supply and public amusements. They were basically there just to run the fruitless jobs that were needed. Then the next office that could be achieved was that of the quaestor, also known as the secretary of the
In conclusion, although the plebeians seem to hold the right to affect the politics; they are not aware of the affects that might occur to them. For instance, by influencing Brutus and Antony, they indirectly put themselves in a position to be manipulated. Therefore, the biggest influence the citizens could have, would be none at all.
Between the years 509-27 BCE, Rome was considered a republic, which is a type of government in which people vote for representatives to make laws. People were classified as either patricians, plebeians, or slaves within the republic. The patricians were people of the upper class; the ones with all the money. Plebeians were usually farmers, merchants, artisans, or traders and slaves were usually prisoners from the war. During the early Rome expansion, the government was composed of two consuls, the senate, and a dictator when needed. The consuls were responsible for supervising the government and commanding armies. In addition, the senate consisted of three hundred patricians that voted on laws. Lastly, if necessary, a dictator would step in at a time of war, and carry out decisions when there was not enough time to discuss other options within the government . Based on the mentioned information, many people argue about how democratic the Roman Republic really was. The Roman Republic was primarily democratic, however, there were some aspects that could label it as an aristocracy.
In 509 B.C. the Romans declared themselves a republic, free from rule of the Etruscan kings. (“The Rise of…”) From that point on, the Roman’s form of government would never include the title of “king”, in fear that a single person would gain absolute power. The republic included a dictator (in emergencies), the senate, two consuls, and several other positions. (Bishop) Although the goal of creating a republic was to have a government that represented the wishes of its people, the Roman senate consisted of men of wealth or power, leaving most of the plebeians, or common people, out of the picture. Many of the emperors’ policies strengthened the power of the government, and therefore weakened the power of the plebeians. By the end of Sulla’s rule in 78 B.C., grain prices had risen substantially and there was large gap between the rich and poor. (“The Rise of…”) When Julius Caesar took power, he initiated several reforms that were much needed at the time. Caesar spent large volumes of money on entertaining the citizens, while expanding citizenship to people of conquered lands and lessening the power of the senate. His policies threatened the method of income of senators and around 60 senators, in the name of saving the republic, murdered Julius Caesar at a senate hearing in 44 B.C. Civil war then erupted in Rome and lasted over a decade. At the end of the blood brawl, it was Octavian who emerged victorious; he would be the first Roman Emperor and would be known as Augustus. (Morey) Although the “Liberators” (Julius Caesar’s assassins), might not have realized it, the day that Julius Caesar died was the same day that the republic died; t...
Both offices were seen as ways to boost ones popularity and standing with the Roman people which would help later when seeking the positions of praetor and consul. (notes) The aedile was in charge of maintaining infrastructure. They were also in charge of festivals, public entertainment, and the marketplace. It was a good way to become popular by arranging elaborate and expensive festivals. (notes) The position of tribune was considered by some conservatives as a very radical political office because it came with the power of veto. (notes) Tribunes could also offer legislation to the plebeian assembly although they were expected by the Senate to consult with them first. (notes) It was not recognized as a legitimate authority until later in the Roman republic. (notes) However, Sulla later passed a law making it impossible for a former tribune to seek higher political office. This was to discourage ambitious and talented politicians from seeking the office of
During the time period of ancient Rome, the structure of government and political culture was developed and has helped us base our own government and political ideas to the ones that we use today. Ancient Rome had three periods’ in their government those where the Republican period, Imperial period, and Monarchy period. Each period helped Rome build their government and structure their society in a specific way throughout their early years. The Romans were a direct democracy, meaning everyone (who is eligible) is able to vote, on who is put in charge. The Republican period was the most influential period in their history on modern society. During the Republican period every male citizen enjoyed the privilege of voting (1) on the legislation, (2) on the election of government officials. (Shelton 1988) Although it was a direct democracy at the time it was definitely more of an aristocracy than a democracy due to senators who were part of Rome’s upper-class, who controlled the nature of legislation that reached the assemblies. (Shelton 1988). People were put into three assemblies: the Comitia Centuriata, the Comitia Tributa, and the Concilium Plebis. Voters were divided into voting units called centuries; divisions that were made according to property value and age; so that the wealthiest people at a certain age were grouped together. (Shelton 1988) But, mostly all decisions were made by the wealthiest group of older people given their power over the community.
The Plebeians were more of the poor group of Romans and poorer Romans, however, could only dream of such a life. Sweating it out in the city, they lived in shabby, dirty houses that could collapse or burn at any moment. If times were hard, they might abandon newborn babies to the streets, hoping that someone else would take them in as a servant or slave. Poor in wealth but strong in numbers, they were the Roman mob, who relaxed in front of the popular entertainment of the time, the chariot races between opposing teams, or gladiators fighting for their life, fame and fortune.