Difference Between Patricians And Plebeians

Ancient Rome was split into two classes: the aristocrats, known as the patricians, and the lower class, known as the plebeians. They lived harmoniously alongside each other for a while, but after Rome began to rise from it’s ashes the plebeians became resentful and decided to take action. To fully understand the degree of their anger some light needs to be shined on their situation, and how the patricians treated them.

Patricians hold all the offices in ancient Rome and plebeians who outnumbered them were mostly farmers, craftsmen and soldiers. Therefore one can understand that practically while plebeians had no rights or knowledge, they were in an advantageous position as patricians couldn’t defend the city or do any kind of job without their help. Plebeians couldn’t tolerate the increasing debt and the abuse of patricians and demanded equality, by blackmailing the patricians

The wise oligarch notes the helpfulness and power of the poor, yet the Athenian government provides the poor with little freedom of society. Even when Athens has a lower population than Rome, Athens drastically lack variety in the people they elect or give power to. Judging by Rome’s guidelines and statistics, one of the Roman citizenship system’s best qualities are the wide distribution of power in the common people. A content plebian population results in a quiet and prosperous

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.

In The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Michael Parenti highlights the many significant people and events that characterized the late Roman Republic. Specifically, he focuses on the time period between the election of Tiberius Grachus, to the rise of Augustus, the first emperor of Rome. In this account of history, Parenti presents the social, political, and economic aspects of the Roman culture from the perspective of the Roman commoner, or plebeian. Using this perspective, he also spends a great amount of time examining the causes and effects of the assassination of Julius Caesar. The views that Parenti presents in this book stand in sharp contrast with the views of many ancient and modern historians, and offer an interesting and enlightening perspective into class struggle in the society of the Roman republic.

During the Conflict of Orders, the lower class Romans, or plebeians, forced the upper class Romans, known as patricians, to give them more rights and liberties (Hadas 1969).

The trials of political success and error throughout history, have led to more efficient and authentic ways of governing, making nations stronger over the course of time. While the United States and the Roman Republic share similar political systems, the structure of the Roman Republic is in many ways flawed compared to the modern Democratic Republic of the U.S. nation. The Roman Republic’s rigid social structure flawed their political system because there was less flexibility within the social ladder, affecting citizens and their opportunity to be elected into office. The Republic’s society was made up of two distinct and separate social classes, the Patricians and the Plebeians. “In the early years of the Roman Republic, patricians controlled all the religious and political offices; plebeians had no right of appeal against decisions of the patrician government, since no laws were codified or published.

Furthermore, the various wars had left the Plebeians destitute and many had to receive loans from the Patricians to survive. Yet, a harsh law of debt put the Plebeians completely under the mercy of the Patricians; and without the knowledge of the laws, a Plebeian could find his property, freedom, or even life forfeited by a cunning Patrician. As a result, was many of the Plebeians found suicide to be the only exit to their misery.

It is clear that the dynamics that characterized Rome’s society during the Republic were never easy. There was a constant push and pull of intentions and interests between Patricians and Plebeians. The Patricians always wanting to maintain economic and political supremacy while the Plebeians were in constant

Keep in mind, you should know that the government changed a lot in its time. The patricians pretty much had all the power early on in the Republic. The highest position in the Republic was held by the consuls, who were the "rulers" of the Roman Republic. A senate made up of patricians and the assemblies elected these people to become consuls. Plebeians pretty much had no say in the government at the time.

The consuls controlled the army, decision on starting a war, what the laws were, and even how much taxes to collect. The two consuls had to agree in order to have anything happen, due to being able to “veto” one another, and nothing would occur. Additionally, other officials such as judges, magistrates, and tax collectors were elected, as well as the Ten “Tribunes of the People” who looked after the poor people of Rome that could “veto” anything the Senate voted for that could affect the poor in any bad way. The Senate was made up of 600 Patricians/Patrons that were aristocracy land owning men who protected as well as controlled clients that consisted of the poor people, slaves, and new comers. Due to the fact that once a person joins the Senate, they stay in it forever, it caused the Patricians/Patrons rule rather easily. Because the clients were protected it allowed the Patricians/Patrons to have power and influence over the community. However, the Senate could be vetoed by the People’s Assembly which is made up of Plebeians who are citizens, farmers, and traders that would gain power by going on strikes due to refusing to do their work. The Plebeians were not allowed to hold public office or marry Patricians/Patrons, yet fought back against the Patricians/Patrons

The patricians were only a small part of the Roman population, but had all the power. All the other citizens of Rome were Plebeians, and they were the farmers, laborers, and soldiers of Rome. There were many more Plebeians than Patricians and you bet the used that to their advantage to gain equality. The Patricians would be scared that the Plebeians would rebel so they ended up compromising. When there would be upcoming battles Patricians and Plebeians would be

They claimed that their ancestry gave them authority to make laws for Rome. The plebeians were citizens of Rome with the right to vote. However, they were barred by law from holding the most important government positions. In time, Rome’s leaders allowed the plebeians to form their own assembly and elect representatives called tribunes. Tribunes protected the rights of the plebeians from unfair acts of patrician officials. (page 156)

Rome felt under constant threat, at the beginning of the Roman Republic. The Roman Republic was initially ruled by the rich and powerful. This ruling began “After the overthrow of the monarchy, Roman nobles, eager to maintain their position of power, established a republican form of government”(p.129). Later on, this power to the rich would prove chaos. The patricians who “were descendants of the original senators appointed during the period of the kings were great landowners, who constituted an aristocratic governing class”(p.129). The plebeians did not have this power of authority like the patricians did. The plebeians were “constituted the considerably larger group of non-patrician large landowners, less wealthy landholders, artisans, merchants, and small farmers”(p.129). These people could vote with the patricians but could not be elected into office, they could not marry someone out of the patricians and vice versa, it was forbidden for these groups to intertwine.

The Second Triumvirate was a “formal magistracy legally appointed which could dominate the Senate and the State” (Scullard) and would prove to be the final straw in an already failed Republican system. The Roman Republic was ruled by a Constitution, which relied on a balance of three elements; The Senate; the Magistrates; the Assemblies. When the balance was upset either by ambitious magistrates, armies or tribunes then civil war was the result. The Senate proved ineffectual in preventing the Second Triumvirate from unbalancing this concept thus the played a significant role in the Republic’s fall. The Second Triumvirate, like those before them, had been able to take advantage of a vulnerable Senate to achieve their own personal aims in defiance of the Senate. The lack of faith in the Senate, which was present for this period of time, was what granted the Second Triumvirate to be the final push in the fall of the Republic. The Sullan legacy continued to be displayed in unlawful acts conducted by this three-man rule. Marc Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus all knew the significance of having an army at their hands and wealth that would ensure two things for them, power and civil war at the hands of conflict. It is therefor known that the Second Triumvirate played a significant role in the fall of an already fallen Republic.