Domestic History of the Early Republic II

Patricians vs. Plebs

• Patricians
  • Patrician families recognizable in late Republic by distinctive attire, right to hold certain offices, priesthoods
  • Literary tradition says status existed under Kingdom
  • fasti show patrician monopoly est. ca. 450
  • families of present office holders attested elsewhere setting up hereditary monopoly for their own families (early Greece, medieval Germany)
  • hereditary monopoly causes long-term problems
    • patricians families sink in wealth
    • new wealthy families excluded from office
• Plebs
• Etymology unclear
  • "mob"?
• Collective body of everyone not a patrician
• individuals called "plebeians"

Struggle of Orders

• Long-term conflict of general public against magistrates, senate
• Methods:
  • Rioting
  • "Secession"
    • literally "withdrawal" from city
  • Presenting of demands through tribunes
• Aims:
  • Economic redress for poor
  • End of patrician monopoly of office
• Representatives of plebs called "tribunes"
  • Office created ca. 494
  • Eventually ten each year
  • "officers of tribes"
  • Wealthy plebeians who act as spokesmen of plebs
  • Don't represent populus (=plebs + patricians)
• Assembly of plebs (concilium plebis)
  • Voting decided by tribes
  • Resolutions called "plebiscite" ("decision of plebs")
    • Not binding on populus
  • Elections of tribunes

Resolution of Struggle of Orders

• 367 BC
  • After prolonged strife
• Praetor created
  • Junior colleague of consuls
  • Eventually called "urban praetor"
  • Later more praetorships created
• Consulship opened to plebeians
• Later other offices, priesthoods opened
  • Ones not opened show patrician status
• Ca. 287 plebiscites given force of law
  • Apply to populus
• Tribunate recognized as official position
  • Can summon senate
  • Pass legislation (plebiscites)
  • Intervene with magistrates

Nobility

• Wealthy plebeians who hold office soon combine with patricians
  • Give up alliance with plebs
• Anyone with a consul as ancestor is "noble"
• "Nobility" are the wealthy families who control public life over the generations
• Noble tribunes use assembly of plebs for benefit of senate