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
- 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")
- Elections of tribunes
Resolution of Struggle of Orders
- 367 BC
- 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
- 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
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