The Plebeians: The Struggle Between The Government And Social Class

Unlike upper class they did not necessarily inherit their money but earned it off their own hard work. They could afford their own town house and servants to run the household. Over time these class of people grew more influential and eventually gained the right to vote in 1832. They were below the aristocracy but above the workers.

upper class consisted of wealthy and well educated minor aristocrats they could vote and they held high public office

Over a long course of time the Romans had many different forms of government. From oligarchies to dictatorships Rome had experience with most forms of government. With all of these happening so far in the past many questions are asked today. One of the most talked and quested forms of Roman government is the Roman Republic. The Republic of Rome is normally thought to be a democracy. But an extremely common question still arise. This questions is whether the Roman Republic was truly democratic. In a simple answer the Roman Republic was a democratic government.

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

Plebeians pressured the patricians to make political concessions, one result being the publication of laws which served as a check on decisions by judicial officers. New officials and tribunes were created and were drawn from non-elite classes. They could veto or block actions the Assembly or officials that threatened lower order interests.

Chapter three labeled "Empire Urban life and imperial Majesty in Rome,China,and India. In Republican Rome a man named Romulus inaugurated traditional distinction between the patricians and the plebian. The patricians were the where the land owners who were also aristocrats that served as priests, magistrates, lawyers and/or judges. The plebian were the lower classed poor people who consisted of craftsmen, merchants and laborers. In 510 BCE the roman people expelled the last Etruscan kings and decided to rule themselves with without the need for a monarchy.

Just like today and in many other empires all over, the Roman Empire had class systems and they were the Patricians and Plebeians. Patrician class was the upper-class and consisted of nobility and wealthy land owners. Opposite of the patricians were the plebeians, the social group that consisted of everyone else in Rome. This group ranged from the tradesman all the way to the very poor. Later these groups would transform into the other social classes known as the populares and the optimates. The Populares were a mixture of plebeians and patricians who favored the common people and were for the extension of citizenship to all people of the empire, the elimination

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).

Mathematics, philosophy, astronomy, and medicine are some of the significant contributions made by the Greeks, and they were also notorious for their cultivated architecture and sculptures. The Greek culture impacted the Roman Empire and several other civilizations; it remains transforming present-day cultures. The Han Dynasty is one of the most remarkable dynasties in Chinese history. This dynasty incorporated about four hundred years of development and strengthening; it coexisted with the duration of the Roman republic and the empire in the West. Momentous developments occurred in the Han Dynasty. Rome advanced form being one of several city-states to being the core of the most magnificent empire in the world.

The consuls were the supreme power of authority with one year terms and could not be elected more than two times in a row and three times total. However, in situations of crisis, the Romans were led by a dictator who had complete power in a six month term. The Republic also had a senate, picked by the two consuls. The senators held their position for life and were responsible for taxes, funding laws, and foreign affairs. Next in line were the assembly, an elected body drawn from the citizens of Rome with two year terms and no term limits. The assembly occasionally made laws that had to be approved by the senate. The common people of Rome were called the Plebeians. The Plebeians served in the army, payed taxes, and had other citizen duties, but were not allowed to hold any important positions in office, unlike the Patricians who had all the rights. The Tribunes represented the voice of the Plebeians and were elected by the Plebeians. There were two Tribunes at a time with one year terms and had the power to veto any law. The Tribunes were “sacred” and left their doors open to the public to speak to them about any problems they might have

Rome was a highly hierarchical and class-conscious society; yet, since its power extended for centuries, the distinction between different classes varied in time. In the Roman kingdom and the early Roman Republic, the most important division in Roman society was between the Patricians and the Plebeians. The struggle for power between these two classes resulted in the development of the Roman system of government (McManus, 1997).

The views of the upper class of Han and Roman citizens contrast because of the differing cultures of each empire. In Rome, the significance of the plebeians, the lower class, and patricians, the wealthy, in society created tension due to the political inequality. Cicero, a member of the wealthy class of Rome wrote about craftsmen saying how “no

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)

The Plebians played an important role in the growth of Rome. In order to understand how, we must first understand who the Plebians were and how they differed from the Patricians. The Patricians were the descendants of the original tribes of Rome. They were an aristocratic class and enjoyed certain benefits of being related to those first residents of Rome. Since the family was so important to early Roman structure, it makes sense that a familial connection would hold great importance for those Patricians.

In the Republic, Plato divides social classes into three categories. These categories were Rulers, Guardians, and Craftsmen. These classes work together to ideally create Utopia. Plato believes social order must be maintained in order to have a fully functional society. These social classes are similar to the Feudal System, and modern day social classes. Each class has its own role, which if not carried out can disrupt the flow of society. Within each social class all men, women, and children had their own roles that they also had to fulfill.