Plebeians & Patricians Class Struggle Plebeians & Patricians

Class Struggle There was a problem with the Roman republic. We call it class distinction, the feeling that some people are "upper class" while others are "lower class" and inferior.

In Rome the senate was made up of upper class patricians, but the majority of Rome's people were plebeians. Roman Senators

Plebeians included towns people, small farmers, merchants, laborers, and artisans. They had the right to vote; they paid taxes, and served in the army, but they could not hold public office like the patricians.

The plebs resented the lack of power, because they knew the patricians could not maintain power or the republic without them. The republic needed its soldiers - plebs were soldiers. In 494 B.C. they went on strike to get their rights.

This scared the patricians. They met some of the plebs demands and recognized their representatives - the tribunes.

At first there were 2 tribunes, but as the city grew the number increased to ten. Tribunes could not make laws, but they could stop laws that were not good for the plebs. All they had to say was "Veto!" Latin for " I forbid!"

They succeeded in 451 B.C. (after long struggle) to get the government to engrave the Roman laws on 12 bronze tablets in the Roman Forum. These were called The Twelve Tables. They became the basis for all future Roman law.