Introduction
The early Romans were suffered under the rule of Tarquinus Superbus. Therefore, they united their efforts to expel Tarquines (510 BCE) and created a republic, a form of government in which elected official share power (Morey 1901b).
However, in the beginning Rome was a aristocratic republic, not a democratic republic, in which only a small group of citizens could sit in public office. This group of aristocrat was the patricians (Morey 1901c). The patricians were the descendants of the old families that made up the early Romans (Morey 1901a). On the other hand, there was another group of people who populated Rome the most, the plebeians. They made up about 95 percent of Rome’s population (Frey & Bergez 2004: 318). They consisted mainly of people from other cities that had been conquered and brought to Rome or of people who ran from their cities and sought refuge in Rome. In the beginning, they were considered subjects, and not citizens, without any private nor public rights (Morey 1901a).
Just like the kings, the patricians were so despotic and oppressive in their ruling, and therefore, the plebeians decided to revolt. In this paper, I will discuss: first, the economic and political differences between the patricians and the plebeians that ultimately led to plebeian revolts; and secondly, the result of the first revolt. Economic and political differences First inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the economic difference in terms of wealth and place to live. …show more content…
Most of the patricians were wealthy, their houses were placed inside the city, protected by the city walls. On the other hand, most plebeians were poor, their houses were in the rural area without protection. While they went to war to protect the state, their farms were not taken care of or destroyed by the enemy. As the result, they went bankrupt and were forced to lend money to the patricians. To make things worse, the law of debt at the time was very harsh for them. If they could not pay their debt, they had to sell their belonging, farm, or even their family and themselves as slaves (Morey 1901c). Because the burden of life was so hard on them, finally they decided to secede. They marched out of the city, camped on a nearby hill, and proposed to form their own city (493 BCE). This was the first revolt of the plebeians. Second inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the economic difference in term of unequal division of the public land (Morey 1901c). The public land was the land that acquired in the wars. The plebeians as well as the patricians together won the wars and conquered this land. Therefore, the plebeians had the same rights to use the land. However, because the patricians ruled the government and decided the laws, they arranged that only the patricians could use the land as long as they wanted. Ironically, the plebeians often worked this land out as slaves for the patricians (Morey 1901c). Third inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the political right difference between the plebeians and the patricians. At first, the plebeians had very little rights in ruling the government. They could vote in comitia centuriata, but they could not sit in the public office nor the senate (Morey 1901c). However, after several revolts and protest, there were major changes in this aspect. The plebeians could have two (over time it became ten) representatives, called Tribunes, who spoke for the plebeians in the senate. The plebeians could also elect the concilium plebis. This was a lawmaking body, even though at the beginning it just made laws for the plebeians. Another main cornerstone of their achievement was they managed to make the patricians wrote the laws on 12 tablets. After this, the patricians could no more interpret the laws for their own benefit (Frey & Bergez 2004: 320). The patricians kept fighting for their political rights until finally, after the enforcement of the Licinian Laws (367 BCE), the plebeians could be considered equal with the patricians in all political standings (Morey 1901b). The result of the first revolt The first revolt occurred in 494 BCE, the plebeians refused to do Romans wars anymore. They left the
The early Romans were suffered under the rule of Tarquinus Superbus. Therefore, they united their efforts to expel Tarquines (510 BCE) and created a republic, a form of government in which elected official share power (Morey 1901b).
However, in the beginning Rome was a aristocratic republic, not a democratic republic, in which only a small group of citizens could sit in public office. This group of aristocrat was the patricians (Morey 1901c). The patricians were the descendants of the old families that made up the early Romans (Morey 1901a). On the other hand, there was another group of people who populated Rome the most, the plebeians. They made up about 95 percent of Rome’s population (Frey & Bergez 2004: 318). They consisted mainly of people from other cities that had been conquered and brought to Rome or of people who ran from their cities and sought refuge in Rome. In the beginning, they were considered subjects, and not citizens, without any private nor public rights (Morey 1901a).
Just like the kings, the patricians were so despotic and oppressive in their ruling, and therefore, the plebeians decided to revolt. In this paper, I will discuss: first, the economic and political differences between the patricians and the plebeians that ultimately led to plebeian revolts; and secondly, the result of the first revolt. Economic and political differences First inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the economic difference in terms of wealth and place to live. …show more content…
Most of the patricians were wealthy, their houses were placed inside the city, protected by the city walls. On the other hand, most plebeians were poor, their houses were in the rural area without protection. While they went to war to protect the state, their farms were not taken care of or destroyed by the enemy. As the result, they went bankrupt and were forced to lend money to the patricians. To make things worse, the law of debt at the time was very harsh for them. If they could not pay their debt, they had to sell their belonging, farm, or even their family and themselves as slaves (Morey 1901c). Because the burden of life was so hard on them, finally they decided to secede. They marched out of the city, camped on a nearby hill, and proposed to form their own city (493 BCE). This was the first revolt of the plebeians. Second inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the economic difference in term of unequal division of the public land (Morey 1901c). The public land was the land that acquired in the wars. The plebeians as well as the patricians together won the wars and conquered this land. Therefore, the plebeians had the same rights to use the land. However, because the patricians ruled the government and decided the laws, they arranged that only the patricians could use the land as long as they wanted. Ironically, the plebeians often worked this land out as slaves for the patricians (Morey 1901c). Third inequality that drove the plebeians to revolt was the political right difference between the plebeians and the patricians. At first, the plebeians had very little rights in ruling the government. They could vote in comitia centuriata, but they could not sit in the public office nor the senate (Morey 1901c). However, after several revolts and protest, there were major changes in this aspect. The plebeians could have two (over time it became ten) representatives, called Tribunes, who spoke for the plebeians in the senate. The plebeians could also elect the concilium plebis. This was a lawmaking body, even though at the beginning it just made laws for the plebeians. Another main cornerstone of their achievement was they managed to make the patricians wrote the laws on 12 tablets. After this, the patricians could no more interpret the laws for their own benefit (Frey & Bergez 2004: 320). The patricians kept fighting for their political rights until finally, after the enforcement of the Licinian Laws (367 BCE), the plebeians could be considered equal with the patricians in all political standings (Morey 1901b). The result of the first revolt The first revolt occurred in 494 BCE, the plebeians refused to do Romans wars anymore. They left the