Why were plebeians so important to Rome?
A Plebeian, is “(in ancient Rome) a Commoner”- Oxford Dictionary. The term evolved from referring not only to the local plebeians in ancient Rome but also generally, a commoner. In the context of ancient Rome however, the plebeians would break out of this definition and eventually become the commoners’ dream.
To properly address this question, it is important to consider the timeline of plebeian importance in Rome, considering their transition of status from commoners to complete equals with the patricians, as full roman citizens and equals before the law. Regardless of a timeline however, it can be seen that the plebeians were very important to Rome even when their social status was at its lowest because …show more content…
A farm without seeders or harvesters serves no purpose, just as a country without a workforce will have its societal and economical wheels stuck in the mud. That is what the plebeians were to Rome; the spinners of the wheel. In Rome, if a wealthy patrician was going to go out to buy bread say from a bakery, he would most likely meet a plebeian baker. Think of this example in terms of needing to build a house or a need to purchase craft; needs, both of which would be served by a plebeian builder or a craftsman respectively. The plebeians were the working class of Rome at the time, and their importance was not only evident in their empowerment of local trade but I believe in the overall economic structure of ancient Rome. The plebeians were important to Rome because their absence meant they would be baking their own bread and building their own city mansions. Non-figuratively speaking, the plebeians were important to Rome because they made up the vast majority of Rome’s working …show more content…
More interesting though is how the romans always seemed to bend to their demands. I was curious as to why this was so. Now for the final reason why I think the plebeians were important to Rome. That reason is societal stability. Remember how the Spartans were always afraid of a takeover by the rising helot population? They structured their whole military to suppress that possibility. In the case of Rome, however, the plebeians also served in the military. In addition to that, their large population in society could serve as a threat to Rome if an uprising were to occur. This among many other reasons discussed is why I believe the patricians bent to the plebeians demands time and time again. They had power in numbers.
Conclusion
In my view, the plebeians are one the most brilliant groups of ancient times. They knew their importance to Rome and they used that as bargaining chips to negotiate their way all the way up to where they believed they belonged- at the same level as the patricians. Other peoples would have fought or decided to wage war, but the fact that the plebeians seceded five times confirms to me that they knew were not expendable and the wheels of Rome would be stuck without
A Plebeian, is “(in ancient Rome) a Commoner”- Oxford Dictionary. The term evolved from referring not only to the local plebeians in ancient Rome but also generally, a commoner. In the context of ancient Rome however, the plebeians would break out of this definition and eventually become the commoners’ dream.
To properly address this question, it is important to consider the timeline of plebeian importance in Rome, considering their transition of status from commoners to complete equals with the patricians, as full roman citizens and equals before the law. Regardless of a timeline however, it can be seen that the plebeians were very important to Rome even when their social status was at its lowest because …show more content…
A farm without seeders or harvesters serves no purpose, just as a country without a workforce will have its societal and economical wheels stuck in the mud. That is what the plebeians were to Rome; the spinners of the wheel. In Rome, if a wealthy patrician was going to go out to buy bread say from a bakery, he would most likely meet a plebeian baker. Think of this example in terms of needing to build a house or a need to purchase craft; needs, both of which would be served by a plebeian builder or a craftsman respectively. The plebeians were the working class of Rome at the time, and their importance was not only evident in their empowerment of local trade but I believe in the overall economic structure of ancient Rome. The plebeians were important to Rome because their absence meant they would be baking their own bread and building their own city mansions. Non-figuratively speaking, the plebeians were important to Rome because they made up the vast majority of Rome’s working …show more content…
More interesting though is how the romans always seemed to bend to their demands. I was curious as to why this was so. Now for the final reason why I think the plebeians were important to Rome. That reason is societal stability. Remember how the Spartans were always afraid of a takeover by the rising helot population? They structured their whole military to suppress that possibility. In the case of Rome, however, the plebeians also served in the military. In addition to that, their large population in society could serve as a threat to Rome if an uprising were to occur. This among many other reasons discussed is why I believe the patricians bent to the plebeians demands time and time again. They had power in numbers.
Conclusion
In my view, the plebeians are one the most brilliant groups of ancient times. They knew their importance to Rome and they used that as bargaining chips to negotiate their way all the way up to where they believed they belonged- at the same level as the patricians. Other peoples would have fought or decided to wage war, but the fact that the plebeians seceded five times confirms to me that they knew were not expendable and the wheels of Rome would be stuck without