CLASSICS 2K03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Plebs, Sestertius
2 Feb 2016
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Lecture 17: class and social status in rome. The importance of various class and status distinctions changed over time. Even if a distinction ceased to be legally important, it still could have substantial informal significance. For instance, long after political positions ceased to be reserved for patricians alone, being from good patrician background could still be an important factor for an aspiring politicians. Perhaps the oldest societal division in rome (allegedly going back to the founding of the city by romulus) Patricians: descendants of the leading men from rome"s earliest days (a hereditary aristocracy whose wealth was dependent upon owning land) Wealth: patricians were almost all wealthy; most plebeians were poor, but some were very. Originally political posts were reserved for patricians and patricians were banned from wealthy marrying plebeians. Tension between patricians and plebeians led to conflict. Eventually all legal distinctions between the two disappeared. Plebeians go the right to hold office, have their own assemblies, etc.
